The Ridge Road Heritage Trail follows the route of the first publicly funded road in Yukon. It was built in 1899 and supported by William Ogilvie, then commissioner of the Yukon. The controversial road followed the ridge between Hunker and Bonanza Creeks, two of the richest in the Klondike. Miners in the valleys complained about steep grades and roundabout routes, and the road was soon superseded by new roads in the valley bottoms although some sections remained in use for far longer.
There are significant historic remains along the Ridge Road including the foundations and artifacts from numerous roadhouses, which formerly served travelers. There is also Soda Station Boxcar, a railway boxcar which was stripped of its undercarriage and used as a small station building on the short lived Klondike Mines Railway (1906-1914). The Yukon Ditch was a massive placer mining project built in 1906-1909 to bring water to the gold fields and create electricity. It operated until 1933. Trail Gulch is a point at which water was diverted down slope and is located just off of the Ridge Road.
Since 1997 the northern 33km of the Ridge Road are maintained as a heritage trail by the Government of Yukon. Its lower trailhead is located behind Callison Subdivision while the upper trailhead is on the Upper Bonanza Road near King Solomon’s Dome.
