📸 Benjamin Steffes-Lai | s-lai.com
Welcome to Dawson: Canada’s Northern Playground
Located in West-central Yukon near the Dempster highway and beautiful Tombstone Park, Dawson City is a young, outdoorsy community of about 2,500 residents – roughly 2,000 in winter and 3,500 in summer. Our colourful town and surrounding catchment area are home to amazingly active outdoors and arts scenes (including the Dawson City Music Festival) and a vibrant First Nation.
Once called “the Paris of the North”, Dawson City exudes charm and character, with klondike-era boardwalks and dance shows, world class artisans, and a breathtaking wilderness of mountains and rivers right at your doorstep. This is real outdoor living in an educated, urban setting. In town, you’ll find cozy cafes, lively pubs, and local restaurants, with a variety of shops and galleries mere steps away. But don’t get too comfortable: hiking, canoeing, fishing, mountain biking, dog sledding, skiing and more, are all part of a way of life.
📸 Benjamin Steffes-Lai | s-lai.com
“
Our breath is brief, and being so Let’s make our heaven here below, And lavish kindness as we go.”
Dawson city history
Moving to Dawson? You’ve struck gold! (Perhaps, quite literally.) At the turn of the 20th century, the Klondike Gold Rush brought in 30,000+ prospectors, miners, adventurers and business owners into the river valley. Soon, a bustling town had sprouted to support the workers and their many lively pastimes, making it the largest city West of Winnipeg and North of Seattle. Today, the city retains its historic charm with unpaved streets and boardwalks, and not a traffic light in sight. And many people, including many international tourists from nearby Alaskan cruise ships, still come to experience the Klondike and try their hand at gold panning.
Centuries before the gold rush, the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in people had already been enjoying the local way of life and area’s abundant resources. Today this vibrant First Nation continues to thrive – both in and around Dawson – leaving its mark on local art, culture, and lifestyle.
📸 Adam Pankalla
a gem of a community
What makes Dawson different from other small towns? Our citizens are an eclectic (sometimes eccentric) bunch who have chosen to live here from all across Canada – and from all walks of life.
Dawson is not a one-industry town, and it shows. Our community is friendly and tight-knit, our infrastructure is modern, and our workforce is industrious and educated. (In fact, the 1996 Statistics Canada Census, shows that Dawson City has the second highest number of post-secondary educated citizens per capita of any community in Canada!)
For a small town, Dawson has unparalleled performing and fine arts exposure, ample recreational opportunities, and incredible heart. Our young, outdoorsy community boasts many university-educated and well-travelled young singles and couples, both with and without children. (And no strip malls or chain stores to speak of!)
There’s a reason so many of our residents came to visit – and never left.
dawson city amenities
🛒2 Local Grocers
☕4 Cafes & Bakeries
🍽️12 Restaurants
🍻Multiple Pubs & Bars
🏥Clinic, Hospital & Pharmacy
🛬Local Airport
Sports Facilities
🏋️Gym (year-round)
🏊Indoor Pool (summer)
🏒Hockey Arena (winter)
🥌Curling Arena (winter)
Cross-country ski trails
Small local downhill ski hill
⛳️9-hole Golf Course (May-Sept)
🏕The Great Outdoors (year-round)
Arts & Culture
🎨The Yukon School of Visual Arts
🎭The Klondike Institute of Art & Culture
• visual & performing arts, film and courses
• year-round Writer In Residence & Artist In Residence programmes attracting authors, poets and artists from across Canada
getting to dawson city
No matter how you choose to travel, Whitehorse is your gateway into Dawson. From Whitehorse, take a 1 hour 15min flight, or take the scenic 5.5 hour drive. Have 5-14 days to spare and a keen sense of adventure? Pack your canoe and paddle 715 kms downriver from Whitehorse to Dawson City. (But remember, one way only!)