The annual Yukon Quest dog sled race departs from Whitehorse

The capital of the Yukon Territory and home to two-thirds of its 31,000 population, Whitehorse is a sprawling and desolate city saved aesthetically by its few remaining gold rush-era heritage buildings.

Wilderness is never too far away in Whitehorse, a fact confirmed by the nocturnal roamings of coyote who descend on town to have their pick of people's pet dogs and cats.

Whitehorse lies on the Yukon River and many summer adventure seekers use the city as a base from which to equip themselves for the challenging 700km canoe along the river to Dawson City. Come winter, Whitehorse marks the start of a very different journey, the annual Yukon Quest, the "toughest dog sled race in the world" which traverses 1,600km in its run up to Fairbanks in Alaska.

As far as local attractions go, most people take river tours, browse the excellent art galleries or inspect the SS Klondike - a 1929 paddle steamer that once plied the Yukon River to Dawson City.

Many people visit Whitehorse on a day trip from Skagway in Alaska, making part of the journey on the historic and scenic White Pass and Yukon Railroad.

Whitehorse is also an excellent jumping off point for exploring some of the Yukon's wilderness highlights. The 22,000-square-kilometre Kluane National Park, home to Canada's highest mountain range, lies less than 200km west of Whitehorse, offering myriad opportunities for day hikes and flightseeing tours over its vast ice fields.

Some 25km north of Whitehorse lies the Takhini Hot Springs - ideal for a steamy outdoor soak - and the adjacent Yukon Wildlife Reserve, crawling with captive indigenous critters including bison, caribou, bears, deer, elk, moose, caribou and Dall sheep.

Boating and fishing enthusiasts usually head 60km north of Whitehorse to Lake Laberge, a 50km body of water that shot to notoriety in Robert Service's colourful poem The Cremation of Sam McGee.