Hike the Auriol Trail in Kluane National Park

Parking is clearly marked and visible from the Haines Highway, 7 km south of Haines Junction. 

This trail is reasonably easy and although it does not reach any summit, it offers great views of the surrounding mountain ranges and Haines Junction. When you reach the highest point of the trail you can continue up through the sub-alpine to alpine areas and the mountain slopes, going off trail. This trail is also used by hikers who want to climb Quill Peak, Mt Martha Black and many of the other peaks in the Auriol Range.

Remember to check with the rangers at Canada Parks for bear presence as bears are very active in this area. A good idea is to bring a bear spray with you at all time and talking loudly during the hike to avoid any undesired encounter.

From the trailhead follow the trail which initially crosses an open meadow reaching the trees near the far side. From here the trail ascends gradually for the first two kilometres - at the 2 km point the trail branches into the loop. If you take the left side, the trail climbs up more gradually to the highest point on the trail while the trail on the right side is steeper with more viewpoints. If you choose the left side, you will cross a creek at about the 3 km and 3.5 km points and then you will follow the creek up through a small valley until the forest opens up to meadows - these are ideal places to spot a moose. 

Keep walking until you will see a small pond with a beautiful reflection of the mountains behind. After this pond you will descend into a long meadow and then follow the trail which turns to the right up the hill and enters the trees again. Once you emerge from the spruce forest you will encounter another small creek valley and will reach the sub-alpine area with stunning views of the Auriol Range mountains. Keep following the creek, crossing it a few times. 

At the 7.3 km mark to the right of the creek you can find a basic campsite with an outhouse (outside toilet in Canada), a fire pit, a pole type food cache, and 4 tent pads. If you would like to camp overnight here, a Wilderness Permit is required and an approved Bear Resistant Food Canister is mandatory. A good mosquito repellent is also highly recommended here.

From the campsite the trail will ascend for another kilometre to the 8.2 km post - at this sign the trail begins to descend taking an eastward direction. From here you can also follow a very short trail to a viewpoint 300 m away which goes further into the Auriol range if you want to explore off trail.

Go back on the trail and keep descending mostly through spruce forest. There are two established viewpoints off the trail indicated by signposts. From one of them you will see the town of Haines Junction as well as the valley and Ruby Range Mountains in the distance. During the descent you will cross at least five footbridges before reaching again the initial 2 km sign post, originally encountered at the beginning of the loop, which means you have only 2 km left before the parking area.