Discovery Yukon Lodgings Activities

Once you venture off the main Highway there are many activities available in this beautiful corner of Northern Canada. At Discovery Yukon Lodgings we are surrounded by a variety of differing landscapes, including mountains, boreal tundra, sub alpine rivers, lakes and glaciers. These diverse landscapes lend themselves to activities such as hiking, canoeing, mountain biking, bird watching, wildlife spotting, fishing, rock hounding, nature walks and aerial tours.

We invite you to come and stay with us, where you can join one of our guided tours, or simply relax and enjoy what nature has to offer.

Military Vehicle Collection

There is a graveyard of ex-military vehicles and equipment on the Discovery Yukon Lodgings property that was used in the building of the Alaskan Highway. The collection includes a restored 1942 Dodge WC62, which we use on special occasions. 

Feel free to walk through the collection and take photos. Each piece of machinery has it’s own unique story and contributes to the fabric of this colorful Territory. 

Communal Fire Pit

Why not take part in one of the local activities nearby, and in the evening on your return to Discovery Yukon Lodgings, join us at the communal firepit, where you can share your day’s adventure with us.  A relaxing way to ’while’ away the evening, meet new people and make new friends.

Our Food to Table Garden

On arriving at DYL, you will realize that we are a long way from anywhere! We only have a food delivery once a month, which isn’t enough to keep us in fresh vegetables when we are cooking for our guests. We constructed raised beds (an area of soil raised three feet above the surrounding soil, encased by rock) to counteract the permafrost. We warm the soil in these beds before sowing the vegetable seeds, and then nurture the seedlings to produce and abundant supplies of vegetables and salad crops that are used for our home prepared meals.

Bird Watching in the Yukon

This area is a good location for bird watching, due not only to the varied landscape, but also the area has not been ravaged by human intervention which can destroy the environment and disturb the breeding and food chain of the wildlife.  Grab your camera, binoculars and your bird book and come and talk to a member of staff who will be able to provide you information on some good birding locations. 

Around this area you are likely to see bunting, chickadee, redpoll,  warblers, grey jays, grouse, ptarmigan, sand piper,  bald and golden eagles amongst other birds of prey,  and Trumpeter Swans to name but a few.  In the spring and fall we are visited by species of migrating birds, such as sandhill crane en-route to their seasonal feeding and breeding grounds.

Canoeing in the Yukon

We are surrounded by lakes and rivers which are suitable for canoeing. If you would like further information, please talk to a member of the staff who will be able to help you find a suitable location. We regret we do not have canoes for hire.

Fishing in the Yukon

Fishing is a favourite pastime within the local community. Come and talk to us, as we can suggest some areas in which you may try your luck fishing.  We are able to provide the necessary fishing Guide Books,  and have a small supply of rods, reels and hooks for sale in our gift shop. 

Hiking in the Yukon

There are some short trails to try within the property, as well as some longer trails which we can recommend for your enjoyment.  You maybe adventurous and prefer to find your own trails, this is the place for you. Are you in need a more challenging hike? Try the 2,000ft (609 mtrs) climb up nearby Miles Ridge. From the plateau you have panoramic views over the lakes and rivers, as well as an amazing array of alpine plants.  We have many guests who would welcome your feedback on any new trails you may find.   We are able to provide snacks and drinks from our gift store for those guests who would like to be away all day.

Mountain Biking in the Yukon

We have no shortage of mountains in this part of the world, some untouched by humans, and others with the remains of historic trails cut through them.   We are able to recommend some trips if you are new to the area, or if you are up to the challenge, you are welcome to forge your own route!  We have a small selection of items such as puncture repair kits, oil, for sale in our gift shop. We regret that we do not have bikes for hire.

Rock Hounding

The turbulent spring water washes a fresh array of rocks and fossils down the river bed from the active glacier at the head of the White River and deposits them on the river banks. This means we have renewed rich pickings once the spring melt water subsides. Call into the office to see our ‘floating rocks’ and then head off to the river to find your own! A walk to the river usually results in visitors finding rocks of any hue imaginable and often a treasured fossil. Check your treasured rock against our own display of rocks that have been identified and dated by Yukon Geological Survey, some dating back over 300 million years.

Wildlife Spotting

In the Yukon, observing the incredibly varied wildlife that makes this land their home is just as available to those camping and traveling in RVs as it is to those who venture into the wilderness on foot. Even from the road, you can spot bears, especially in early May & June. Moose, lynx, wolves, & coyotes are some of the other animals you see, as well as the swans and eagles.
Perhaps because the winters are so long and so harsh here in the Yukon, it often seems as though the wildlife is more vivacious, more curious, and certainly hungrier in this far northern climate during the short but brilliant summer months.

During berry season, usually late July grizzly bears are found feasting on soap berries, which grow in profusion close to us. The bears use our property as their thorough fare to their feeding grounds, and we have to be exceedingly vigilant for these few weeks.

They aren’t just eating for enjoyment, either. They need all they can get in the summer to build up enough fat to make it through the winter. You can tell it’s a grizzly rather than a black bear by the large hump in its back.

We invite you to come and stay with us, to simply relax and enjoy what nature has to offer