Wilderness and Wildlife of the Yukon, BC and Canadian Rockies
Canada, USA
Wilderness and Wildlife of the Yukon, BC and Canadian Rockies
Canada, USA
See bears up close and personal and visit some of Canada’s most treasured national parks on this extensive tour of the world’s second largest country.
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Find out more about Magellan Guides
Find out more about Magellan Guides
This Canadian trip has something for everyone! One day will see you in no man's land riding past bears on the side of the road and other days will see you in mountain ranges that resemble the Swiss passes on steroids. Whether it's the endless stream of wildlife or scenery so beautiful it makes your eyes hurt, this tour is sure to send you home with new experiences and memories to last a lifetime.
You begin your journey in Anchorage, Alaska, venturing straight out of the city and onto one of Alaska’s nicest roads - The Glenn Highway. From here you ride past Wrangle St Elias National Park and across to your first night’s stay in the small town of Tok. The following morning you start making your way to the Canadian border on a series of twisty roads through yet more stunning wilderness. After crossing the border you journey along the famous Alcan highway across the Yukon and down to Whitehorse which is the location for your first 2 night stay of the trip.
We’ve planned a wonderful rideout from Whitehorse in the shape of the Klondike highway to Skagway, a tiny coastal town in Alaska that will see you on very scenic roads including The White Pass that drops you into a picturesque town lined with cruise ships. You can also opt to stay in Whitehorse and explore the hippie downtown district and the SS Klondike itself. From Whitehorse you travel further across the Yukon on the Alcan once more and into the wilderness before reaching Watson Lake with its famous Signpost Forest.
Leaving Watson Lake you drop off the Alcan and onto the lesser known Cassiar Highway. This road is famed locally for wildlife sightings, in particular black bears, which can be seen roaming alongside the road. You spend the day on the Cassiar dodging bears through deep forested sections on a series of fantastic twisty roads before reaching your boutique lodge at Bell Crossing.
Leaving the lodge you ride past wide, open lakes and glaciers on small twisty roads before reaching the towns of Hyder and Stewart that straddle the Canada / Alaska border. You cross over for a few hours to spot grizzly bears in the lake catching salmon at the wildlife centre, or you can ride half an hour off road up to Salmon Glacier itself. Crossing back into Canada you make your way down to Smithers but not before stopping at a small First Nation town with the largest concentration of original totem poles anywhere in B.C.
Edging ever closer to the fantastic Icefields Parkway you make your way to Prince George and back into civilisation for an overnight stay before riding on to Jasper. Here you are afforded stunning scenery with snow capped mountains and turquoise lakes around every corner. You have 2 nights on the Icefield Parkway, where there are rideouts that take you further into the national park or you can take a day off the bike and enjoy the many outdoor activities the area has to offer from waterfalls to glacier hikes and much more.
Back on the bikes and you journey past Lake Louise on some truly spectacular winding roads to visit a ghost town before arriving in historic Revelstoke. Leaving Revelstoke you pass hot springs, cross the water on a ferry and get back into the backroads on the way down to the hippie mecca of Nelson. The next day you cross the border back into the USA for your last 2 nights of the tour taking in the wonder of the North Cascades and riding across the foothills of Mount St Helens and Mount Rainier before dropping back down into Portland. You drop off your bike and enjoy your final night before flying home the following morning with memories of a tour of a lifetime.
There’s more to Canada than ice hockey and maple syrup! Follow our itinerary to be immersed in picture postcard mountain ranges, unrepressed wildlife, deep forests, glaciers and more!
Tour highlights
Taste of Alaska:>Enjoy an epic day riding from Anchorage to Tok along the Glenn Highway and past the gorgeous Wrangle St Elias National Park
Yukon wilderness: Spend several days riding through the epic Yukon, endless curves that wind through iconic parks, glacier-fed lakes and world-famous rivers in this stunning conifer-wreathed wilderness.
Alcan Highway: The Alaska Highway was constructed during World War II to connect the contiguous United States to Alaska across Canada. Today it is a bucket list road trip undertaken by plucky souls in RVs and on motorcycles each year. You’ll travel the first section of this to Whitehorse and then onto Watson lake.
'Riding the Cassiar Highway to see not one but 6 bears over the course of the day just wandering about on the side of the road has to be one of the greatest experiences I’ve ever had. To be that close to them in the wild was terrifying and immense in equal measure. A wonderful tour with very special memories.'Naomi
Cassiar Highway: Peeling off the Alcan southwards before it starts to get too developed you’ll ride the full lengh of the Cassiar highway. This road is known as the more adventurous route for those looking to traverse Canada and for good reason. Only recently paved, calling it remote is an understatement. The main reason to do it however is the sheer number of black bears along the route. One of our groups last year saw 6 in one day!
Wildlife: This trip more than any other that Magellan runs is all about the wildlife you see along the way from Bears to Bison, Moose to Big Horn Sheep and everything in between. There is nowhere better to see all of these magnificent creatures in their natural habitats.
Icefield Parkway: Paralleling the Continental Divide through some of the most wild and stunning parts of Banff and Jasper national parks. We spend two days here and you’ll get to see why its one of the best riding areas in the country as you cruise past glaciers, lakes, mountains and yet more bears!
North cascades: A truly jaw dropping ride over the Cascades is something every biker should experience once in their lives, nothing in Europe quite compares to this.
Mount St Helens and Mount Rainier: Riding through the devastation still apparent from Mount St Helens’ eruption in 1980 give you some idea of the power nature can unleash on the landscape, while the views of the iconic 14,000ft peak of Mount Rainier on your approach back into Portland are a perfect way to end the tour.
Tour Map / Itinerary
Full Itinerary
Day 1
Hotel check-in and a nice relaxing evening to get over any jetlag!
Day 2 300 Miles
Anchorage to Tok. An exceptionally rewarding first day as you ride the Glenn Highway past Wrangle St Elias National park all the way to the small town of Tok.
Day 3 380 Miles
Tok to Whitehorse. A day riding along the famed Alcan Highway, crossing the border from the US into Canada and past stunning lakes and forests.
Day 4 Whitehorse Rideout Day
Choose to ride down the Klondike highway to Skagway over the White pass or stay in Whitehorse and explore the funky areas in Downtown and the SS Klondike.
Day 5 270 Miles
Whitehorse to Watson Lake. Another day crossing the Yukon with some pretty picturesque stops along the way. Watson lake is the last stop on your section of the Alcan and allows you to visit the famous Signpost Forest before a hearty meal in town.
Day 6 310 Miles
Watson Lake to Bell Crossing. Your first day on the Cassiar highway brings new meaning to the word remote. Bear sightings on the road are almost guaranteed today so keep your eyes peeled!
Day 7 300 Miles
Bell Crossing to Smithers. Your second day on the Cassiar comes with a detour down the 37a to the border towns of Hyder and Stewart where you stop to spot bears hunting for salmon and to visit the aptly named “salmon glacier”.
Day 8 295 Miles
Smithers to Prince Goerge. A lovely winding day along the highway of tears visiting a historic fort and stopping for lunch by the lake.
Day 9 283 Miles
Prince George to Icefield Parkway. Another day spent on route 16, the Trans Canada highway, lined with forests and small towns before entering the park at the end of the day under the shadow of Mount Robson and along Red Pass.
Day 10 Icefield Parkway Rideout Day
Spend the day exploring the wonders of Jasper and Banff National Parks with their waterfalls, glaciers and roving wildlife.
Day 11 230 Miles
Icefields Parkway to Revelstoke. Ride past Lake Louise, visit a ghost town and view the wonder of the spiral rail tunnels.
Day 12 177 Miles
Revelstoke to Nelson. A ferry crossing takes you back into proper Canadian back country with stops at hot springs, another ghost town and a small hippie enclave for lunch.
Day 13 220 Miles
Nelson to Winthrop. Cross back into the USA and ride through Northern Washington state to our mountain top boutique hotel.
Day 14 275 Miles
Winthrop to Enumclaw. Another stunning day riding across Northern Washington and along the epic North Cascades mountain road.
Day 15 189 Miles
Ride beneath Mount St Helens and Mount Rainier and then arrive in Portland to drop off
What's included
Choice from a range of rental motorcycles with full insurance.
15 Nights accommodation in a variety of traditional hotels, lodges and guesthouses.
Excellent breakfast each morning.
Full use of all hotels’ leisure facilities.
Detailed route plans and maps.
GPS routes (Garmin / Tom Tom).
Detailed daily itinerary including sights and suggested coffee / lunch stops.
What's not
Airfare and Visas.
Travel / Medical Insurance.
Meals and beverages not mentioned above.
GPS. We don’t include SatNav units with the bikes as most people already have one of their own they are familiar with and bring this along. We can assist with cable cables and connections are needed for this.
Fuel, National Park admission fees and optional excursions.
Common questions about this trip
The days look quite long o this trip, will this be an issue?
While some days have high mileages on this tour by European standards the actual saddle time is the same as all our other tours (5-6 hours). The regions you ride through on these longer days are very remote, with never ending views and almost no other traffic meaning you can maintain a good constant speed without it becoming an endurance event.
How remote do we get and what’s the accommodation like on this tour?
You will be staying in many remote places on this tour. As always all our accommodation is in private rooms with en suite bathrooms, however on occasion you should expect some of the facilities to reflect the remote nature of the locations we are travelling through.
What level of insurance is included with the bike rental?
At Magellan we don’t mess around with different insurance packages and bolt ons, we include Basic Liability Insurance (BLI), and Supplemental Liability Insurance (SLI) as standard. This means the max liability on damages to a rented motorcycle is $2,500.
Are flights included?
We don’t include flights with any of our tours but are happy to offer advice on where to fly into and your best options for trips that start and end in different locations.
Can you help me sort my Visa?
Yes of course, we include full details on how to arrange a visa in the pre trip documentation and tour pack.
Do I need a SatNav for this trip?
You will need to bring a SatNav with you to load up the routes and ensure you have the correct map coverage for this. Full details on SatNav prep and setup are provided in the tour pack and we’re always here in the office to help if you get stuck.
Can I do this tour on my own motorcycle?
Of course, if you have your own motorcycle in the states then we can price this up without hire or we can also now help to arrange for your motorcycle to be shipped from abroad to the start point and then returned to you after your holiday. Just drop us an email and we’ll price one of these options up for you.
More information
For general information on planning and preparing for motorcycle trips including what to pack please see our Prepare for your trip section.
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