Paddy Peak

Distance: 6 km
Elevation Gain: 626 m (2054 ft)
Time: 3 hours

Date Added: October 4, 2011
Last Update: October 4, 2011
Winter: alpine skiing

Paddy Peak is the highest mountain south of Carcross along the highway to Skagway. There is a road from the highway that gains over 700 m of elevation, making the hike a quick scramble to the peak. The view of mountain tops and the southern lakes seems endless in all directions.

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Driving Directions

Drive towards Carcross on the South Klondike highway. 38 km south of the Carcross bridge there is a gravel road on the right side of the highway. Drive along this road for up to 7 km into the alpine. There is one small creek crossing on the road which is a little tricky - it is not the water that is the problem, but rather the larger rocks. Most trucks or SUVs with good clearance shouldn't have any trouble with the creek crossing. Park after 7 km (or when you feel you've cheated enough by driving and want to stretch your legs). If the road is muddy, you may not be able to drive up the last steep bit and will have to park and walk.

Trail Description

The first thing you have to do is cross the stream that runs down from the glacial lake below Paddy Peak. The stream is below in a gulley between where you parked and the rocky moraines. If the water level is low or there is still a lot of snow, you can cross at any point. Otherwise you can walk up towards the glacial lake which is situated right at the base of the rocky face of Paddy Peak and hop across the rocks there.

Make your way over the moraines to the steep ridge next to the rocky face which leads up to the summit. This is the steep, direct route up to the top. An alternate route may be to circle around the full ridge above the glacier.

The route is steep but straight forward as you climb up the rocks. If there is enough snow, the route is even easier and you can just climb straight up. You will know you've reached the summit when you get to a Yukon Amateur Radio Association (YARA) repeater station (note that YARA and other groups refer to this mountain as Mount Panacea and that there is no official name). Going down is easy if there is snow, otherwise the rocks can be slippery.

Have these directions changed? We invite you to let us know.