Carcross Desert Backcountry Road — Carcross to Montana Mountain Summit

The Montana Mountain road climbs out of Carcross — sitting on the shore of Bennett Lake just south of Whitehorse — and grinds up a series of switchbacks through sparse pine and exposed granite to a summit ridge that overlooks the Southern Lakes country. The trailhead off the South Klondike Highway (Hwy 2) is easy to miss, but locals know it by the mining claim markers that start appearing a few kilometres in. Expect loose shale on the upper switchbacks, off-camber shelf road cut into the mountainside, and dramatic drop-offs with no guardrails — standard Yukon mining road character. The Carcross Desert sits at the base, a genuine sand dune field left over from a glacial lake bed.

A locked differential and skid plates are strongly recommended above treeline — the shale surface gets particularly loose and rutted after rain. The road is generally passable from late May through early October, but snow can return to the summit by mid-September. No formal permit is required but respect active mining claims. Carcross has fuel, food, and a surprisingly good coffee spot. Summit views stretch across Tagish Lake, Nares Lake, and deep into the Coast Mountains — it’s one of the most accessible panoramic overlooks in southern Yukon.