THE YUKON - British Columbia: Including the Alaska Highway - page 663

The sandy beach at Carcross is a result of ancient glaciation.
Sights
Make your first stop the Carcross Visitor Information Centre (867/821-4431, 8am-8pm
daily July-Aug.), housed in a railway station that served passengers along the White Pass
& Yukon Route. Beside the center is the S.S. Tutshi Memorial and Carcross Gateway
Pavilion, an outdoor display that is centered on the remains of a historic 1917 sternwheeler
that once plied local waters. Across the road are a number of historic wooden buildings, in-
cluding the century-old Matthew Watson General Store (1 Bennett Ave., 867/821-3501,
9am-5:30pm daily May-Sept.), which is filled with tasteful Northern souvenirs and books.
MM Carcross Desert
The most remarkable natural feature in the area is the Carcross Desert, which is considered
to be the world's smallest desert. It was created 10,000 years ago, at the end of the last ice
age, when a lake formed by the retreating ice cap dried up, exposing a huge expanse of gla-
cial silt. Over the ensuing years, prevailing winds have pushed the sand into high dunes that
cover 260 hectares (640 acres) extending north from Lake Bennett. This dune system has
an extremely dry microclimate that receives just 280 millimeters (11 inches) of precipita-