The Grizzly, Divide and Talus lake trail is the adventure of a lifetime. The terrain is like nothing you have ever seen before. Tombstone Territorial Park protects 2,200 kilometre2 of unique and pristine remote wilderness. Your days on the trail will be spent walking between rugged peaks, across permafrost landforms, and through endless tundra meadows. A trip to Tombstone makes you feel like you have been thrown onto another planet all together. The area is rich in First Nations Culture, The area’s Hän name Ddhäl Ch’èl Cha Nän means “ragged mountain land.” The park is a legacy of the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in Land Claim Agreement and lies within their Traditional Territory.
The Grizzly, Divide and Talus lake trail is the only marked/maintained overnight backpacking route in Tombstone Park. It is best tackled as an overnight backpacking trip with hikers taking anywhere from 1-5 nights to complete the entire trail. The remoteness, jagged mountain peaks and diverse collection of flora and fauna are what make this trail so special.
Table of Contents
The Breakdown
| Distance (Round Trip) | 46km |
| Elevation Gain | 2716m |
| Time (Round Trip) | 3-5 days |
| Dogs | Yes (On leash for portions) |
| Camping | Yes (Reservation Required) |
| Season | July-Sep |
| Difficulty | Difficult |
| Remoteness | Remote |
| Maximum Elevation | 1811m |
Remember the Backcountry Basics
- Carry your Survival Kit & Essentials
- Let someone know where you’re going with a Trip Plan
- Know how to avoid negative wildlife encounters
- Practice Leave No Trace to keep the wilderness pristine
- Carry a Satellite Communicator like SPOT X
Driving Directions
From Dawson City, Yukon follow the Klondike Highwy/YT-2 South for 40km. Follow signs left onto the Dempster Hwy. Continue on the Dempster Highway for 58.5km until you reach the Grizzly Lake trailhead on your left.
If you have ventured all the way up to Dawson city then a drive down the entire, or a portion of the Dempster highway is a MUST DO. The Dempster Highway is a 740km rough dirt road that traverses some of the most beautiful scenery in the entire country. It has a reputation for busting up vehicle tires. Fortunately, the Tombstone Territorial park interpretive centre is is approx. 70km up the road. The section of the Dempster to Tombstone is very well trafficked, and the road conditions aren’t too rough. There are lots of potholes, and as always I would recommend carrying at least one spare tire when driving on backroad terrain. The drive up to the Grizzly lake trailhead is flat and is no problem for all types of vehicles, just make sure to take it slower if you have lower clearance.
Suggested Itineraries
The Grizzly, Divide and Talus Lake trail is typically completed as a multi-day backpacking trip. Hikers usually spend 3-5 days on the trail. However, there is plenty of unbelievable backcountry hiking in the area so you can keep yourself very amused if you decide to stay longer.
3 Day Itinerary (Recommended)
Day One: Trailhead to Grizzly Lake, Camp at Grizzly (Distance: 11km, Elevation Gain: 797m)
Day Two: Grizzly to Divide Lake, Set up camp at Divide Lake, (6km, 428m) hike to Talus and back to Divide with daypack (12km, 266m)
Day Three: Divide Lake to Trailhead (16km, 1225m)
4 Day Itinerary
Day 1: Trailhead to Grizzly Lake, Camp at Grizzly (11km, 797m)
Day 2: Grizzly to Talus Lake, Camp at Talus (12km, 561m)
Day 3: Talus to Divide Lake, Camp at Divide (6km, 133m)
Day 4: Divide Lake to Trailhead (16km, 1,225m)
5 Day Itinerary
Day 1: Trailhead to Grizzly Lake, Camp at Grizzly (11km, 797m)
Day 2: Grizzly to Divide Lake, Camp at Divide (6km, 428m)
Day 3: Divide to Talus Lake, Camp at Talus (6km, 133m)
Day 4: Talus to Grizzly Lake, Camp at Grizzly (12km, 561m)
Day 5: Grizzly Lake to Trailhead (11km, 797m)
Campsites & Reservations
All of the campsites on the trail must be reserved prior to arriving. You can make a reservation online using the Yukon Going To Camp reservation system. The cost is $12/night per tent.
Before you register for your trip, Parks staff asks that you complete the backcountry orientation course. There was no quiz in 2021, but the video acts as a good refresher reminding hikers how to stay safe when hiking in the Yukon Backcountry. Although the Yukon Parks website mentions it, there is no need to stop by interpretive centre to check in before your hike. We were under the impression that we had to check in, but when we arrived, the park staff said that this was not required.
Grizzly Lake Campsite
Located beside Grizzly Lake. Facilities include 14 tent pads, 2 cooking shelters, Food Caches, Grey water disposal and 2 outhouses. Drinking water can be filtered from Grizzly Lake.
Divide Lake
Located beside Divide Lake. Facilities include 10 tent pads, 1 cooking shelter, grey water disposal 1 outhouse and food caches. Drinking water can be filtered from Divide Lake.
Talus Lake
Located beside Talus Lake. Facilities include 10 tent pads, 1 cooking shelter, grey water disposal 1 outhouse and food caches. Drinking water can be filtered from Divide Lake.
The Route
Trailhead to Grizzly Lake
| Distance | 11km |
| Elevation | 797m |
| Difficulty | Difficult |
The trail begins by weaving through the muddy and rooty forest alongside the Cairns creek. At the 1.3km mark you will begin to climb a direct route switch backing up the mountainside. The switchbacks are steep and you will surely break a sweat as you work your way uphill through the dwarf birch. Around half way to Grizzly Ridge you will be rewarded with a fabulous view of the Grizzly Valley and Mount Monolith. At approx. the 4km mark you will reach the second viewpoint at the top of the ridge.
The trail along the ridge is clear and there are also some rock cairns to guide your way. The route meanders along the ridge with some slight ups and downs. The only water source along the way is at the 6.1km mark. There is a big grassy saddle, and at the far side of the saddle a small creek flows under the rocks which you may need to hike downhill to access. Ensure you filter your water appropriately because there are many marmot, ground squirrels and pika hanging around in the rocks.
You will begin to gain views of Grizzly lake and Mt Monolith towering behind it. The ridge slowly descends towards the lake and this is where the footing begins to become a bit more tricky. Take your time crossing the boulder fields, footing can be awkward and they are very slippery. After the talus slope you will walk through marmot meadows before reaching the valley bottom. The footing gets easier as you near the campsite.
Once you reach the valley bottom, you will need to cross the stream and head on into the campsite to find the perfect pad to setup your tent on.
Grizzly Lake to Divide Lake
| Distance | 6km |
| Elevation | 428m |
| Difficulty | Difficult |
Beginning at the Grizzly Lake campground you will need to head back up the trail you came from on the way in. Cross back over the creek and hike up to the trail junction. Follow the trail to the Glissade Pass. This is the steepest portion of elevation gain on the entire trail. There is an obvious footpath up the rocks and some cairns to help guide your way. It is rocky at first, then becomes grassy and muddy. You will be climbing up 300m elevation in under 1km so this section is STEEP.
Once you arrive at the top of the pass, take a breather and admire the views from either side. Heading down the other side is much easier than the way up because you can scree ski (slide) down the loose rocks on your feet. To your right you will notice a different coloration in the rocks that I thought to be quite neat.
Hop back onto the trail that follows along the left side of the creek. The trail continues through the beautiful valley and wraps left around the base of the mountain sides heading up into the North Klondike Valley. You will be surrounded by green and yellow grasses contrasted with the insanely sharp peaks all around you, it’s truly unbelievable.
From here on out the remaining 2km to Divide lake is pretty flat and involves crossing some streams and balancing on some boulders once again. Divide lake is absolutely breathtaking and is shaped like a peanut sitting beneath the mountains.
Divide Lake to Talus Lake
| Distance | 6km |
| Elevation | 133m |
| Difficulty | Easy |
The hike from Divide Lake to Talus lake is super mellow. From Divide lake continue west until you reach the end of the tent pads. The trail continues above the lake over a small pass allowing for a nice perspective from the other end of Divide lake.
The trail is very flat for the remaining 5km and is easy to follow. This portion of the trail is extremely unique and there are many beautiful Alpine cirques, ponds, lakes and streams along the stunningly green grassy tundra valley bottom.
The fog and rain was pretty bad when we were hiking, but as you get closer to Talus lake the views of Tombstone Mountain apparently get more prominent. Unfortunately, the rain and fog was so intense we decided to turn around once we had our sights on the lake.
Mandatory Bear Canister Rental
For all overnight hiking in Tombstone Territorial park a bear hard shell bear-resistant food canister is mandatory. These are mandatory for all backcountry travel to protect wildlife, and your food supply. You can purchase a bear canister, however, since this is one of the only parks in North America that requires a hard shell canister. I would recommend renting one at the Klondike Experience in Dawson City. The canister was around $20 to rent and we were allowed to keep it for as long as needed.
Our Experience
Initially we had planned a 3 day itinerary spending one night at Grizzly lake and the second night at Divide lake. However, due to intense rainfall and the complete flooding of our cheap tent, we packed the entire trail into two days.
Day 1: Trailhead to Grizzly Lake (11km, 797m)
Day 2: Grizzly to Talus and back to Trailhead (35km, 1,919m)
Thoughts
The Positives
This trail is one of the hiking highlights of my entire life. It is truly the most unique terrain in Canada. Even though the weather was pretty rough, it did not take away from my experience in the least. The landscape in Tombstone took me to a whole other planet. The contrast of green and yellow grasses and the sharp rocky peaks is something that I will never forget.
The Negatives
The only real negative for me was that Parks enforces the use of bear canisters. They are super clunky, awkward and heavy. There are metal food caches at all of the campsites so I didn’t quite understand why they were necessary.
Wildlife
Wildlife is abundant on the Grizzly, Divide and Talus Lake trail. The most commons species of big game that you may encounter are Dall’s Sheep, Caribou, Moose, Black Bear and Grizzly Bear. The park is also a bird watchers dream as there are over 150 bird species that have been identified to date. While walking and at the campsite you will encounter countless marmots, ground squirrels, and pika. Just make sure to not feed these hungry critters and to keep all of your gear in your tent so they don’t chew on it.
Prepare for Unpredictable Weather
Weather forecasts don’t mean much in Tombstone Territorial Park. When we were hiking in Early-August we experienced sunshine, rain, lightning and hail. Always be prepared for worst case weather situations when recreating in the Yukon Backcountry.
Food We Packed
Breakfast: Instant Coffee
Lunch: Protein Bar, Nuts, Jerky,
Snacks: Nuts, Jerky, Mixed Candy, Tea, Chocolate
Dinner 1: Premade Curry mixed with Uncle Bens 2 Minute Rice
Dinner 2: Sidekicks Bacon Carbonara
What to Pack for the Grizzly Lake Trail
Worried about what to pack for the Grizzly Lake Trail. Check out our post HERE to read about what we pack for every single overnight hike.
Additional Considerations
- Keep all gear in your tent so the ground squirrels don’t chew on your belongings
- Bring along a day pack
- No trees to tie a tarp
2 Responses
Interesting and helpful. Thank you.
My daughter and I are headed up this August.
THat’s awesome Bill! Be prepped for wild weather changes and enjoy. Feel free to fire me an email if you have any questions 🙂