Which Summer Month Is Best To Visit The Yukon?

Up here we tend to have snow on the ground for 7 months a year, so Yukoners generally feel we only really get two seasons: winter and summer. That said, our 5 months of summer all seem to have their own charm, and choosing which one to to visit in is never an easy choice. In this blog post, I will answer some of the most common questions we get about which month is best to visit.

First up, the most common question: bugs! Aren’t they really bad up there?

Well, yes and no… If you are planning on a 2 week canoeing trip down the Yukon River, you will probably have a fair few run ins with mosquitos, no-see-ums and midges. But if you’re doing a week long tour around the territory, you’ll actually be pleasantly surprised about how few bugs there really are. Mosquitos don’t really like direct sunlight, so you don’t see much of them until after sunset, which is generally around midnight, or not at all, depending on where you are in the territory. If you find yourself hiking in the bush or forest you will definitely want to bring bug spray with you, but around town, they aren’t too bad at all.

When is the best time to see wildlife in the Yukon?

The first half of the summer is definitely best for wildlife viewing! Generally the snow has left all but the highest elevations by May, and the bears have generally come out of hibernation too. As the spring flowers start to pop up along the highways, the animals start to come out and graze on them. During June and July it was more uncommon NOT to see any bears on a trip to Kluane National Park. Some of our tours even saw multiple black and grizzly bears along the way. As well as bears we regularly see bison, elk, moose, deer and the occasional caribou! Come August 1st, hunting season begins in the territory, and the animals seem to know it. Almost overnight there tends to be a dramatic drop off in wildlife sightings in August, as the animals head deeper into the wilderness.

Can I see the northern lights in the summer?

The top thing you need to see the aurora up here is darkness, and from mid may to mid august, we don’t get much of it. Around the summer solstice (June 21st) sunset is around midnight in Whitehorse, with sunrise before 4am. This means that even though the sun has set, it’s not very far below the horizon so it is still light out all night. The midnight sun is definitely something to experience, and is worth bonus points on your ‘when to come’ chart. Around mid August we start to notice stars again, which is a sure sign that the aurora is coming back. A nighttime drive up the Midnight Dome in Dawson City after mid August can very often be worth it. If you’re on one of our trips up there at this time of the year, your guide will arrange to take you up there if the weather is looking good.

The Yukon is known for it’s fall colours, so why don’t you have tours in October?

Yep, we certainly do have some spectacular fall colours up here, making any drive a stunning adventure at that time of year! Unfortunately for us though, fall really starts around late August up here. Traditionally last frost is around June 15th, and first frost is around August 15th, meaning, if we’re lucky, we get 3 months a year where temperatures don’t drop below freezing. Don’t worry though, the mornings can be crisp, but daytime temps jump back up to the high teens, low twenties (celsius) during the day in August and September. With the fall colours starting around late August, they last until around late September. Around the end of September we tend to get a lot of wind storms and these strip the leaves from the trees pretty quickly. October is the month when we can start to expect the snow to fall again, as we slide back into our long winter.

So what time of year would a Yukoner recommend?

Well naturally we are going to be biased. After a long, cold, dark winter we are always excited to have the sun, and all the colours back in the landscape. June and July are by far a Yukoner’s favourite months! The warm days are almost endless, there are flowers and wildlife everywhere, and we can get back outside to play again. We tolerate the winter for our spectacular summers, and June and July are the best of it.

Conclusion

Deciding which summer month to visit us isn’t an easy choice! If you want to experience the midnight sun, see wildlife and enjoy warmer temperatures, then June and July are your best bet. If you want the best of both worlds with having a chance of seeing the fall colours and the aurora without freezing your butt off, then late August to late September are your best best!

One thing is for certain though; whatever you choose, you won’t be disappointed!