Winter Wonderland
Strap on your snowshoes, we’re heading for the snow!
One of our most asked questions is “What do you even do in the winter season?” Well let us tell you! One of our best kept secrets is that winter time can be just as fun as the summer! Sure it can get cold and snowy, but when the weather cooperates it’s a heck of a lot of fun!
Winter Sports
Dawson has way too much to offer in a sense of sports. We’ve got almost everything; snowshoeing, X country and downhill skiing, snowboarding, ice and road hockey, dog sledding, skijouring, and of course the great Canadian sport of curling! We really love getting active in the cold and snowy weather!
Hockey
It really is one of the best games you can play! From the boonies of Nova Scotia to the mountains of Vancouver, Hockey can be found everywhere in Canada and Dawson is no exception. It’s a community activity that brings in every age group and skill level. Even if you don’t play, come down to the Art and Margret Fry Area to catch a game and cheer on a team!
Curling
Hurry hard, and come check out the Dawson City Curling Club. Open from Novemeber to March, curling is one of the best ways to spend a cold winter’s day. Curling is a long time standing tradition in Dawson, with trophies and tournaments stemming from the Klondike Gold Rush. With a weekly league, drop-in, and bonspiels, it’s always ‘rockin’ at the curling club!
Downhill Skiing & Snowboarding
Hidden on the Midnight Dome you’ll find our little winter gem, Moose Mountain Skihill. It offers 3 different hills with a T-Bar lift. Rentals and lift tickets can be found at the log chalet at the bottom of the hill. You can expect Moose Mountain to be open from January to the end of March on the weekends, and temperatures warmer than 20 degrees Celsius. Go come out and shred some snow!
Cross Country Skiing & Snowshoeing
One of the best ways to explore the Dawson region is with something strapped on to your feet! Whether it’s snowshoes or skiies, you’re going to find some incredible views. You can trail along the Yukon River, Moose Mountain Ski Trails, or even within Tombstone Territorial Park. Make sure you bring your camera because you’re gonna want to brag about this!
If you’re looking for a pair, the Dawson City Recreation Department offers hourly and daily rentals.
Dog Sledding
Up for a little bit more of a true northern lifestyle? Dog Sledding is a great way to get an authentic arctic experience. With B-Line Racing Kennels, you’ll be able to explore the north in an unforgetable way! Dawson City is the half way point for the Yukon Quest and is the start of the Percy de Wolfe race, so it’s only fair that you experience the north like we do!
Northern Lights
We may call ourselves ‘The Land of the Midnight Sun,’ but sometimes we like it when it gets dark. It means that the Northern Lights are in season!
You can view them from your bedroom window, or outside. Klondike Experience offers a Northern Lights tour, where they can take you up to the top of the Midnight Dome to get the grand view.
Want to capture them? Check out our helpful guild.
Don’t know if they’ll be out for a dance? Check out the Aurora Forecast.
Science Lesson: How do we get northern lights?
Solar storms created on the sun create a magnetic charge, and slowly detach from the sun. They travel through the solar system, and collide with the Earth’s magnetic field. The particles from the storm are oppositely charged than our magnetic poles, which causes the poles to attract the particles. These particles travel to the poles, and react with an outer layer of our atmosphere, causing a colorful burst of light. Depending on the dominate element of the particles, the colours of the light will be different. Green is the most common colour, with purple and red being rare.
Photo: Sonny Parker
Events
If you haven’t noticed by now, Dawson City is home to a ton of crazy and lively events. But they don’t stop when the sun does. Some of our favourite events happen in the winter!
Starting in November you’ll get to explore one of the darkest months of the year with the Celebration of Lights, fireworks are definitely included. Come and celebrate the light on the days we miss it most!
Just like the rest of the World, December is home to Christmas and celebrations. Discover multiple bazaars and get the best local art in time for the holidays.
We weren’t kidding when we said we’re all about winter sports. January is home to a curling bonspiel and a hockey tournament. But if you’re not into sports and like a more artistic way of life, (s)Hiver is something for you! (s)Hiver is a winter arts festival that celebrates the coldest time of the year. With installations, performances, and workshops discovering the cold hasn’t been easier!
February is the shortest, and coldest month here in Dawson City, so the only way to make it go even faster is by loading it up with more events. Like January there are even more curling and hockey tournaments. For the thrill seekers, we have Trek Over the Top, a snowmobile trip from Tok, Alaska to Dawson City. Spend a couple of days traveling the Top of the World Highway, and celebrate your treacherous trek with a night out in Dawson City.
March is home to arguably one of the funnest months of the year. It’s when the sun comes out, it’s winter at it’s most beautiful. Usually the weather is on our side, and we can explore all of our favourite outdoor pass times. One of the years most anticipated event happens in March. You may have hear of Mardi Gras, but have you ever hear of Thaw Di Gras? It’s our famous spring carnival that happens in the middle of March and is home to some of Dawson’s most wackiest happening. If you find yourself loosing at the Tricycle Races, tray your hand at the DCMF lip-sync, or maybe the tea boiling contest! Still doesn’t sound appealing? How about a Chili Cookoff, or an arm wrestling contest, even a cat show! Nothing is too out of the ordinary for this crazy weekend.