About a half hour’s drive from Whitehorse, there is one of the most unusual natural features in the Yukon. Although I’ve lived here for almost 25 years, last night was the first time I’ve visited the Takhini Salt Flats, although now that I know how to find the area, it certainly won’t be the last.

The mountains around this location are very alkalin (salty). Over the years, these mountains have eroded and silt has washed down into the flats. As well, artisian wells bubble underneath the flats and infuse the area with minerals such as sodium sulfates. Normally these minerals would be washed into the ground, but the permafrost keeps the water near the surface. There is no river or other body of water it can drain in to, so it sits there until the summer sun evaporates it, leaving salt crystals.

What’s interesting too is that there are salt-loving plants here that aren’t seen anywhere else in the Yukon. One of the most distinctive plants is a bright-red sea asparagus, which you will see in the photos below. Apparently this plant is so unusual that its species name is still in doubt.

Photos, from top to bottom: 1) long shot of the flats; 2) salt flats detail; 3) chunk of salt; 4) another detail of the flats; 5) salt covered log; 6) bear track; 7) another bear track we saw on the way in to the flats; salt pool; 9) salty ant hill; and 10) section of the inside of a salty ant hill.

What an amazing world we live in!