Chilkoot Trail National Historic Site
Construction Period: From 1896 to 1905
Designation Level: Federal
The Chilkoot Trail National Historic Site of Canada is a traditional transportation route through rugged mountain terrain, connecting the upper Yukon River in British Columbia with the Pacific Coast on the Taiya Inlet in Alaska. It is best known as the route used by thousands of prospectors on their way to the Yukon gold fields during the gold rush of 1897-1900. The designation refers to the Canadian portion of the trail extending from the summit of the Chilkoot Pass along a natural valley to the former townsite of Bennett British Columbia.
Construction Period: From 1896 to 1905 Designation Level: Federal
Chilkoot Trail was designated a national historic site of Canada in 1967. It is designated because of the role it played in the mass movement of people to the Yukon during the Klondike Gold Rush.
The heritage value of the Chilkoot Trail lies in its association with the Yukon gold rush of 1897-1900 as illustrated by the relict cultural landscape. The trail, established and long used as a trade and travel route by First Nation people, was part of a larger network of trails and river routes used to reach the Klondike gold fields of the Yukon Territory.
Sources: Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada, November 1987 Minutes; Commemorative Integrity Statement, May 1996.
