Emerald Lake

[lilrere]

Hi I am a newbie! I want to say thanks for all the wonderful advice I have been reading! I saw some pics of Emerald Lake and I decided I had to make it a must stop for our trip but I was wondering what to expect in Mid May. We will be there on the 23rd of May. I would love to see the lake when it has the emerald color but I was wondering if it would still be iced over in May?

Thanks again for all the great advice!

[TeeBuccs]

DH and I drove out to Emerald lake last year late May. I can't promise you what it will be like for you (obviously) but I can tell you our experience. As we set out along our journey the first 1 hour was a bit harrowing. We left somewhat sunny skies in Skagway and as the elevation changed it became quite foggy with snow on the ground everywhere. (Roads were clear). After about an hour as we continued to drive, the scenery became greener with bright sunshine. We thouroughly enjoyed our adventure as we got to see just about everything (including that fabulous snow in the high elevations!)

 

The lake itself was beautiful greens and blues and simply breathtaking! Be sure to read the posted signs that indicate what causes the beautiful color variations in the lake - it's informative. And along the way, keep your eyes open for bears and other animals - we saw quite a few just off the side of the road!

[TeeBuccs]

DH and I drove out to Emerald lake last year late May. I can't promise you what it will be like for you (obviously) but I can tell you our experience. As we set out along our journey the first 1 hour was a bit harrowing. We left somewhat sunny skies in Skagway and as the elevation changed it became quite foggy with snow on the ground everywhere. (Roads were clear). After about an hour as we continued to drive, the scenery became greener with bright sunshine. We thouroughly enjoyed our adventure as we got to see just about everything (including that fabulous snow in the high elevations!)

 

The lake itself was beautiful greens and blues and simply breathtaking! Be sure to read the posted signs that indicate what causes the beautiful color variations in the lake - it's informative. And along the way, keep your eyes open for bears and other animals - we saw quite a few just off the side of the road!

 

Enjoy your trip!

[lilrere]

Thanks for the help!

So did you rent a car or do a tour? I have been trying to find a tour that did Emerald Lake. I found one by Southeast Tours but I have not found anything through the cruise!

It's our first trip to Alaska so I need all the help I can get!

Thanks!

[stired]

Thanks for the help!

So did you rent a car or do a tour? I have been trying to find a tour that did Emerald Lake. I found one by Southeast Tours but I have not found anything through the cruise!

It's our first trip to Alaska so I need all the help I can get!

Thanks!

 

You can do a tour that includes Emerald Lake by renting a car or you can do one that includes a ride on the historic White Pass & Yukon Railway and a bus. This is a very popular tour. Chilkoot Charters, an independent vendor, gets tons of great reviews here (just do a search on Chilkoot or White Pass on this board). Go to their website to read about the excursion: http://www.skagwaysbesttour.com/yukonrail.htm

[sea_u_onboard]

OK - I found this website for Field British Columbia - http://www.field.ca/yohonationalpark/emeraldlake/

 

There is a great map of the YoHo National Park - where Emerald Lake is located - http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/bc/yoho/images/bc_map_2004_a_e.pdf

 

Anyone stop at any of the other sites around the park? What is a DON'T MISS?

[portelance]

The Emerald Lake you are looking for is in The Yukon. It is beautiful. I live just down the road. Try Murray's guide or Google it.:)

[sea_u_onboard]

The Emerald Lake you are looking for is in The Yukon. It is beautiful. I live just down the road. Try Murray's guide or Google it.:)

Different lake?

[Desert Nurse]

Here's one of my favorite pictures of Emerald Lake taken in May 2004. There is also a picture of a glacier (Cleveland glacier?) taken on the same drive. In my opinion, May is the most beautiful time of the year for this drive. It's wonderful at other times, but the snow and ice make it more beautiful in May.

[Travelight]

We stopped at Spirit Lake Lodge last September. The pie was fantastic, and everyone was so nice. How lucky you are to live in such a beautiful place!

[qiangf2]

it's probably little too late to get a car at Avis for May now. But it never hurts to try. Try to avoid another rental place in town though if you can. BTW, when you drive to Emerald lake, you actually drove through 3 states/provinces (Alaska/BC/Yukon Territory). It was an exciting trivial knowledge for me back then

[Budget Queen]

I've been to Emerald Lake mid May several times. It's always been full of ice. I will speculate that June is when it's all melted?? Did "muffle" the greens greatly compared to my later trips. But it's all good, go and enjoy your road trip. :)

[Yukon]

Different lake?

 

The Emerald Lake you're talking about is 1,000 miles from the one everyone else is talking about.

[JohnQ]

Murray,

How much access is there to the lake itself? I don't recall seeing any roads or signs that took you down to the edge of the lake. We did find a couple of dirt roads that got us down a ways which I took photos from. But I thought I had read that their wasn't any public facilities at the lake itself?

[Yukon]

Murray,

How much access is there to the lake itself? I don't recall seeing any roads or signs that took you down to the edge of the lake. We did find a couple of dirt roads that got us down a ways which I took photos from. But I thought I had read that their wasn't any public facilities at the lake itself?

 

There are no public facilities, and minimal access to the lake from the dirt roads off the highway at the bottom of the hill. Spirit Lake Lodge sometimes puts canoes on it when their lake is too windy, but other than that the lake is seldom used. That's good, because swimmers/waders would very quickly destroy the bottom surface of marl that gives it the amazing colour. As of last night, it's still "White Lake", firmly locked in thick ice.

 

Murray

[sea_u_onboard]

The Emerald Lake you're talking about is 1,000 miles from the one everyone else is talking about.

Good thing I planned on using your map :eek:

[mattswife]

it's probably little too late to get a car at Avis for May now. But it never hurts to try. Try to avoid another rental place in town though if you can. BTW, when you drive to Emerald lake, you actually drove through 3 states/provinces (Alaska/BC/Yukon Territory). It was an exciting trivial knowledge for me back then

 

qiangf2- Are you referring to a car rental place that begins with an "s" and ends with "h"? If so, why avoid them? We actually have a car reserved with them and wanted to know if we should be weary? We wanted to go with Avis, but they don't open until the week after our cruise We are going to Alaska May 5-12 :D! We had no other choise than to rent with them, and we really wanted to drive at our own pace, stop when we wanted to, and drive to emerald lake. Do you know something that we should know?

Thanks!

[Yukon]

qiangf2- Are you referring to a car rental place that begins with an "s" and ends with "h"? If so, why avoid them? We actually have a car reserved with them and wanted to know if we should be weary? We wanted to go with Avis, but they don't open until the week after our cruise We are going to Alaska May 5-12 :D! We had no other choise than to rent with them, and we really wanted to drive at our own pace, stop when we wanted to, and drive to emerald lake. Do you know something that we should know?

 

Sourdough has had some negative reviews here over the past couple of years due to older vehicles and apparently poor maintenance. Most people have no problems, though, so I wouldn't worry about it if Avis isn't available.

 

Murray

[mattswife]

Thanks Murray,

That's what I needed to hear.

[Budget Queen]

Thanks Murray,

That's what I needed to hear.

 

And I am first hand experience of why I will not recommend them or use them again. They do not have their act together. There were at least 2 reports of cars breaking down, and this was early season, when the cars should have been in top shape. The car I rented didn't even get 10mpg which is less than half of what it should have gotten, (Tauras) I always tolerated their dirty cars on my prior rentals with them, but they have gotten much worse over several years.

 

When I reported the gas mileage problem, they couldn't have cared less, didn't even pretend to have a plan to look into it, stated oh- its booked for the next several weeks. Offered no compensation for the more than double gas cost. Being a repeat customer meant nothing. They were difficult to get in contact with, several emails and phone calls. And when I finally did get in direct contact with them, they said the cheaper car I wanted was booked- BUT- there it sat ALL day in their parking lot- I made note of it's location, and I saw him driving it in the morning so it was running.

 

Just my opinion, I am a strong advocate for independent businesses, just not this one.

[lilrere]

Thanks so much for all the advice! I think we are going with Southeast tours since they make a stop at Emerald Lake (hopefully not White Lake in a few weeks!:o Keep us posted Yukon!

Has anyone ever been on one of SouthEast tours?

[wow]

Hello Lilrere, We will be in Skagway the same day as you but we are on a different cruise!! We rented a car with Avis and will drive out to Emerald lake, we hope too that it will not be white lake!!

[qiangf2]

qiangf2- Are you referring to a car rental place that begins with an "s" and ends with "h"? If so, why avoid them? We actually have a car reserved with them and wanted to know if we should be weary? We wanted to go with Avis, but they don't open until the week after our cruise We are going to Alaska May 5-12 :D! We had no other choise than to rent with them, and we really wanted to drive at our own pace, stop when we wanted to, and drive to emerald lake. Do you know something that we should know?

Thanks!

 

Mattswife, I used "s"-"h" last year because Avis was booked up. The car is old, kind of dirty, which did not concern me too much. We were glad it did its job to take us to Emerald Lake and back without incident. What troubled me was the vendor charged my credit card another $100+ on a separate transaction, which I have no idea what that is. I called them multiple times and emailed them and got no response. Eventually, I have to use my credit card company to dispute that amount..:mad: