Other Recreation

Whitehorse [1] is relatively flat, making biking easy and fun. Rent mountain bikes from Up North Adventures (103 Strickland St., 867/667-7035). If you’re interested in joining up with some locals, drop by Icycle Sport (9002 Quartz Rd., 867/668-7559) and ask about evening group rides after the shop closes at 6 p.m.

Along the Alaska Highway south of the city is Meadow Lakes Golf Resort (867/668-4653), a short nine-hole course kept in excellent condition through the summer golfing season. As with the course in Yellowknife [2], one of the unique features is tee times as late as 10:30 p.m. in late June and early July.

Every year hardy souls re-create the 742-kilometer (464-mile) route taken by stampeders heading to the Klondike goldfields by floating the Yukon River from Whitehorse. The most authentic way to travel is by canoe, which takes 12–15 days. While this is a trip for experienced wilderness travelers only, two Whitehorse companies make organization easy by providing rentals and transfers. Both companies also offer the option of floating the river as part of a guided tour.

Kanoe People (867/668-4899, www.kanoepeople.com [3]) has been around the longest (since 1974), and rents canoes for $30 per day or $180 per week. They specialize in one-way rentals to Carmacks [4] or Dawson [5] and guided tours, such as a seven-day river trip with meals and accommodations for $2,000.

Up North Adventures (103 Strickland St., 867/667-7035, www.upnorth.yk.ca [6]) also offers canoe rentals (as well as bike and kayak rentals) with a local drop-off and pick-up service perfect for a single day on the river. For example, pay $65 per person for a full-day rental and return transportation from Lake Laberge [4]. Their 17-day Whitehorse [1] to Dawson float is $2,280 per person.