Klondike Trail

The Klondike Trail or Chalmers Trail was an overland route to the Klondike Gold Rush, Yukon, Canada. To encourage travel via Edmonton, the government hired T.W. Chalmers to build the trail. After a survey in 1897, construction started in 1898. The trail started at Pruden’s Crossing on the Athabasca River near Fort Assiniboine then headed north to the shore of Lesser Slave Lake near what would become Kinuso. From there it was still another 2,500 km north to the gold fields. It was a very difficult trail. Travellers endured great danger and back-breaking labour. Numerous horses died. Use of the trail declined by 1901-02.