Along the western shore of Kluane Lake, the largest lake in the Yukon, are two of the Territory's smaller communities, Burwash Landing and Destruction Bay. The communities are located in the Shakwak valley, on the perimeter of Kluane National Park and the Tachal Region. Burwash Landing is on the Alaska Highway about 285 kilometres from Whitehorse and 127 km northwest of Haines Junction. Destruction Bay is also on the highway, 19 km southeast of Burwash Landing and slightly closer to Haines Junction.
Burwash Landing is the home of the Kluane First Nation. Southern Tutchone people have inhabited the Kluane area for countless generations. The current site of Burwash Landing was a traditional summer camp location. After the Jacquot brothers built a trading post in the early 1900s, First Nations people began to settle nearby. Burwash Landing had its 100th anniversary in 2004. Burwash became the administrative centre for the Kluane First Nation following construction of the Alaska Highway.
Destruction Bay has a much shorter history. It was established as a centre for construction and maintenance on the Alaska Highway, and that remains its primary role today.
