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Tombstone Territorial Park
About the Park
What is New
Visitor Information
Nature
Culture
Activities
Park Management
About the Park
Tombstone Territorial Park was established through the Tr'ondëk Hwëch'in Final Agreement. Encompassing about 2,200 square kilometers, the park is situated about an hour and half drive north of Dawson City. The Dempster Highway bisects the Park and provides visitors with an opportunity to view stunning arctic tundra landscapes and wildlife, as well as access to some of the best hiking areas in the Yukon. Tombstone Territorial Park includes a concentration of diverse ecological niches, which has resulted in a diverse collection of flora and fauna, uncommon at this latitude. Aboriginal people have been drawn to this area for centuries by its abundant wildlife populations and other natural resources.
A Visitor's Guide to Tombstone Park 2006 (PDF 168 Kb)
Tombstone Territorial Park Map 2006 (PDF 1.5Mb)
The Dempster Highway Travelogue (PDF 5Mb)
What is New
Visitor Information
How to get there
The Dempster Highway runs through Tombstone Park for about 70 kilometres from the southern boundary to Chapman Lake. The Tombstone campground and interpretive centre are located 71.4 kilometres north of where the Dempster meets the North Klondike Highway. The Tombstone Campground and Interpretive Centre provide a base for explorations of the park.
Facilities
The Tombstone campground provides basic facilities for the self-contained traveler. Camp sites are tucked into the trees and provided with fireplaces, tables, pit toilets, water from the river or holding tank. A picnic shelter located in the middle of the campground, can be used in bad weather or for large groups. The campground fee includes firewood.
The Interpretive Centre is open from Late May to mid-September and provides displays, interpretive walks and talks, and general information on the park and its back country routes and hikes.
Bear proof food containers can be rented from the Tombstone Interpretive Centre and are essential for safe back country travel in Tombstone Territorial Park.
Contact Information
Yukon Parks - Main Office
Department of Environment
Government of the Yukon
P.O. Box 2703
Whitehorse, Yukon Y1A 2C6
Phone: (867)-667-5648
Toll Free Number 1-866-617-2757
Yukon Parks – Klondike Region
P.O. Box 600
Dawson City, Yukon Y0B 1G0
Phone: (867) 993-6850
Nature
While Tombstone Mountain is the best-known landform in the park, it is not the most unusual. The park contains a variety of seldom-seen permafrost landforms such as pingos, palsas and patterned ground. Broad, tundra-cloaked valleys form a stunning backdrop in this area. While the scenic beauty of Tombstone Territorial Park is immediately obvious. The biological significance is more subtle.
Tombstone's unique collection of vegetation and wildlife is linked to the special geology and geography of the region. The diversity of rocks and minerals in the area has created a variety of soils which support a wide range of plant communities. The variety of plants, in turn, provides habitat for many animal species. The elevation and shape of the land funnels cold arctic air through the broad valleys, influencing the plants as well as the permafrost landforms.
The arctic tundra environment, which is normally found several hundred kilometres to the north, reaches its southernmost extent at the north end of the Tombstone area. Here, the vegetation and terrain is almost indistinguishable from the high arctic - a treeless, windswept area of shrub tundra and ground-hugging plants.
At the south end of the park, dense boreal forests reach up the valleys of the Klondike and Chandindu rivers. Small, isolated stands of spruce trees are scattered throughout the rest of the area - islands of trees in a sea of tundra.
The variety of vegetation and habitats in Tombstone Territorial Park supports an unusual density of wildlife. Five large mammals make their home here. The Porcupine Caribou Herd winters at the north end of Tombstone while the Hart River Herd uses the region year-round. Moose are found in the major valleys and use the Blackstone Uplands in the fall. Dall sheep lambing areas and important habitats are included within the park boundaries. Grizzly bears and black bears both find suitable habitat in the area.
Tombstone Territorial Park is also rich in bird life, providing habitat for over 137 species. Raptors like Gyrfalcons and Golden Eagles live in the park. Both arctic tundra and boreal species nest within the park. Arctic tundra breeders reach the southern limit of their distribution in the park while boreal species are at the northern limit of their range.
Chinook salmon spawn in the Chandindu and North Klondike rivers on the Yukon River side of the park while arctic char and grayling spawn on the Mackenzie River side.
Culture
For at least 8,000 years the Tr'ondëk Hwëch'in and other First Nation peoples inhabited the Tombstone area. The park shows a remarkable continuity of occupation with at least 78 known archaeological sites. The exceptional record of prehistoric habitation in this region is due to the availability of raw materials for making tools, such as chert, and the variety fish and wildlife resources.
The Dänojà Zho Cultural Centre in Dawson City is the focal point for interpretation of Tr'ondëk Hwëch'in culture in the traditional territory, including Tombstone Territorial Park.
Activities
Back Country Camping in Tombstone Park (PDF 40KB)
Tombstone Territorial Park is a place where people can step into the natural world and experience the awesome beauty of a northern mountain wilderness. Hikers and photographers are attracted by tundra walking with dramatic views, unusual landforms and craggy peaks. Wildlife viewers are rewarded by the diversity of species including large mammals and a unique array of birds.
Exploring Tombstone Park can involve anything from short hikes off the highway, to long backpacking and mountain climbing trips in the back country. There is one established trail, Grizzly Creek. The trail head is located at Kilometre 56 of the Dempster Highway. This is the quickest way into the core of the Tombstone Range. The trail stops at Grizzly Lake where tent pads, cooking station and an outhouse are provided for visitors. The rest of the Park has no established trails into the back country. However on some well-travelled routes, sections of trail can be found, but in general, travel in the park can be a challenge to your orienteering skills.
For information on hiking, canoeing and travelling in the Tombstone area, the following two references are indispensable:
Yukon's Tombstone Range and Blackstone Uplands: A Traveller's Guide. Published by the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (2000).
Along the Dempster: An Outdoor Guide to Canada's Northernmost Highway. By Walter Lanz. Published by Oak House Publishing Third Edition (2002).
For information on the birds of the park and the Dempster Highway:
Birds by the Dempster Highway. By Bob Frisch. Revised Edition (1987). Morriss Printing Company Ltd. Victoria, BC.
The following topographic maps cover the park area -
At 1:250,000 scale - Dawson (116B and 116C)
At 1:50,000 scale - Tombstone River (116B/7), Upper Klondike River (116B/8), North Fork Pass (116B/9), and Seela Pass (116B/10)
Park Management
Although Tombstone Park is waiting for the official signing of its draft management plan Government of Yukon is committed to managing the Park as a Park under the Tr'ondëk Hwëch'in Final Agreement