WHITEHORSE, YT – The Yukon Quest has officially changed their race route for 2025, following a number of concerns raised about racer and trail-breaker safety.
The Yukon Quest’s Board of Directors has determined that the old race routes from Whitehorse to Dawson City no longer work for the purpose of the race. Problem zones identified near Whitehorse, Carmacks, and McCabe Creek pose a significant risk due to unreliable ice coverage, and as a result, Yukon Quest 2025 will feature a 425 mile route beginning and ending in Teslin.
Starting in Teslin, Mushers will follow the shoreline of Teslin Lake to Johnson’s Crossing before snaking up the South Canol Road towards Ross River.
Section A – Teslin to Johnson’s Crossing // Courtesy: Yukon Quest
From Ross River, teams will travel along the Dena Cho Trail to Faro, where they will then reverse course and race back to the finish line in Teslin.
Section D – Ross River to Faro (Dena Cho Trail ) // Courtesy: Yukon Quest
There will also be a 175 mile race, including the route along the South Canol Road from Teslin to Ross River.
Sections B & C – Johnson’s Crossing to Ross River // Courtesy: Yukon Quest
The starting line location is a nod to a community legacy in Teslin, that once saw sled dog races held during Rendezvous, and the Dena Cho Trail is the traditional route long used by the local Kaska people to traverse the north bank of the Pelly River.
Opening ceremonies will still be held in Whitehorse on February 1st, with the race officially getting underway 1pm on February 2nd in Teslin.
Yukon Quest Organizers say the new route was developed in collaboration with local First Nations including the Teslin Tlingit Council, and the Ross River Dena Council, and they say they will be seeking advice from other First Nations in the Yukon as they seek out safer routes for the Yukon Quest to return to Pelly Crossing and Dawson City in 2026.
