Carcross, Yukon – A desert as far north as the Yukon? The Carcross Desert, which is just 642 acres (260 hectares), has been recognized by Guinness as ‘The World’s Smallest Desert.’ 10,000 years ago this was the bottom of a large glacial lake. Its adjacent sand dunes, which run to the shore of Bennett Lake, host several unusual plants. Bennett Lake is known for its beautiful beach covered in fine, white sand. The area gets only about 11 inches of precipitation a year (including snow). Where: The desert is located 2km from the village of Carcross, off the South Klondike Hwy., between Whitehorse and Skagway, Alaska. The village has the Yukon’s oldest store, and it’s where the three prospectors who started the Klondike Gold Rush are buried. Pack a picnic and enjoy the tiny town’s lovely soft sand beach. Even cooler – when I visited Carcross I learned that Harrison Ford had been by the day before. He’d arrived flying his own plane – a de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver.

Desert Photo in video: Yukon Government, by Derek Crowe. Video by Lucy Izon