Carmacks, Yukon, is a charming village nestled in the heart of Canada. Located on the Yukon River along the Klondike Highway, and at the west end of the Robert Campbell Highway from Watson Lake, Carmacks is a hidden gem waiting to be explored. With a population of 588 according to the 2021 Canada Census, the village has seen a steady increase from the 2016 Census. Carmacks is also the proud home of the Little Salmon/Carmacks First Nation, a Northern Tutchone-speaking people.
The community of Carmacks, Yukon, owes its name to George Washington Carmack, who discovered coal near Tantalus Butte (locally known as Coal Mine Hill) in the early 1890s. Carmack built a trading post near the present site of Carmacks and engaged in trade with locals before opening a coal mine on the south bank of the Yukon River. However, his focus shifted when he or his wife, Kate Carmack, discovered gold with her brother, Keish (Skookum Jim), and Dawson Charlie (Tagish Charlie) at what was to become the Discovery Claim, near Dawson City. This discovery sparked the Klondike Gold Rush. Carmacks was officially incorporated as a village on November 1, 1984.
Carmacks, Yukon, comprises the Village of Carmacks and the Little Salmon/Carmacks First Nation. The Carmacks Landing Settlement is also located within the Village of Carmacks. The community is situated at the confluence of the Nordenskiold and Yukon rivers, approximately 180 km north of Whitehorse and 360 km south of Dawson City on the North Klondike Highway. It is also the site of one of the four bridges over the Yukon River. The Campbell Highway intersects the community, leading to Faro, Ross River, and Watson Lake, and providing a gateway to the Canol Road and some of Yukon's most breathtaking scenery.
Carmacks, Yukon, experiences a subarctic climate (Dfc) characterized by short but mild summers and long, severely cold winters.
According to the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Carmacks, Yukon, had a population of 588 living in 263 of its 302 total private dwellings. This represents a 19.3% increase from its 2016 population of 493. With a land area of 36.87 km2, it had a population density of 15.9/km2 in 2021. The Carmacks Landing Settlement had a population of 206 living in 86 of its 95 total private dwellings, a 22.6% increase from its 2016 population of 168. Carmacks boasts a 91.4% First Nations population, the majority of which belong to the Little Salmon Carmacks First Nations. The local language of the LSCFN community is Northern Tuchone, which is taught to all students at the local Tantalus Elementary/High School.
The Carmacks Recreation Centre, located at the east end of River Drive between the nursing station and visitor centre, serves as a community focal point for youth. It offers a youth drop-in daily with computer access, video games, table games, and other activities, often funded by Yukon grant programs. The gymnasium hosts adult floor hockey and other sports. The Recreation Centre also features a three-lane curling rink, a fully equipped fitness gym, and a full kitchen for all occasions. Carmacks also has an indoor swimming pool that is open to the community from June to September.
Carmacks, Yukon, is served by the Klondike Highway for road travel and Carmacks Airport for air travel. It has been proposed as a hub for an extension of the Alaska Railroad, and historically for an extension of the White Pass and Yukon Route from Whitehorse.
