Home > Yukon River Canoe Expedition for Adults
Yukon River Canoe Expedition for Adults
Personal and professional development on the river
9 days from Carmacks to Dawson City, with Fort Selkirk and Five Finger Rapids along the way.
Paddle, camp, learn and lead through the Yukon wilderness with a small group of adults and experienced outdoor educators. This expedition combines a northern canoe adventure with personal and professional development through practical skills, shared responsibility, leadership and time to reflect.
Join as an educator, adventure travel professional or outdoor enthusiast. You don't need to work in a classroom to belong here. Bring curiosity, a willingness to contribute and an interest in becoming more capable outdoors.
Find your pathway | Course questions answered | Explore the route map
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Your expedition at a glance
July 15 to 23, 2027
July 29 to August 6, 2027
9 days, plus optional preparation the day before departure. Arrive in Whitehorse the day before your trip.
C$3,699 + 5% GST
Non-refundable deposit: C$400 + GST
8 to 12 adults; minimum 8 to run.
Yukon River: Carmacks to Dawson City.
Travel hub: Whitehorse.
OCC training: two certification courses; an additional C$100 OCC fee applies. Confirm the exact certification courses and travel arrangements before booking flights.
What's included and course questions
Ask about the expedition
Who is this adventure for?
Educators, youth workers and facilitators
Bring experiential learning into your teaching and group work. Practise field-based facilitation, reflection and outdoor leadership, then explore how the experience can transfer to your classroom, community program or work with young people.
Adventure travel professionals
Strengthen the judgement behind leading a group outdoors. Work on expedition preparation, communication, risk awareness and group process alongside practical canoe and camping skills. Discuss your certification goals with Fireside before registering.
Outdoor enthusiasts
Come for the Yukon, the canoe journey and the chance to become more self-reliant. Learn with others, take part in daily expedition life and build confidence for your own future adventures. A teaching or guiding background is not required.
Long summer evenings on the Yukon River.
Skills you will practise
Plan and pack: contribute to food planning, gear checks and preparation for a multi-day canoe expedition.
Paddle with purpose: develop canoe strokes, teamwork and river-travel awareness.
Build a working camp: practise shelter setup, equipment care and low-impact camping.
Cook outdoors: help prepare shared meals and manage food and resources in the field.
Make thoughtful decisions: consider weather, conditions, group needs and the limits of your own skills.
Communicate and lead: practise briefings, shared responsibility, problem-solving and supporting a group.
Connect place with learning: explore northern geography, history and environmental change through observation, discussion and reflection.
These are skills to practise and develop throughout the journey. Your starting experience, participation and any certification assessment requirements shape your individual outcomes.
A journey built around participation
A pause on the riverbank during a Yukon canoe journey.
Before departure: prepare together
Pre-course coordination helps you prepare for the expedition. The day before departure, an optional preparation session in Whitehorse offers a chance to meet the team, check personal and group equipment, help with food packing and practise introductory paddling skills. Confirm the meeting time and accommodation arrangements with Fireside.
Carmacks: begin the river journey
Travel from Whitehorse to Carmacks and build the foundations for the days ahead: canoe handling, essential paddle strokes, on-water safety, knots, tarps and low-impact travel. Learning begins before the first campsite. How we prepare and work together matters as much as how far we paddle.
Five Finger Rapids: read the river
The Carmacks-to-Dawson route brings river features such as Five Finger Rapids into the learning experience. Explore the judgement behind river travel: observing conditions, understanding hazards, communicating clearly and making decisions as a group under your instructors' guidance.
Fort Selkirk: connect the journey with place
A visit to Fort Selkirk adds another dimension to the expedition. Make time for the histories and cultural significance of this place, alongside the practical work of travelling and camping on the river. The Yukon becomes a setting for questions about people, land and change, rather than simply scenery to paddle past.
On expedition: paddle, camp, learn and lead
River days combine travel with hands-on skills, shared meal preparation, camp routines and field workshops. Develop your paddling rhythm, take responsibility within the group and make room for conversations about the Yukon's landscapes, history and environmental change. Reflection connects the day's experience to your own work and life.
Dawson City: finish with a wider perspective
Complete the river journey in Dawson City, with time to visit the town and reflect on the experience. The journey brings together wilderness travel, living history, practical outdoor skills and the people you have shared it with. Fireside coordinates the return shuttle arrangements; confirm the Whitehorse return time before booking flights.
This is a sample sequence across the nine-day expedition, not a fixed schedule of daily stops. Weather, river conditions, group needs and learning opportunities shape the journey.
Why learn in the Yukon?
The Yukon was one of Fireside's earliest classrooms. A canoe journey creates time to notice the landscape, listen to one another and connect practical skills with the decisions behind them. Northern forests, rivers, communities and histories give the learning its context.
A Natural Paradise
Travel through wide river valleys and boreal landscapes, with long summer evenings and room to settle into the pace of expedition life. Wildlife sightings and historic traces may be part of the journey, but the experience is also in the everyday work: reading the river, choosing a campsite and looking after the place you visit.
Room to Breathe
Step away from familiar routines and spend time with adults who share an interest in learning outdoors. There is space for conversation, reflection and the satisfaction of doing practical things together. Whether you return to a classroom, a guiding role or everyday life, take home skills and perspectives you can continue to use.
Carmacks to Dawson City
Follow the Yukon River north, with Five Finger Rapids, Fort Selkirk and a visit to Dawson City adding depth to the expedition. The route combines practical river learning with opportunities to explore the history and character of the Yukon.
Learn with experienced outdoor educators
Small-group expedition learning creates opportunities to ask questions, practise skills and learn from one another. Your instructors bring experience in outdoor education, facilitation and expedition travel. Confirm the instructor team for your selected departure with Fireside.
Jeff “Willy” Willis
Founder of Fireside Adventures and Vancouver Outdoor School
Jeff brings more than 30 years of experience leading outdoor education, youth leadership and climate learning programs in Canada and internationally. His roots in the Yukon inform an approach built around hands-on adventure, land-based learning and connecting experience with reflection.
His teaching explores the human and ecological stories of Canada's North, the connections between outdoor skills and leadership, and ways to make learning relevant beyond the expedition. Educators can consider applications in teaching; guides, youth workers and outdoor enthusiasts can connect the same experience to their own responsibilities and goals.
Mike Kent, experiential educator, facilitator, consultant, outdoor leader, and trainer.
For nearly 30 years, Mike has been designing and delivering programs focused on leadership, outdoor training, mentorship, wilderness experiences, youth engagement, conflict resolution, personal development, inclusivity, climate action, experiential education, active living, health, and community capacity building.
Passionate about the outdoors, Mike believes deeply in the transformative power of expedition travel and is committed to helping others discover growth, connection, and confidence through meaningful outdoor experiences.
As a certified instructor with the Outdoor Council of Canada (OCC) and the Recreational Canoe Association of BC (RCABC), Mike offers a range of nationally recognized certification opportunities, including OCC Hiking, Canoeing, and Overnight Field Leader certifications, as well as RCABC Flatwater and Canoe Tripping Paddler or Tripping Leader qualifications, depending on participants’ experience.
Mike brings extensive experience in facilitating experiential education programs and is dedicated to supporting participants as they build strong facilitation and leadership skills. His work emphasizes thoughtful group process—communication, decision-making, and peer support—while helping facilitators create safe, inclusive, and engaging experiences across a variety of settings. He is especially passionate about providing hands-on practice in a supportive, fun environment, allowing participants to step into facilitation roles with confidence and clarity.
Looking for a specific qualification? Confirm the courses included in your departure with Fireside. The qualifications above describe Mike’s background and wider teaching experience.
Dive deeper into the Yukon
What's included in your expedition?
Course instruction, guiding and pre/post-course coordination
Canoes, safety equipment and group camping gear
All meals while on the river
Land shuttles to and from Whitehorse
Two Outdoor Council of Canada certification courses
World Bound Professional Development Certificate
C$400 Air North flight credit, as listed in the booking package; ask Fireside about arrangements
Budget separately
Flights to the Yukon, Whitehorse hotel stays, personal equipment and anything not listed as included. The booking package lists an additional C$100 OCC fee for two certificates, one year of membership and administration.
Personal and professional development
Outdoor Council of Canada courses
The current registration package lists two OCC certification courses. An additional C$100 OCC fee covers two certificates, one year of membership and administration. Before registering for a particular qualification, confirm the exact course names, prerequisites and assessment requirements with Fireside. Participation in the expedition does not by itself guarantee certification.
World Bound Professional Development Certificate
The registration package also includes a World Bound Professional Development Certificate. If you need employer approval or professional development funding, contact Fireside before booking so you can review the course details with your school or organization. Recognition and funding depend on your employer's requirements.
Instructor qualifications and additional training
The qualifications described in Mike's biography reflect his professional background. They are not a promise that every OCC or RCABC qualification is included in this departure. Ask about the specific pathway you need before registering.
Frequently asked questions
Is this expedition only for teachers?
No. Educators, youth workers, adventure travel professionals and outdoor enthusiasts are welcome. Everyone joins the same expedition and contributes to its daily life. Your interests shape how you apply the learning, whether that is teaching a class, leading a group or preparing for your own future trips.
Do I need previous canoeing experience?
The course develops canoeing and expedition skills through practical instruction. Tell Fireside about your paddling experience, water confidence and goals before registering so the team can discuss suitability and preparation. If you are joining for a certification, ask about its separate prerequisites rather than assuming they are the same as those for the expedition.
How physically demanding is the expedition?
Expect consecutive days of paddling and active participation in camp setup, food preparation and equipment handling. Weather and river conditions affect the experience. Contact Fireside to discuss the daily routine, your experience and any support or accessibility needs before deciding whether the trip is suitable for you.
How long is the trip, and when should I arrive?
The current departures run July 15 to 23 and July 29 to August 6, 2027: nine days including the return to Whitehorse. Plan to arrive in Whitehorse the day before departure. Optional pre-trip preparation is available that day. Flights and hotel stays are separate; confirm the final meeting and return arrangements before purchasing travel.
What does the course cost?
The listed price is C$3,699 plus 5% GST, with a non-refundable C$400 deposit plus GST. The package lists a separate C$100 OCC fee. Flights, Whitehorse hotel stays and other items not included in the package are additional. Use View dates & prices to check the current booking terms, payment schedule and any available offers.
What equipment is provided, and what should I bring?
Canoes, safety equipment and group camping gear are included, along with meals while on the river. You need personal clothing and equipment suitable for a multi-day northern canoe trip. Ask Fireside for the current packing list before buying equipment. WeTravel currently offers a sleeping bag, sleeping mat and camp chair rental package for C$150.
How are safety and group decisions approached?
Instruction includes paddling skills, risk management and group leadership. The group learns to consider conditions, communicate and recognize the limits of its abilities. Before booking, ask Fireside about the Carmacks-to-Dawson safety briefing, communications and emergency arrangements. The itinerary can change with weather, river conditions and group needs.
Which certifications can I earn?
The current package lists two Outdoor Council of Canada certification courses and a World Bound Professional Development Certificate. The separate OCC fee is listed above. Confirm the exact OCC course names, prerequisites and assessment requirements directly with Fireside, especially if you need a particular qualification for work. Instructor credentials are not the same as included course awards.
Can this count toward professional development?
The expedition supports personal and professional development through outdoor skills, facilitation, leadership and reflection, with a World Bound Professional Development Certificate included in the package. Educators and other professionals can ask Fireside for course information to support an employer discussion. Approval, reimbursement and recognition must be confirmed with your employer or professional body.
How is this different from a guided canoe holiday?
You participate in the work and learning of an expedition. Paddling, camp routines, meal preparation, group decisions and field workshops are part of the experience. Experienced instructors guide the journey, while you practise skills and consider how to use them in your work, community or personal adventures.
Ask Willy & Barnsy about the expedition or contact Fireside about group and employer enquiries.
About the OCC Field Leader framework
Outdoor Council of Canada courses provide the foundations for learning judgment and decision-making and enable the leadership of safe and enjoyable experiences outside. Field Leader courses focus on the leadership skills and attributes required to take a group outdoors and provide an effective framework for managing risks. The Field Leader program is designed to educate outdoor leaders in ensuring physical and emotional safety for their participants, managing logistics, solving problems, and providing meaningful outdoor experiences. Taking these courses gives you the ability to:
Bring a group to an outdoor environment.
Provide a meaningful experience for your group, whether the purpose is educational, pleasure, health, well-being, and/or connecting with nature.
Design a safe experience within the limits of your ability.
Identify the limit of your abilities and adjust accordingly.
Feel reassured knowing you are using industry-accepted practices, providing proper care to participants, and ensuring due diligence.
Field Leader Hiking & Paddling Course: These courses teach the foundation of outdoor leadership for hiking and paddling in 3 seasons. The Outdoor Council of Canada’s systematic approach enables you to learn industry-accepted practices and implement them in your context.
Field Leader Overnight Course: This course is an extension of Field Leader Hiking and Paddling. It provides the foundation of outdoor leadership for multi-day trips.
It's a Life Changing Experience
Explore the river route
The map below shows the longer Johnson’s Crossing-to-Dawson journey used on Yukon Explorer. This adult expedition covers the Carmacks-to-Dawson City section only, with Five Finger Rapids and Fort Selkirk along the way. Whitehorse is our travel hub.
