History of the Southern Lakes Resort

The Gold Rush

Imagine this place at the end of Ten Mile Road at the turn of the last century – the region was booming thanks to the Goldrush, and Tagish was a busy Highway with people and supplies being hauled through from the boomtown Atlin. The Ranch at Ten Mile was used as a Roadhouse, to feed and rest people, horses and dogteams. The large meadows around the property yielded a lot of hay during the summer, which was sold on this occasion.

Back in those days, there used to be an RCMP post close to the village of Tagish. The ranch was 10 Miles from there and since all distances were gauged from that post, it would thereon keep the name of “Ten Mile Ranch”. After prosperity from the Goldrush subsided, the place became a mink and cattle farm and later, in 1946, a couple bought the ranch and 400 acres of land and started farming and raising cattles. At that time, the place was only reachable from the lake or on foot. Even later on, the way over the lake or ice to Carcross was often the easier way to go than taking the road.

Ten Pound Cabbages from Ten Mile Ranch

It was a hard lifestyle but they persisted and prospered – the produce grown on the land and tended to by the homesteader’s wife became famous: lettuces of four pounds, cabbage heads of ten to twelve pounds! They would maintain a root cellar – which is still on the property today – and sell the surplus to the steamboats that travelled Tagish Lake at that time, namely the SS Tutshi. Their daughter still lives in neighbouring Carcross today.

In 1962, Yukon Legend Dave Harder and his wife Carolee Elliot purchased the Ranch and cultivated the vegetable gardens, hunted and guided together. They later stopped the guiding business but kept the ranch and maintained a logging business as well, which was very successful. Part of the logging business was also an operation further down the lake at Tutshi, where Harder had a sawmill and hauled logs across the lake.

From Ranch to Resort

In the early 1990-ies, the property was purchased by the predecessing owners, a Swiss Couple, who transformed the ranch into a beautiful resort and ran it under the name “Tagish Lake Adventure Resort”. After a few years of operation, it was closed down in 2001 and following that sat empty for 15 years.

Up to this day, the place is still known among the locals as “Ten Mile Ranch” and it is with great pride that we are now rebuilding and operating the former 10 Mile Ranch as a Resort, for everyone to enjoy. We welcome all people from near and far to enjoy this historic and uniquely situated place, overlooking Tagish Lake.