A visit to Forty Mile, Yukon

A room in the AC Co. store and warehouse in the Forty Mile townsite in Yukon, pictured on June 21, 2020. (Steve Silva)
A room in the AC Co. store and warehouse in the Forty Mile townsite in Yukon, pictured on June 21, 2020. (Steve Silva)

The Forty Mile, Fort Cudahy and Fort Constantine Historic Site is located about a two-hour drive north of Dawson City, Yukon. I visited the Forty Mile townsite on June 21, 2020. The other two areas are across the Fortymile River.

I have a fascination with ghost towns. This was one of the best preserved sites I’ve visited. People do use the area for recreation, and there are staff accommodations, so it’s a “ghost town” with an asterisk.

It’s located at the confluence of the Yukon and Fortymile rivers.

The Yukon River where it connects with the Fortymile River near the Forty Mile townsite in Yukon, pictured on June 21, 2020. (Steve Silva)
The Yukon River where it connects with the Fortymile River near the Forty Mile townsite in Yukon, pictured on June 21, 2020. (Steve Silva)

The video near the top of this post is fairly comprehensive. It includes shots of the panels detailing the history of the structures, and it should give you a solid visual understanding of the site.

The Royal Northwest Mounted Police (RNWMP) Station in the Forty Mile townsite in Yukon, pictured on June 21, 2020. (Steve Silva)
The Royal Northwest Mounted Police (RNWMP) Station in the Forty Mile townsite in Yukon, pictured on June 21, 2020. (Steve Silva)

It took me about 42 minutes to drive from the Top of the World Highway (AKA Yukon Highway 9) to a turnoff. Once I made that right turn, it was about a seven-minute drive to the parking area. A few people canoed to the site and were being picked up in a van as I arrived.

A trail about a kilometre-long north connects to the site. It was muddy in parts but easy to walk.

St. James Anglican Church in the Forty Mile townsite in Yukon, pictured on June 21, 2020. (Steve Silva)
St. James Anglican Church in the Forty Mile townsite in Yukon, pictured on June 21, 2020. (Steve Silva)

I didn’t go near the staff accommodations, and, who knows, maybe there were some people creeping around the forest, but it felt like I was the only one around for dozens of kilometres.

The Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in and Yukon governments co-own the site.

A room in the AC Co. store and warehouse in the Forty Mile townsite in Yukon, pictured on June 21, 2020. (Steve Silva)
A room in the AC Co. store and warehouse in the Forty Mile townsite in Yukon, pictured on June 21, 2020. (Steve Silva)

According to a panel near the parking lot, the Fortymile River is called “Ch’ëdä Dëk” in the Hän language. Ancestors of the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in have used the area for at least 2,000 years.

The metal working shop in the Forty Mile townsite in Yukon, pictured on June 21, 2020. (Steve Silva)
The metal working shop in the Forty Mile townsite in Yukon, pictured on June 21, 2020. (Steve Silva)

It was Yukon’s first town, and 160 men lived there in 1887. Its population peaked at more than 700 before the last permanent resident died in 1958.

Equipment in the AC Co. store and warehouse in the Forty Mile townsite in Yukon, pictured on June 21, 2020. (Steve Silva)
Equipment in the AC Co. store and warehouse in the Forty Mile townsite in Yukon, pictured on June 21, 2020. (Steve Silva)

More about its history can be viewed in a PDF document on the Yukon government’s website.

The AC Co. store and warehouse in the Forty Mile townsite in Yukon, pictured on June 21, 2020. (Steve Silva)
The AC Co. store and warehouse in the Forty Mile townsite in Yukon, pictured on June 21, 2020. (Steve Silva)

People can camp near the mouth of the Fortymile River or near the parking lot, and drinking water should be boiled before consumed, according to the panel.

The Swanson’s General Store building is, according to a sign on the door I only noticed after walking out, “for emergency use only.”

Cozy?

Swanson’s General Store in the Forty Mile townsite in Yukon, pictured on June 21, 2020. (Steve Silva)
Swanson’s General Store in the Forty Mile townsite in Yukon, pictured on June 21, 2020. (Steve Silva)

There’s also apparently a logbook for visitors to sign; I couldn’t find it.

Initially, I was more interested in exploring Clinton Creek, another (mostly) abandoned community, which is relatively close by.

The AC Co. store and warehouse in the Forty Mile townsite in Yukon, pictured on June 21, 2020. (Steve Silva)
The AC Co. store and warehouse in the Forty Mile townsite in Yukon, pictured on June 21, 2020. (Steve Silva)

Although there was little remaining to see other than the bridge (a sign warns against entering the Clinton Creek Mine, by the way), I still found it interesting to just stand there for a while and think about the hundreds of people who used to live there.

Also, I came across a couple that built their own floating home. It made for a neat mini-doc.

Ultimately, the remains of Forty Mile, Yukon, offered a lot more to see. I would budget at least an hour to explore the site.

The building known as the "Roadhouse" in the Forty Mile townsite in Yukon, pictured on June 21, 2020. (Steve Silva)
The building known as the “Roadhouse” in the Forty Mile townsite in Yukon, pictured on June 21, 2020. (Steve Silva)

Visiting Forty Mile was one of my most memorable experiences in Yukon. With so many of the buildings still standing, it’s relatively easy to imagine what life was like there all those years back.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *