Schwatka Lake

Schwatka Lake, near Whitehorse in Canada's Yukon, is an easy, welcoming site for pilots learning to fly, and locals consider it a genuinely good training location. As long as the lake is frozen, the launch is straightforward: a short hike from the parking area brings you to open ground with plenty of room to lay out a wing and very little brush to complicate things. It's a winter-and-spring-only site, flown while the lake surface is solid, and landing is easy too — pilots can put down almost anywhere on the frozen lake during that season. There's one rule that overrides everything else here: Whitehorse Tower must be contacted before every single launch, without exception, and skipping that step risks the site being shut down for everyone. Pilots also need to hold the required local pilot rating to fly it. With its gentle terrain, generous landing area and clear, simple access from the parking area, this is a site built for building confidence rather than chasing distance — provided the radio call to the tower happens first, every time.

Launch & conditions

Easy launch for learning to fly, a short hike from parking, with plenty of room to lay out a wing and little brush in the way — but only flyable while the lake is frozen.

Getting there & local rules

From Riverdale, take Lewes Boulevard and turn onto Nisutlin Drive; at the fish ladder, turn onto Chadburn Lake Road. Parking is on the left at the top of the first big hill, overlooking the lake — watch for a blind corner if turning in.

Local rules & hazards

Whitehorse Tower must be contacted before every launch without exception — failing to do so risks losing access to the site for all pilots. Flying also requires holding the appropriate local pilot rating.

Check conditions before you fly

A forecast for the valley is not a forecast for the launch. Before heading to Schwatka Lake, read the wind and thermals for the site itself, confirm the day's rules with the local club, and remember the standing rule — when in doubt, don't launch. In the free OutDare app you can open Schwatka Lake with a 7-day forecast built from high-resolution weather models, see who else has been flying, and get there with offline maps.