Tombstone Territorial Park, located on the traditional territories of the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in peoples, is known as one of the most rugged and remote hiking locations in Canada. There are a plethora of opportunities for outdoor adventure in this region but the most popular route in the park is likely the route starting from the Dempster Highway and leading to Grizzly, Divide, and Talus Lakes. Hikers hike into Grizzly Lake, and then circumnavigate the massive Mount Monolith and surrounding rock structures over the course of several days.
I completed this hike solo over four days in August 2022. How this happened is an adventure in itself! This is a hike not to be underestimated. It was challenging but well within my comfort zone. I believe this is one of the most incredible adventures I have completed to date and I have extremely fond memories of my entire journey.
Here is some beta for you to use while planning your trip to Grizzly, Divide, and Talus Lakes.
Route Stats
Distance: 43km (return)
Elevation: 2,700m (cumulative)
Route Type: Out and Back
Difficulty: Hard to expert
Hiking Season: The trail is open year-round, but it gets COLD this far north, so prepare accordingly. Even in August, it was below freezing at night.
Planning Resources
- Andrea Ference and Angela Ligouri have very informative guides on their respective blogs that I found helpful when planning my trip
- Off-Track Travel has a good guide for hiking in Tombstone Territorial Park
Preparing for the Trip
Story time!
I have wanted to complete the Grizzly, Divide, and Talus Lakes hike in Tombstone Territorial Park for many years. Some friend and I discussed doing it in Summer 2022, but we were unaware of how far ahead you actually had to book campsites. Unfortunately we had already missed the cutoff when we started looking for bookings in Spring 2022.
Cut to a Saturday in August 2022. I was sitting at home and pondering what to do with some upcoming time off work, when I off-handedly checked the Yukon camping reservations website. For the first time all year, it looked like there was some availability on the trail starting in three days! My heart did a backflip. Could I actually make this happen?
I waffled on this decision for a few hours. I have done overnight trips alone, and in New Zealand I did a 3-day trip solo on the Tongariro Northern Circuit, but the Yukon is a whole different beast. This could be a really reckless and unsafe choice, the rational side of my brain told me.
While my brain was reminding me of all the risks, I felt an electric excitement coursing through my body at the thought of booking this trip so spontaneously. The thought of saying “yes” felt so right. I yearned to be the kind of person who would enthusiastically opt in to this opportunity for adventure.
I did a gut check with a couple of close friends, and asked them if booking a spontaneous trip to the Yukon to hike alone was, indeed, reckless and unsafe.
The friends that I surveyed were ecstatic. One friend said to me “If anyone else had asked me this question, I probably would tell them it wasn’t a good idea … but you are a very experienced hiker, and I am confident you have the skills and experience to do this safely.”
With some reassurance from friends, I put aside my self-doubt, and booked my campsites, booked a flight to Whitehorse, and scrambled to pack for my trip the next day.
Itinerary
I completed this hike over four days and three nights. At the time of my trip, it was mandatory to book your first night at Grizzly Lake campsite. Even if this wasn’t mandatory, I would recommend this. It is a long day from the trailhead to Grizzly Lake – the kilometers and elevation is not indicative of how challenging this section is – and you will want to rest before tackling the crux of the trail between Grizzly Lake and Divide Lake.
I spent my second and third nights at Divide Lake, and did a day trip from Divide Lake to Talus Lake on my third day. To save one morning of packing up gear, I would recommend doing the same.
I unfortunately couldn’t get another booking at Grizzly Lake, so on my fourth day I hiked all the way from Divide Lake to the trailhead. This was a really long day and I definitely earned my beer in Dawson City afterwards! If possible, I would recommend spending a fourth night at Grizzly Lake if possible, and then hiking out to the trailhead on your fifth day.
Transportation to Trailhead
The trailhead is located at km 58 of the Dempster Highway. It is a 1 hour drive from Dawson City, and an 8 hour drive from Whitehorse.
Note that the Dempster Highway is an unpaved gravel road. I took my rental car to km 71 without a problem, and I did meet two girls who had driven an Evo car-share all the way up from Vancouver … but drive carefully!
The night before starting the trail, I camped at the campsite near the Tombstone Interpretive Centre (km 71 of the Dempster Highway). I’d recommend this so you can get an early start to Grizzly Lake on your first day on the trail.
Sleeping Options
You must book your campsites online ahead of time on the Yukon Camping website. Bookings typically open at the end of January each year. Check ahead of time to verify the actual opening time for bookings.
On the Trail
Day 1: Grizzly Lake Trailhead to Grizzly Lake
Distance: 12km
Elevation: 1,165m elevation gain
Dark clouds loomed as I emerged from my tent on the first morning, and I prayed that any rain would hold out.
After packing up my campsite, I drove to km 58 of the Dempster Highway to begin the hike. In the parking lot I met another solo female hiker, and we briefly chatted before she set off on the trail. I started my hike soon after.
The first few kilometres of trail meander up a river and through the forest. I was convinced that every single rustle in the bushes that I heard was a bear, and was ringing my bear bell rather aggressively.
The trail steepens after a couple of kilometres. My pack felt heavy as I climbed up past the treeline and onto a rocky ridge. In theory, at this point, I had panoramic views of Grizzly Lake and Monolith Mountain in the distance. In reality, the ominous clouds were building, and the wind was picking up.
Eventually, the trail grade evens out and begins to traverse along an exposed ridgeline. I found some furry marmot friends en route to keep me company.
After a couple more kilometres, the clouds broke and the rain began. I found a conveniently situated rock to stop at which sheltered some of the wind while I put on my rain gear and had a quick bite to eat.
It only took a few moments of standing still to freeze, so I hastily continued, cinching up my rain jacket as tight as I could against the elements. The trail continues traversing along the exposed ridgeline and then crosses several boulder fields. Given the wet conditions, I moved fairly slow, making sure of my footing with each step. While the elevation change in this section of trail seems minimal, it is technical and slippery terrain, so is not easy going.
The weather continued to degrade, and at one point it was snowing horizontally as I shuffled across a slick rocky trail. Needless to say, all of my rain gear was completely soaked, and I was very ready to get to the campsite. To inspire some hope, the clouds briefly parted at this point, and I got my first glimpse of Grizzly Lake and mighty Mount Monolith.
I made a beeline for one of the canvas cooking shelters to warm up and refuel before setting up my tent. Here I joined the solo hiker I had met earlier and two other pairs of hikers, all of whom were equally as wet. We all commiserated over the horrific weather outside and chatted while we waited for the rain to subside.
After several hours, the rain had slightly eased off, so I decided to set up my tent and call it a night. There was nothing better than getting into my (fairly damp) sleeping bag and dozing off to sleep as the rain beat down on my tent fly.
Day 2: Grizzly Lake to Divide Lake
Distance: 6km
Elevation: 965m elevation gain
It was a very cold and stormy night, so I did not sleep well, but at some point the rain and snow finally let up. I snuggled in my sleeping bag until I could feel the sun’s rays hitting my tent fly, warming me to the core. It took me some time to get out of my tent that morning, but once I dared venture out of my cozy cocoon, I was greeted with panoramic views of Grizzly Lake and the snow-capped valley ridges above.
I was completely in awe of the geometry of the rocks – they seemed to defy physics and gravity all at once. While I drank my coffee and processed my surroundings, I chatted with another solo female hiker. I was in no rush to pack up my gear as it all needed some time in the sun to dry out before tackling the next (and arguably most difficult) leg of the trail – the climb over Glissade Pass.
One of the women I spoke to the previous night left first, and I watched her climb the snow-capped Glissade Pass from Grizzly Lake as I packed up my mostly-dry gear and hit the trail.
To start the climb, you need to back-track about 1km from the trail to a small junction marked with rocks.
From here, you begin climbing a relentlessly steep scree slope. Continue climbing upwards, and after about an hour, you will reach the saddle of the pass. I got my first look at the other side of Glissade Pass – another very steep scree slope, currently covered in snow and completely frozen.
I held my breath on my first few steps. The trail itself was extremely slippery – I would have used microspikes, if I had packed them – but I found if I stepped on the frozen scree off-trail, I was much more confident in my footing. After the first couple of switchbacks, I began to move slightly faster.
Finally, I reached the valley bottom, relieved to have moved past the crux of the trail. The trail undulates beside a beautiful creek, and then makes a hard turn up a wide and vast green valley. I stopped for lunch here and sat in total silence, appreciating the moment of total solitude in nature.
The trail continued up the vast valley, and soon after, I arrived at the Divide Lake campsite, my home base for the next two nights. This campsite consists of another pristine lake beneath an impressive rock structure.
I set up camp and enjoyed a relaxed afternoon drinking warm tea and chatting with my comrades from the previous night, who had also made the trek to Divide Lake.
Day 3: Day trip to Talus Lake
Distance: 12km
Elevation: 325m elevation gain
As I was just planning to do a day hike to Talus Lake today, I was in no rush to get out of my sleeping bag. I enjoyed letting the sun’s rays warm my tent fly after another cold night. I packed up the bare necessities into a small 15L backpack and set off to Talus Lake. Unburdened by my heavy pack, I moved quickly through the arctic brush. The views of the reverse side of Mount Monolith continued to blow my mind as I walked up this vast valley.
I arrived at Talus Lake just as a large group of 6 people was leaving. Completely alone, I sat at the frigid lake and dipped my toes in the water, taking in the panoramic views for at least an hour, until some other hikers from Divide Lake rolled in.
I headed back to Divide Lake mid-afternoon, where I had another relaxed afternoon drinking tea and chatting with my comrades until curling up in my sleeping bag and trying to sleep.
Day 4: Divide Lake to Grizzly Lake Trailhead
Distance: 18km
Elevation: -700m of elevation
I woke up very early this morning, as it was going to be a long day to get back to the trailhead. After packing up my tent and eating a quick breakfast, I left camp at 6:45am, just as the sun was rising over the jagged mountains. I made good time walking back down the valley, and ascended the scree slope on Glissade Pass fairly quickly. I personally found this section was easier to go up than it was to go down.
After a quick snack break at the top of Glissade Pass, I carefully snaked my way down the scree slope I had climbed just two days earlier, and found myself back at the trail junction. Given my much lighter bag, I was moving faster than expected, so I continued past the turnoff to Grizzly Lake and back towards the ridgeline traverse I had completed three days prior.
There was much more climbing than I remembered required to get back to the ridgeline path – I had underestimated how much downhill I had done in the pouring rain on the first day! Needless to say, it was much more pleasant in the sunshine. The great views of Mount Monolith grew smaller and smaller as I traversed back along the valley and clambered down the steep and exposed ridge. By the time I descended back into the forest my feet were screaming at me to stop.
After what felt like an eternity, I reached the parking lot, feeling very ready for a hot shower, a large meal, and a cold beer in Dawson City to commemorate this adventure.
Summary
The Grizzly, Divide, and Talus Lakes hike in Tombstone Territorial Park is technically challenging, but absolutely stunning. This adventure one of the highlights of my year and I would highly recommend it to anyone who can make it to this remote and rugged destination.
