Klondike Goldfields "Where it all began"
Dream of being the miner who plucked the first gold from Bonanza Creek, sparking the Klondike Gold Rush in 1896. Stand on the very spot at the Discovery Claim when hiking the Discovery Trail. Head to Dredge No. 4 and marvel at this gravel-eating 8-storey monster covering two-thirds of a football field. Imagine the desperate dreams created by this barren landscape as you tour the Klondike Goldfields.
Bear Creek Compound | Discovery Claim | Dredge No. 4
Goldfields Guide | Xplorers | Geocaching | Red Chairs
Bear Creek Compound - Ghost Town Gold - Guided tour
A town born from and sustained by gold, then lost to it: discover the deserted townsite of Bear Creek. Join Parks Canada for a rare glimpse of a moment frozen in time when the Yukon Consolidated Gold Corporation shut its doors at Bear Creek after six decades and walked away leaving everything behind.
Time: 1 pm to 3 pm
Pre-book: Visitor Centre on Front Street; 15 people max.
Location: Bear Creek (10 km east of Dawson City)
Discovery Claim National Historic Site
This is a legally defined mining claim located on Bonanza Creek, fifteen kilometres above its confluence with the Klondike River. Originally staked on August 17, 1896, it is the site of the gold discovery that sparked the Klondike Gold Rush.
Self Guided Trail
Location: km 15 on Bonanza Creek Road
Dredge No. 4 National Historic Site
Visitors are welcome to visit the Dredge No. 4 site, and can learn about this amazing machine and what it took to build and maintain these machines, through interpretive panels in the parking lot. Shipwrights have been working to restore and stabilize this amazing piece of Klondike history.
The Restoration of Dredge No. 4 (Video)
Guided tours
You can tour this incredible site from May to September each year. Guided tours of the interior of Dredge No. 4 are provided by The Klondike Experience. For detailed information and to make reservations, contact:
The Klondike Experience
Box 336,
Dawson City, YT
Y0B 1G0
Telephone: (867) 993-3821
Email: info@klondikeexperience.com
Site-guide for the Klondike Goldfields
The Klondike goldfields site-guide can accompany you in your exploration of Bonanza Creek Road, Dredge No. 4 and Discovery Claim National Historic Sites. When exploring the goldfields on your own, with The Parks Canada Explora App or with the Xplorer Booklet for kids (Dredge No. 4 and the Goldfields), this guide and souvenir will provide you with historic images, additional information and easy-to-understand diagrams.
Available in English, French, German and Japanese at the Visitor's Information Centre on Front St. from 9 am to 8 pm daily during the operational season: $2.50.
Xplorers
Are your children curious, bright, and active? Do they like challenges? Are they budding artists, dreamers or promising journalists? Then they are a perfect candidate to become a Parks Canada Xplorer.
When the kids have completed the requested number of activities they will be recognized as an official Xplorer with a certificate and a special collectible souvenir!
Ask for the booklets at the Visitor’s Centre and head out to “Xplore” with your family!
Geocaching
There are geocaches placed by Parks Canada in the goldfields. Each cache contains information about locations and people commemorated in the Klondike, as well as a secret question. If you bring the correct answers to FOUR of the secret questions, you can receive a small token from the Parks Canada desk at the Visitor Information Centre.
Red Chairs
There are red chairs located in the Klondike Goldfields.