The CARCROSS DESERT

The Carross Desert is located just outside Carcross, YT along the road from Skagway, AK to Whitehorse, YT.  It is really just a series sand dunes.  It’s not technically a desert – a desert would have a hot, dry climate – but instead it’s the bottom of what was once a glacial lake.  The sand and silt from the glacier dropped to the bottom of the lake and when the glaciers disappeared, so did the lake.

It’s especially bizarre, as up to then along the road it’s mostly very rocky and windswept with lots of bizarrely shaped trees and shrubs.  Some say it feels like you’re on the moon!  But right in the middle is this approximately 1 square mile of sand with dunes and some quite interesting vegetation.

Carcross Desert

Our RV behind a dune at Carcross Desert

The Carcross Desert

In the summer, you can walk around or do what locals call ‘sandboarding’.  In the winter, there’s cross-country skiing and snowboarding.  It’s well worth a stop to see this interesting anomaly in the middle of the mountains!

Carcross Desert

Dunes at Carcross Desert

There is no fee for this attraction – you just stop on the side of the road and walk on in!

Carcross Desert

Colourful plant life in Carcross Desert