Page 96 - Vacation Country Travel Guide

Keno City Mining Museum Klondike Highway. They will encounter breathtaking
photo by: mountain vistas, glimmering lakes and rivers, perfect
VC Travel Guide for boating or canoeing and teeming with fish, an
area rich in silver and gold mining history. The paved
72-mile Silver Trail branches east from the Klondike
Highway #2 at Stewart Crossing and parallels the
Stewart River all the way to Mayo. From here, an
unpaved loop leads to Elsa and Keno City, with side
roads to several lakes. Charter companies offer air
services to backcountry adventures or flight-seeing
opportunities from Mayo’s float plane base and gravel
airstrip.
Winter is a magical time to discover the Silver Trail
as well, when thick frost coats the branches of the trees
and snow blankets the Wernecke Mountains. Tinges
of pink alpenglow grace the landscape, providing
inspiration to artists and recreation enthusiasts who
know they will be met with superb conditions for
skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, ice fishing and
dog mushing. This is also the time to see spectacular
shows of the Aurora Borealis in the dark skies. For
more visitor information, visit www.silvertrail.yk.ca.
Mayo
Location: On Silver Trail Hwy 11, 30
Ross River base disappeared when highway construction ended miles from Stewart Crossing. Population:
Location: Junctions of Campbell Highway # 4 in the 1950s but then gained a new lease on life as 450. Visitor Information: Village of Mayo/
Binet House Museum Visitor Information
and Canol Road Highway #6, at the confluence the home of the Selkirk First Nation. The people of Centre, PO Box 160, Mayo, YT Y0B 1M0;
of the Ross and Pelly Rivers, approximately the First Nation had settled near the old territorial Phone: (867) 996-2317; Website: www.
200 northwest of Watson Lake. capital of Fort Selkirk on the Yukon River. But the
highway passed Fort Selkirk by, and the town site villageofmayo.ca.
Ross River has the multiple distinctions of being was virtually abandoned. The Selkirk First Nation
Mayo is located in the traditional territory of the
the home to the Kaska people, to the only service was relocated to Pelly Crossing to centralize services First Nation of Na Cho Nyak Dun, named for Alfred
station along the entire Canol Road and to the Yukon’s and administration. H. Mayo, a circus acrobat in his home state of Maine
longest (over 600 feet) suspension bridge. Once an Stewart Crossing who later became captain of the small steamer “New
important Taylor and Drury trading post, the town Racket” in partnership with famous traders Jack
now provides much needed services to travelers along Location: Junction Klondike Highway 2 to McQuestern and Arthur Harper. The partners invested
the Canol and Campbell Highways. Dawson City & Silver Trail Highway 11 to in or “grubstaked” many of the early prospectors.
Accommodations include standard lodging and a Mayo, 113 miles to Dawson City. Population:
campground. Before crossing the Pelly River by ferry, 50. Known as Mayo Landing until 1958, the strategically
located village on the Stewart River serviced the
travelers on this seasonal route should be prepared for The history of Stewart Crossing began in 1886 Silver Trail area’s extensive mining activities,
rough road conditions and be fully provisioned. when a supply post was established to service the centered in Elsa and Keno City.
burgeoning gold mining development in the area.
Later, it became the site of a roadhouse on the
KLODIKE HWY 2 NORTH Whitehorse to Dawson Overland Trail. Keno City
Services offered include gas station, convenience Location: On Silver Trail Hwy 11, 9 km from
Pelly Crossing store, restaurant, RV Park with laundry/shower Elsa. Population: 25.
Location: The community of Pelly Crossing facilities and a tourism booth with information about Keno City is nestled in the mountains at the end
is located along the Klondike Highway and the Silver Trail area. of the scenic Silver Trail. At the turn of the last
on the bank of the Pelly River, 282 kilometres century the lure of gold brought a rush of prospectors
northwest of Whitehorse and 254 kilometres JCT. KLONDIKE HWY 2 to the Keno area. While prospecting nearby, a
southeast of Dawson City. & SILVER TRAIL HWY 11 TO MAYO miner discovered a substantial deposit of silver. By
Pelly Crossing was originally a ferry crossing The Silver Trail Highway 11 the 1920s, a booming Keno City was at the centre
of a silver mining industry that was to become the
and a construction camp for workers building the Visitors traveling the Silver Trail will enjoy backbone of the Yukon’s economy for over 70 years.
Klondike Highway. The community’s economic picturesque wilderness scenery on this side trip off the The Keno City Mining Museum celebrates this
important history.

JCT. KLONDIKE HWY 2 NORTH TO DAWSON
CITY & DEMPSTER HWY TO INUVIK, NWT

Elsa
Location: On Silver Trail Hwy 11, 27 km
northeast of Mayo.
Elsa is the site of a historic silver mine—the
Come visit the Binet House Interpretive Centre/Museum in Mayo which houses a collection of historic United Keno Hill Mine, which was once the richest
photos, interpretive information and extensive geology display, information about silver and gold and longest continually operating silver mine in
mining, and local crafts.Mayo offers a good range of attractions and services: accommodations, eating North America. In its heyday, Elsa was home to
facilities, gas/propane, groceries, post offi ce, campgrounds/RV parks, fl oat plane base, etc. The Village about 700 people, but is now privately owned and
of Mayo offers free camping at McIntyre Park. Visit our website at www.villageofmayo.ca not open to the public.

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