Alaska Highway

Km 1416.2 - Miles Canyon
On access road off Alaska Highway

Miles Canyon and Whitehorse Rapids were the major obstacles to travel on the Yukon River before the Whitehorse hydro dam was constructed, and Schwatka Lake created. Many river travelers chose to portage around these hazards rather than risk their life of belongings.

In 1897, at the beginning of the Klondike Gold Rush, two entrepreneurs from Victoria, British Columbia built log tramways on each side of the river for horse-drawn carts. For a fee, small boats and freight could be hauled around the canyon and rapids while a certified pilot could be hired to take larger boats and barges through the dangerous water. Tens of thousands of stampeders stopped at the tents and log buildings of Canyon City at the head of the tramway on the east bank of the river.

The North-West Mounted police opened a detachment at Canyon City to inspect the stampeders’ goods for contraband and collect duties. The officers regulated the river traffic, making sure the owners were competent at the helm and the boats seaworthy. Although this likely saved many lives, it added to the congestion at Canyon City and contributed to the tramway business. Canyon City was a scene of frantic activity for three short summers as thousands of gold seekers funnelled through this dangerous point on the journey to Dawson City.

As suddenly as Canyon City was born, it was gone. In 1900, the gold rush had subsided and the White Pass & Yukon Route railway was completed past the rapids. Canyon City was abandoned and the buildings relocated to the new town of Whitehorse on the west bank of the Yukon River.

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