Atlin

History

The earliest known inhabitants of the area were the Tlingit First Nations people, who traveled through the broad valley on their annual hunting, fishing and trading migrations. Tucked into the far northwestern tip of British Columbia, the remote and spectacularly beautiful community of Atlin graces the eastern shore of the mighty Atlin Lake, headwater of the Yukon River and named after the Tlingit word atlah, meaning 'Big Water', very appropriate for the largest natural lake in the province.

Atlin was founded in 1898 after European explorers Fritz Miller and Kenny McLaren discovered gold nearby in Pine Creek. The White Pass and Yukon Railway Company recognized Atlin’s potential as a tourist destination and promoted the town to the fullest.

Ten thousand fortune hunters poured into Atlin in 1899 and the town began to emerge with hotels, stores, offices, specialty shops, and saloons. Eight kilometers (5 miles) to the east was Discovery City located on Pine Creek. Discovery bloomed and died as remote mining camps tend to do, but Atlin had become the hub of local and government business, and it was the "seaport". Churches were established and clubs founded, as citizens strove to make it a permanent town. Today Atlin is home to a population of 400 people.

Location

Atlin is BC’s most northwesterly community, about 180 km (112 mi) southeast of Whitehorse in the Yukon Territory. To reach this town, start at Mile 866 on the Alaska Highway. Turn south at Hwy #7, this scenic, all-weather road will take you the 98 km (61 mi) to Atlin. The town is idyllically located midway along the eastern shore of Atlin Lake, across from the majestic Coast Mountains. A vast wilderness network of lakes, mountains, glaciers, plateaus and valleys surrounds Atlin.

Places to See

• Take a walking tour of the town of Atlin
  Re-live the Gold Rush by visiting the Atlin Museum, housed in the 1902 schoolhouse, stroll through the Pioneer Cemetery or rent a pan and pick from the museum and search for gold on Spruce Creek. To learn more about the history of the town, rent a set of headphones and follow a taped guided tour of Atlin's town centre. Browse the local gift shops and artist studios where you will find many unique pieces of local art. Take a day to get to know the friendly people of this small, quaint town.

• M.V Tarahne Paddlewheeler
  Don't miss the graceful old paddlewheeler M.V Tarahne which, in her glory days, carried passengers and freight the length and breadth of the lake; now she rests on the lake waterfront. Built in Atlin and launched in 1917, the M.V. Tahrane provided elegant tours of Atlin Lake, and passenger and cargo service until beached in 1936. The Atlin Historical Society has done of a lot of restoration work to the boat so visitors are still able to enjoy it.

• Pine Creek Falls
  Pine Creek Falls can be found 6.4 km (4 mi) from Atlin on Discovery Road. This is a great location for a summer picnic, to splash around with the kids in the natural warm springs, hike a mountain trail, canoe an isolated lake, or camp on the water's edge.

• Atlin Provincial Park
  The park is located in the Northwest corner of the province. It occupies a spectacular 271,134 hectares of shimmering ice fields and glacial waters of BC's largest fresh water lake. Glaciers occupy approximately one third of the park, Llewellyn Glacier being the most prominent. Atlin Provincial Park is a wilderness park with few visitors. Those that travel in this park should be experienced and well equipped. There are no supplies of any kind and no park personnel are present in the immediate area. Atlin Provincial Park is not accessible by vehicle. Visitors planning to enter the park must do so by boat or by aircraft. Chartered access to the Park can be found in the town of Atlin.

Things to Do

• Fishing
  Anglers can fish right off the town dock, or cast their lines in the local lakes and streams, where rainbow trout, arctic grayling and northern pike can be found. This region also has various lakes to choose from. Just before entering town you can find Como Lake, a great little lake, on the left hand side of the Atlin Highway. The lake is stocked with rainbow trout averaging around 2 - 4 pounds. Como Lake is the only lake in the Atlin area that is stocked with fish. There is a day use access with picnic tables and a sandy beach for children to swim. Floatplanes use the lake to land on when it's too windy for Atlin Lake.
  
  Atlin Lake, where large lake trout (4-6 lbs) are plentiful, is the largest natural lake in British Columbia. Nine hundred feet deep, it is home to lake trout, grayling, ling cod, whitefish and lake herring, as well as various water birds such as loons, arctic terns, gulls, scooters mergansers, scaup and goldeneyes. The town of Atlin is on the east shore of Atlin Lake and faces a ring of spectacular mountains, including the nearby Birch Mountain on Teresa Island, the tallest mountain in fresh water in North America.

• Boating
  Atlin Lake offers exceptional boating opportunities including: motor boating, sailing, canoeing, and sea kayaking. Atlin has two marinas, the Brewery Bay Marina, a public marina and boat ramp, located at the north end of Atlin Bay, accessible where Discovery Avenue meets the lake. Dock space for boats and float planes available on a daily, weekly or annual basis. Call Archie Wiggins at 651-7542 for more information. As well the Marina Norseman Adventures has boats for rent. For moorage call: 250 - 651 - 7535.

• Heli-Hiking and Heli-Skiing
  This 5000 km (2000 mi) area offers everything a snow enthusiast could ask for. Endless runs with up to 6500 feet (2000 m) vertical, steep glaciers and first class tree skiing will satisfy even the most demanding guest. In the summer, the same applies for great hiking in remote areas. A perfect opportunity for some great wildlife viewing: Grizzly and Black Bears, Moose, Caribou, Wolves and more. No wonder Atlin has been refereed to as “The Switzerland of the North.

• Tatshenshini-Alsek Provincial Wilderness Park
  Atlin is the nearest town in BC to the Tatshenshini Provincial Park, located about 160 km (100 mi) to the eastern edge of the park. Marking the extreme northwest corner of the province is the Tatshenshini-Alsek Provincial Wilderness Park. The park - the largest in British Columbia - covers 2,366,260 acres (958,000 hectares) of rugged north-coast wilderness and, together with the other three adjacent national parks, comprise the largest contingent area of protected wilderness in the world, at around 21 million acres (8.5 million hectares).
  
  The Tat, as it is known to people who have difficulty pronouncing the full name, is also designated by the United Nations as a World Heritage Site. The blood that flows through the Tat's veins is the icy cold water of hundreds of streams that feed that Tatshenshini and Alsek Rivers; world renowned for white water rafting.
  
  There are two established entries into the park along the Haines Hwy (Hwy# 3 and # 7) from Yukon or Alaska and these provide access for hikers, backpackers, and mountain bikers. There are a very few trails in the park; for the most part, you have to make it up as you go along. The park also supports more than 53 species of mammals, including wolverines, blue (or glacier) bear, and grizzlies.

Events

• Canada Day Parade
  Annual July 1st Canada Day Parade travels through the town centre.

• A Creativity Retreat
  A Creativity Retreat: happening in 2007 June 25 - July 5, hosted by Atlin Art centre. This 11 day event welcomes individuals to participate in painting, writing and yoga. For more information visit www.atlinart.com.

• Atlin Festival of the Arts
  Atlin Festival of the Arts: a cross-cultural celebration of arts and crafts. This family event happening every 2nd weekend in July, is designed to showcase all forms of performance, visual art and music.

Notable Comments

Local writer Diane Smith describes Atlin as "...located in a solitary stubbornness a few miles south of the Yukon border on a lake of haunting beauty."

Contact Information

Atlin Visitor Centre
Located in the Atlin Historical Museum
3rd Street, Atlin, BC VOW 1A0
Telephone: 1-250-651-7522
E-mail: visitors@atlin.net
Website: www.atlin.net