Scroggie Creek Road — Stewart Crossing to Scroggie Creek Gold Camps
Gold camp creek country — active claims, real crossings.
Scroggie Creek drains a chunk of the Klondike plateau that’s been gouged, sluiced, and lived on since the 1890s. The access road branches off the Silver Trail corridor near Stewart Crossing and drives you south into increasingly remote creek-bottom country. Old dredge tailings line the creek, hand-stacked rock piles from men who worked this ground with nothing but time and stubbornness. Active placer claims still operate seasonally — watch for working equipment and respect claim boundaries. The road crosses Scroggie Creek multiple times on low-water fords; after heavy rain those crossings get serious. The final push to the upper camp is a rough shelf road cut into the hillside above the valley floor.
Call this a difficult route. You need a capable 4WD with a solid skid plate setup, recovery gear, and a high-lift jack. Tires matter here — sharp placer gravel shreds anything marginal. No services exist beyond Stewart Crossing; fill fuel there and carry an extra 20 litres. Best season is late June through early September before fall rains turn the creek crossings unpredictable. No formal permit required but this is active mining country — stay on the road, stay off claims. Cell service is zero from about 10 km in. The isolation is the point.
Trail Specs
| Difficulty | Difficult |
|---|---|
| Trail Type | Backcountry, Technical 4x4 |
| Surface | Dirt, Gravel, Rock |
| Features | Camping, Historic, Remote, Water Crossings |
| Length (miles) | 55 mi / 88.5 km |
| Duration | 2-3 days |
| Max elevation (ft) | 3400 ft |
| Best season | Late June-September |
| Minimum vehicle | High-clearance 4WD with skid plates |
| Nearest town | Stewart Crossing, Yukon |
| Land manager | Yukon Government, Energy Mines and Resources |
| Permit required | No |
| Cell service | None |
| Water crossings | Yes |
| Dispersed camping | Yes |
| Start coordinates | |
| End coordinates | |
| Copy both for Google Maps directionsClick to copy the directions URL · or open it directly in a new tab | |
| Find on Google | Search on Google → |
Location
Trail Conditions
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Frequently asked questions
Can a stock Tacoma or 4Runner handle Scroggie Creek Road, or does it need to be built?
A stock high-clearance 4WD can make it, but skid plates are non-negotiable — the rocky sections will hit your undercarriage. Longer wheelbase rigs will struggle more on the tighter creek-side sections, and a locker helps at the crossings.
When does Scroggie Creek Road actually open and close each season?
Late June through September is the reliable window. Spring breakup keeps the creek crossings dangerous and the road soft well into June, and early fall snowfall can shut it down fast — sometimes by mid-September at elevation.
Do you need a permit to drive Scroggie Creek Road, and are there restrictions near the active mining claims?
No permit is required to drive the road itself, but active placer mining claims line the creek and you cannot enter, camp on, or disturb claim areas without the miner's permission — trespassing on a placer claim is a serious legal issue in Yukon. Stay on the road corridor and respect posted claim boundaries.
What's the hardest section of the trail and what makes it technical?
The water crossings mid-route are the crux — multiple channel crossings with rocky bottoms, variable depth depending on recent rain or snowmelt, and no bridges. Current can push harder than it looks, and a wrong line can put water into your air intake or drop a wheel into a hidden hole.
How much fuel do you need, and is there any resupply along the route?
There is zero resupply on the trail — the nearest fuel is back at Stewart Crossing. For a 55-mile one-way run with technical crawling, plan on carrying enough for at least 150–200 miles total to account for low-speed fuel burn, a return trip, or a recovery situation.
Trail track
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