Dawson was created as a result of the Klondike gold rush of 1896, and the population jumped to 40,000 almost overnight. The gold rush was short-lived however, ending by 1899, and most people left soon after that. Today Dawson has about 1,300 full-time residents, but gets about 60,000 visitors each year.
We decided to fly from Inuvik rather than drive, although many people do drive down the Dempster Highway, which takes about 12 hours.
Flying over the Mackenzie Delta, you can see clearly the countless lakes and rivers in the delta - it looks like Swiss cheese!
Flying into Dawson between the hills, I thought our wings were going to touch on each side!
We were glad that Air North got us there safely.
Dawson City is named, ironically, after a man who never set foot in the town! Famous Canadian geologist George M. Dawson explored the region in 1887 and predicted a gold rush ten years before it happened. Below is a plaque commemorating the town's namesake.