13 Best Places to Visit in Canada That Aren't Toronto or Vancouver

8. Yukon Territory: Last Frontier Wilderness and Gold Rush History

The Yukon Territory represents Canada's last frontier, where vast wilderness areas larger than many countries remain virtually untouched by human development, offering adventurous travelers opportunities to experience true wilderness in landscapes that range from boreal forest to Arctic tundra, all under the midnight sun of summer or the dancing aurora of winter. Whitehorse, the territorial capital, serves as the gateway to this northern wonderland, where visitors can explore the region's gold rush heritage at the MacBride Museum, take a historic sternwheeler cruise on the Yukon River, or embark on the famous White Pass & Yukon Route railway that follows the treacherous path taken by Klondike gold seekers over a century ago. The territory's crown jewel, Kluane National Park and Reserve, protects Canada's highest peaks including Mount Logan, the country's tallest mountain, along with the world's largest non-polar icefield, creating a landscape so pristine and dramatic that it's been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Dawson City, the legendary heart of the Klondike Gold Rush, has been meticulously preserved as a National Historic Site, where visitors can try their hand at gold panning, explore authentic saloons and gambling halls, attend the nightly can-can show at Diamond Tooth Gerties, and walk the same streets where fortunes were made and lost during the frenzied days of 1898. The Yukon's Indigenous cultures, represented by fourteen First Nations, offer visitors opportunities to learn about traditional ways of life that have sustained people in this challenging environment for thousands of years, while modern adventures include dog sledding, ice fishing, aurora viewing, and multi-day wilderness expeditions that provide unparalleled opportunities to experience the raw beauty and profound silence of Canada's true north.