Haines Junction

Haines Junction is a village in southwestern Yukon with a population of 613 (2016). It is a major administrative centre for the Champagne and Aishihik First Nations.

History
For around 2,000 years, the Southern Tutchone people had seasonal hunting and fishing camps in the area of present-day Haines Junction. The original name of the area was "Dakwakada", a Southern Tutchone word meaning "high cache". It was common for Tutchone people to use raised log caches to store food year-round or temporarily while they hunted and fished in an area.

The Haines Junction area was also important for trade between the coastal and interior peoples. It lies at the interior end of the Chilkat Pass, one of only three passes that allowed travel between the coast and the interior, which was used extensively for trade between the coastal Tlingit and Southern Tutchone people.

Haines Junction was established in 1942 and 1943 during the construction of the Alaska Highway. In 1943, a second highway, the Haines Highway, was built to connect the Alaska Highway with the coastal town of Haines, Alaska, over the Chilkat Pass, hence the name of the community. Situated at the junction of these two highways, Haines Junction was a construction camp and a supply and service centre for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers building the highway.

By car
There are two highways that intersect at Haines Junction:


 * Highway 1 (Alaska Highway) (historical mile 635), approximately from west of Whitehorse.
 * Highway 3 (Haines Highway) travels between Haines Junction and Haines, Alaska.

By plane
Haines Junction Airport has no scheduled airline service.

See

 * Exterior artwork can be found at the James Smith Administration Building – the Homeward Bound dogsled sculpture. Atop the local waste management facility sign is a large metal raven sculpture, and a truck box planter with three metal ravens is located at the main intersection, next to the RCMP station. On the opposite corner, the Village Monument sculpture illustrates local wildlife. Nicknamed "The Muffin", this is probably the most photographed spot in "The Junction".
 * Exterior artwork can be found at the James Smith Administration Building – the Homeward Bound dogsled sculpture. Atop the local waste management facility sign is a large metal raven sculpture, and a truck box planter with three metal ravens is located at the main intersection, next to the RCMP station. On the opposite corner, the Village Monument sculpture illustrates local wildlife. Nicknamed "The Muffin", this is probably the most photographed spot in "The Junction".
 * Exterior artwork can be found at the James Smith Administration Building – the Homeward Bound dogsled sculpture. Atop the local waste management facility sign is a large metal raven sculpture, and a truck box planter with three metal ravens is located at the main intersection, next to the RCMP station. On the opposite corner, the Village Monument sculpture illustrates local wildlife. Nicknamed "The Muffin", this is probably the most photographed spot in "The Junction".



Do

 * On the edge of town, is a popular spot for swimming, picnicking, fishing and boating with a beach and playground area that make it a perfect family destination.
 * At the other end of town, just north of the Dezadeash River bridge, a parking lot on the west side of the Haines Highway is the starting point the 5.5-km Dezadeash River Trail.
 * The 15-km Auriol Trail provides a close up look of the St. Elias Mountains and great views of Haines Junction. The trailhead is 7 km south of town on the Haines Highway.
 * On the edge of town, is a popular spot for swimming, picnicking, fishing and boating with a beach and playground area that make it a perfect family destination.
 * At the other end of town, just north of the Dezadeash River bridge, a parking lot on the west side of the Haines Highway is the starting point the 5.5-km Dezadeash River Trail.
 * The 15-km Auriol Trail provides a close up look of the St. Elias Mountains and great views of Haines Junction. The trailhead is 7 km south of town on the Haines Highway.