Grey Mountain Cave

Grey Mountain Cave is one of the most unique hikes in the Yukon is the short but steep climb to a limestone cave on Grey Mountain, overlooking Whitehorse. Until 2021, the cave seemed to be a closely-guarded secret - I would occasionally see hints about its location, but no actual directions to get to it. Today, though, it's a fairly popular hike.

Although Grey Mountain is the name most used locally, its official name is Canyon Mountain. It was named during the Klondike Gold Rush because it was an easily-identified point to let people floating down the Yukon River know that they were nearing the much-feared rapids of Miles Canyon and should prepare to land to make preparations. The whitish upper part of the mountain that makes it so visible is composed of limestone formed about 215 million years ago, during the Triassic period.

The route to the cave starts in the Riverdale subdivision of Whitehorse, across the Yukon River from the downtown area. Turn off Alsek Road onto Grey Mountain Road, and head up. A little sign off in the trees at Km 6.2 states that the road is not maintained past that point and you "travel at your own risk." 

The condition of the road then deteriorates rapidly, and reports generally state that a 4x4 higher-clearance vehicle is either recommended or required. That depends on your experience with such roads, though - I've taken regular cars up a few times. About 3.2 km past that sign, you will reach the trailhead - large slabs of bare rock make it fairly easy to identify.

The trail is very steep, but luckily paths have been formed along both sides of the bare-rock sections, which are quite slippery even when dry. After about 20 minutes of climbing you will see the start of the limestone cliffs where the cave is located.

Reaching the cave about 30 minutes from the trailhead, you will find that steel rungs have been drilled into the cliff and a rope set – I don’t know who did this a few years ago, but they a great addition. Whoever did the work certainly had the equipment and experience to do the job well. 

The view from the cave, which is about 7 feet high and 10 feet deep, is wonderful. There are a couple of books of “stuff” in the cave, including a notebook, a geocache, and a whole lot of knickknacks of various sorts. I have seen some very creative photography done there, including some aurora borealis shots.

The walk back down is of course much quicker, so figure on a hour for the complete hike. It may well be the most interesting hour you spend in the Yukon.