Winter Recreation Strategy

Strategy goals | Be responsible, be respectful | Public safety | Designated access corridors | Restricted Activity Areas | Winter use schedule | Parking | Monitoring and feedback

Strategy goals

• To ensure protection of the Chilkoot Trail National Historic Site's cultural and natural resources.
• To allow all winter recreationalists to safely enjoy their respective activities without affecting the quality of each others' experience.
• To ensure intimacy around trap line holdings and prevent damage to trapper's property and trails.

The strategy is collaborative: if a user group does not adhere to the strategy, the activity may be banned at the national historic site.

Be responsible, be respectful

All Chilkoot Trail users are asked to use the trail in a responsible manner and to respect other users and the spirit of the strategy. Please:

• Pack out your garbage
• Stay on designated trails
• Avoid Closed Areas
• Respect trap line & trap line property
• Never feed or approach wildlife
• Be alert and courteous
• Lend a helping hand
• Quiet time at Log Cabin 10:00 pm - 8:00 am

Snowmobilers should reduce speed on Multi-use trails. Skiers and snowshoers should move to the side of the trail to let snowmobiles and dog sleds past.

Fires are permitted in the Log Cabin parking lot if contained in a fire pan and users bring their own wood. Open fires are prohibited at all other locations within the National Historic Site.

Public safety

Areas of CTNHS, including designated access corridors, campsites, and warming shelters, may at times be unsafe because of natural hazards such as avalanches, open water, overflow, hidden rocks, blizzards etc.

Winter users are responsible for their own safety and are expected to make their own evaluations of weather, snow stability and avalanche danger, and their own decisions concerning campsite and route selection.

Designated access corridors

Establishing designated access corridors below and through tree line minimizes damage to the landscape and historic resources along the Chilkoot Trail.

Establishing and maintaining access corridors will be a cooperative effort. Initially these corridors may be multi-use; in the longer term it is hoped that separate corridors will be developed for skiers and snowmobilers/dog sledders.

Restricted Activity Areas

Seasonal Restricted Activity Areas at Bennett and Lindeman town sites protect historic features.

Access at Bennett is by foot, snowshoe or ski only. All user groups continue to have access to the Parks Canada cabins at Lindeman. Overland access between the cabins is by ski and snowshoe only.

Additional temporary closures may be posted to protect natural and cultural resources in the event of inadequate snow cover or if wildlife is frequenting a particular area. Decisions on temporary closures are made in consultation with the Chilkoot working group ensuring that the needs of recreationalists are represented.

Winter use schedule

Essentially, every third weekend (Friday to Sunday) is set aside for non-motorized use; all other times are multi-use. This schedule is adjusted so that Easter weekend will be multi-use and the Buckwheat Ski Classic Race will be on a non-motorized weekend.

2022-23 Winter Use Schedule

Parking

Recognizing other workload priorities and fiscal limitations, the Chilkoot working group will encourage YTG to continue ploughing the upper and lower Log Cabin parking lots.

During multi-use periods the upper parking lot is set aside for non-motorized users. On non-motorized weekends use of Log Cabin parking lots for motorized recreation is not allowed.

The working group is also exploring avenues for construction of a new parking lot near Log Cabin specially designed for motorized winter users.

Monitoring and feedback

The Chilkoot working group monitors and evaluates the success of the strategy on an on-going basis. Working group members conduct joint weekend patrols to inform users about and enhance compliance with the Winter Use Strategy.

The Winter Use Strategy is based upon cooperation; failure to comply with park regulations or the strategy by members of a particular user group could result in that activity being excluded as a permitted activity within Chilkoot Trail National Historic Site.

For further information contact:

Parks Canada
Room 205 - 300 Main St.
Whitehorse, YT Y1A 2B5
Tel: 867-667-3910
1-800-661-0486