SWAN HAVEN INTERPRETIVE CENTRE
M’Clintock Bay on Marsh Lake hosts a spring spectacle of returning swans and other waterbirds. Featuring the first open water in the region, the bay has many attractions for early migrants. This bay offers shallow water, access to food, good visibility, and little disturbance to waterbirds, making it a critical stopover on the long migration to northern nesting grounds.
April and early May are the best times to visit Swan Haven Interpretive Centre. Trumpeter and Tundra swans, wigeons, Canada Geese, Northern Pintails, shorebirds, eagles, and other predators abound in this small bay, easily seen from the observation decks.
Marsh Lake at Swan Haven in Spring
How to Get There
Swan Haven is located on the shores of M’Clintock Bay on Marsh Lake. From Whitehorse, take the Alaska Highway south past the Lewes River Bridge to Marsh Lake. About 40 km south of Whitehorse, you’ll reach North M’Clintock Subdivision, and Swan Haven Road. Turn right down Swan Haven Road and follow it for 2 km until you reach Swan Haven Interpretation Centre.
2016 Hours of Operation
April 1 to May 8
Weekdays: 5:00 – 9:00 pm
Weekends: 12:00 noon – 7:00 pm
Not having this information, we drove the long (residential) road to the site. I would NOT recommend it in a larger RV as there is VERY little parking and tricky turn-around. All this for basically nothing as the guidebooks don’t tell you that it’s only a very short period of time that swans are there.
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