DAWSON CITY, YUKON

Dawson City, YT – site of the 1898 Klondike Gold Rush!

Dawson City is one of our favorite places … it has real character – not manufactured … not Disney-fied … it’s a genuine gold rush town that where mining is on-going on and folks still hoping to strike it rich!

You can almost feel as if you’re still in the 1800’s when you’re walking down some streets! All roads are dirt, and sidewalks (when there are any) are wooden-planked boardwalks. No pavement in sight.

Dawson City Street

Boardwalks on dirt streets in Dawson City

The only concession to tourism is a few gift shops, a few tours offered in town and at some old mining operations, RV parks, some new-ish hotels (that are designed to fit the character of the town) and tour busses bringing in folks from the airport. That’s what most people love about Dawson. (Although I overheard one tourist complaining that “the townspeople aren’t even dressed in costumes!” Can you believe it?  Although they ARE … at the Tourist Info Centre!)

Shops along Front Street in Dawson City

Many of the original buildings are still standing – or actually they’re ‘leaning’ having been built on permafrost before anyone knew the proper way to build on frozen ground. Some are being restored and some are left ‘as-is’ … which is kind of cool.

Church in Dawson City – leaning!

Leaning buildings in Dawson

Dawson City started out in the goldrush of 1898 as a shelter for gold seekers. Back then it was mostly canvas tents, shanty structures and log cabins that rented for extravagant prices.

One million people, it is said, laid plans to go to the Klondike after word got out about the August 16, 1896 discovery of placer gold on Bonanza Creek. One hundred thousand actually set off and about thirty thousand actually made it. Once Dawson City was the largest city north of Seattle and west of Winnipeg. Some of the hopeful struck it rich in the goldfields of the Klondike … but most didn’t.

The hand-mining phase of the Klondike era lasted only about three years, until 1899 by which time the rich ground had been exhausted. At this time, claims were consolidated into larger blocks and large machinery was employed such as steam shovels and dredges.

Destruction from a dredge in Dawson during the Gold rush

The devastation wreaked by these gigantic machines are visible everywhere. As you near Dawson City you will see miles of what looks like moonscape … giant piles of rocks and gravel as far as you can see – which are leftover tailings from the dredges that ripped up the land and streams as they inched along. It’s appalling actually, and takes away the beauty that should surround this area. And I hate to say it … it’s still going on … in a smaller scale certainly … but as you drive down the roads off into the hills there are still mining claims being worked. And there seems to be no guidelines for the pillaging … streams are still being ripped up, trees up-rooted and hillsides being torn down.

You can visit one of the left-over dredges up at Dredge #4 on Bonanza Creek Road – it’s a National Historic Site with tours available. It’s hard to even imagine the size of these things … this one is one of the largest and is the size of an apartment building!

Dawson Dredge Piles Today

Dredge #4 – National Historic Site

On that same road you can try your own hand at panning for gold – either at Claim 33 (which is a tourist stop with troughs and pans to rent) or up at the free claim (#6) where you can simply wade into the river and try your luck. We did. All we got were mosquito bites. It’s boring … but there’s lots of people up there doing it! Must be like gambling … it gets in your blood apparently.

Panning for gold at Claim #6

As I said, it’s one of our favorite towns, but I don’t think I’ll ever come back here in the middle of summer again. There’s just too many tourists for my liking. All the campgrounds/RV parks are full and it can get difficult trying to find seating in the few restaurants. Best time is late May/early June … or September.

Goldrush RV Park in July Dawson City, YT

Well, on to Klondike Kate’s restaurant for some good Yukon beer and maybe a burger … or salmon … whatever is on special … it’s always good. If we can get in before the crowds!

Klondike Kate’s … YUM!