Carcross Desert, located outside

Carcross Carcross, originally known as Caribou Crossing, () is an unincorporated community in Yukon, Canada, on Bennett Lake and Nares Lake. It is home to the Carcross/Tagish First Nation. It is south-southeast by the Alaska Highway and the Klondike High ...

Yukon Yukon () is a Provinces and territories of Canada, territory of Canada, bordering British Columbia to the south, the Northwest Territories to the east, the Beaufort Sea to the north, and the U.S. state of Alaska to the west. It is Canada’s we ...

, Canada, is a series of

sand dune A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, flat ...

s. The Carcross Desert measures approximately , or .

Background information

Carcross Desert is commonly referred to as a desert, but is actually a series of northern

s. The area's climate is too humid to be considered a true desert. The sand was formed during the last glacial period, when large

glacial lake A glacial lake is a body of water with origins from glacier activity. They are formed when a glacier erodes the land and then melts, filling the depression created by the glacier. Formation Near the end of the last glacial period, roughly 10,0 ...

s formed and deposited

silt Silt is granular material of a size between sand and clay and composed mostly of broken grains of quartz. Silt may occur as a soil (often mixed with sand or clay) or as sediment mixed in suspension (chemistry), suspension with water. Silt usually ...

. When the lakes dried, the dunes were left behind. Today, sand comes mainly from nearby

Bennett Lake Bennett Lake is a lake in the Province of British Columbia and Yukon Territory in northwestern Canada, at an elevation of . It is just north of the border with the United States state of Alaska, near the Alaskan port of Skagway. The lake has ...

, carried by wind. The dunes contain a wide variety of plants, including unusual species such as Baikal sedge ('' Carex sabulosa'') and Yukon lupine, among others. The

Government of Yukon The Government of Yukon () is the body responsible for the administration of the Canadian territory of Yukon. In modern Canadian use, the term ''Government of Yukon'' refers specifically to the Cabinet or Executive Council) who are appointed by th ...

has made efforts to protect Carcross Desert in 1992, but failed due to opposition from locals who use the dunes for recreational purposes.

Climate

Carcross Desert is significantly drier than the surrounding region, receiving less than of precipitation per year. This is due in part to a

rain shadow A rain shadow is an area of significantly reduced rainfall behind a mountainous region, on the side facing away from prevailing winds, known as its leeward side. Evaporated moisture from body of water, bodies of water (such as oceans and larg ...

effect caused by surrounding mountains. As a result, several rare species of plant life have taken hold in the comparatively arid conditions. '' Carex sabulosa'', the Baikal sedge, is only known to exist in four other sites in North America, mainly existing in Asia. Yukon lupine, also unusual for the surroundings, "grows like a weed." While the vegetation in the area currently locks much of the dune system in place, a large event such as a

forest fire A wildfire, forest fire, or a bushfire is an unplanned and uncontrolled fire in an area of combustible vegetation. Depending on the type of vegetation present, a wildfire may be more specifically identified as a bushfire ( in Australia), dese ...

could easily clear out the vegetation and return the dunes to an active state.

Recreation

The dunes are used by locals for

sandboarding Sandboarding is a boardsport and extreme sport similar to snowboarding that involves riding down a sand dune while standing on a board, with both feet strapped in. Sand sledding can also be practised sitting down or lying on the belly or the ba ...

. Tourist groups also use the area for off-road scenic tours, which is allowed on the fine-grained dunes. Other summer activities include beach volleyball, hiking, skydiving, and

all-terrain vehicle An all-terrain vehicle (ATV), also known as a light utility vehicle (LUV), a quad bike or quad (if it has four wheels), as defined by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), is a vehicle that travels on low-pressure tires, has a seat ...

s. In the winter, the area is used mainly for

cross-country skiing Cross-country skiing is a form of skiing whereby skiers traverse snow-covered terrain without use of ski lifts or other assistance. Cross-country skiing is widely practiced as a sport and recreational activity; however, some still use it as a m ...

and

snowboarding Snowboarding is a recreational and competitive activity that involves descending a snow-covered surface while standing on a snowboard that is almost always attached to a rider's feet. It features in the Winter Olympic Games and Winter Paralym ...

. The nearby

White Pass and Yukon Route The White Pass and Yukon Route (WP&Y, WP&YR) is a Canadian and U.S. Class III narrow-gauge railroad linking the port of Skagway, Alaska, with Whitehorse, the capital of Yukon. An isolated system, it has no direct connection to any other rail ...

is a popular tourist attraction, bringing many tourists each year to the Carcross area. Orienteering competitions are held on a map bearing name Carcross Desert which includes parts of the landmark.

References

{{Deserts Landforms of Yukon Dunes of Canada Carcross, Yukon