Join us for A Celebration of Swans 2025 from April 1 to 30. Visit the Swan Haven Interpretive Centre to welcome spring and witness the mass migration of thousands of swans, ducks and geese.
More than 20 events are planned during the festival. All events are free and take place at the Swan Haven Interpretive Centre, unless otherwise noted.
See the full list of events below.
The Swan Haven Interpretive Centre is open daily from April 1 to 30. Entry is free.
The centre overlooks M’Clintock Bay in Marsh Lake, where there is open water in early spring that waterbirds rely on to feed, rest and stay safe. Visit the centre to learn about bird migration through hands-on indoor and outdoor exhibits and knowledgeable staff. Then, walk along the shoreline trail to see (and hear) thousands of migrating swans, ducks and geese.
Location and parking
Swan Haven is located at 58 Swan Haven Drive, Marsh Lake, in the North M'Clintock Bay subdivision. There is accessible parking and limited angle parking in front of the centre. Parallel parking is available along Swan Haven Drive.
2025 hours of operation
The interpretive centre is open daily from April 1 to 30:
- Monday to Friday: 5 pm to 8 pm.
- Weekends and holidays (April 18 and 21): 12 to 7 pm*.
*New 2025 hours.
You are welcome to visit outside of these hours to view the outdoor exhibits and access the shoreline walking trail. The Swan Haven audio tour is also available any time. See details below.
Facilities
Bring your own drinking water; there is no running water on site.
Amenities:
- Heated two-story building. The first floor is accessible via a boardwalk and ramp
- Accessible outhouse
- Viewing decks
- Shoreline walking trail (approximately 1 km return); accessed via a set of stairs
- Indoor and outdoor interpretive exhibits
- Self-guided audio tour
What to bring
- Warm clothing and layers (temperatures vary widely in April, particularly next to the lake)
- Comfortable boots (expect snow, mud and/or ice)
- Sunglasses, sunscreen and a hat (the glare off the ice is strong)
- Drinking water and snacks
Have we had peak swan numbers? There were 742 swans at Swan Haven on Monday, April 21, down from more than 1,000 a couple of days earlier. For the most up-to-date numbers on all waterbirds at Swan Haven, go to Ebird.org.
The graphs below are provided by Environment and Climate Change Canada.
All events are free and take place at the Swan Haven Interpretive Centre, unless otherwise noted.
All month
Drawn Together: One artist and fourteen hundred swans (art exhibition)
Artist Martha’s Ritchie’s exhibition features drawings, linocuts, textiles and mixed-medium artworks based on her two-week residency at Swan Haven in 2024.
Time: 10 am to 5 pm weekdays and during special events
Cost: free
Location: Yukon Arts Centre Community Gallery
Thursday, April 24
Senior’s tea
The Marsh Lake Community Society invites seniors and Elders to enjoy tea, coffee, sandwiches, homemade goodies and swan viewing. Come mingle and enjoy!
Time: Drop in 11 am to 3 pm
The first floor of Swan Haven Interpretive Centre can be accessed by a wooden boardwalk and ramp for improved mobility accessibility.
If you are visiting with a group, please contact [email protected] to book an arrival time.
Cost: free
Open studio with Rhoda Merkel
Come see the swans and share your swan stories with Rhoda Merkel, Swan Haven artist-in-residence. Rhoda will share stories and encourage you to add a button to a button blanket she is making during her residency.
Time: 11 am to 3 pm
Cost: free
Note: Access to the Swan Haven Interpretive Centre during this event is limited to those attending the Senior's Tea event (details above).
Saturday, April 26
Bike to/from Swan Haven (approx. 45 km) with Terra Riders
It’s road-biking season! Add bird-viewing to your training schedule with a one-way shuttle to or from Swan Haven (approximately 45 km from Whitehorse). You can either bike to Swan Haven and shuttle back, or shuttle to Swan Haven and bike back. This is not a group ride, and the ride is not supported in any way, so bring all the tools, food, gear and spandex you need. This event requires registration and costs $20/person. Maximum 15 guests per direction.
Book early to secure a spot by emailing [email protected]. Registration closes at 5 pm on Thursday, April 24. The shuttle will be cancelled if not enough people register.
Time: Departs Whitehorse at 12 pm (meet at rest stop near South Access); departs Swan Haven at 1:15 pm
Cost: $20 (paid to Terra Riders)
Open studio with Rhoda Merkel
Meet Rhoda Merkel, Swan Haven artist in residence, and see what she's working on during her two-week stay at Swan Haven. She will encourage you to add a button to a button blanket she is making during her residence.
Time: 1 to 3 pm
Cost: free
Sunday, April 27
Watercolours on canvas workshop
Using watercolour pencils, Rhoda Merkel, Swan Haven artist-in-residence, will guide you through the process of bringing an image to life on a piece of canvas. Or, you can paint a greeting card of the swans in their haven at Marsh Lake.
Time: 1 pm
Cost: free
Tuesday, April 29
Open studio with Rhoda Merkel
Rhoda Merkel, Swan Haven artist-in-residence, will showcase the pieces she worked on during her two-week stay at Swan Haven and share her highlights. She will encourage you to add a button to a button blanket.
Time: 6 to 8 pm
Cost: free
Wednesday, April 30
M’Clintock West Ridge (Brownie Mountain)
Join Wildlife Viewing staff for a short but steep hike. We’ll get an elevated view of Swan Haven and M’Clintock Bay in the lovely evening light. This hike requires hiking up to two km over very steep, uneven terrain (which could be snowy and/or muddy). We recommend bringing hiking poles and boots. Review trail and parking description at Yukonhiking.ca.
Time: 6:30 to 9 pm
Cost: free
Location: Meet at 10 Burns Road (Department of Environment building) to carpool and caravan to the trailhead near Marsh Lake. Involves an approximately 30-minute drive (one-way).
May (date TBD)
Shorebird walk
At a certain point in spring, we say goodbye to swans and hello to shorebirds, including sandpipers, snipes, yellowlegs and godwits. Birding expert, Jukka Jantunen, will sort it all out during a short walk and talk. Rubber boots are recommended.
Date and time: This event will take place within the first two weeks of May, depending on the speed of spring melt and arrival of shorebirds. We’ll update this information before the end of April.
Cost: free
Location: TBD based on spring melt and bird sightings but we will likely meet near Swan Haven or the Lewes River Bridge.
Registration is required so we can share event-specific information. (Registration opens at noon one week prior.)
Discover why Swan Haven is a five-star stop for migrating swans with the new Swan Haven audio tour: A Walk with the Swans. This 25-minute self-guided tour will play on your phone or tablet. It starts at the top of the stairs down to the lake and leads to a viewpoint 500 m along the shore of M’Clintock Bay.
The tour is free and available April 1 to 30. Access it by scanning the QR code on the sign at the top of the stairs and at each subsequent sign along the ice trail. For the best experience for you and others, listen on headphones or earbuds.
Every year, Wildlife Viewing hosts an art competition to select a design for a collectible poster. This year’s poster features the photography of Takeshi Hanatani.
Yukon Wildlife Viewing and Yukon Arts Centre are pleased to welcome Rhoda Merkel as the 2025 artist-in-residence at Swan Haven. Rhoda was born and raised in the Yukon, is a member of the Tahltan Nation and is a passionate promoter of the arts as an educator and an artist. For over 30 years she has taught at festivals and schools and hosted workshops.
Check the events listed above for Rhoda’s workshops and open-studio times.
Student art contest
Yukon students in grades 2 to 6 are invited to submit their wildlife-themed art for display at the Swan Haven Interpretive Centre for the month of April. The public votes for their favourite entries and the winners receive a prize.
Entry deadline: Thursday, March 27, 2025 (late entries are accepted)
Open to: Yukon students grades 2 to 6
Submit to: Wildlife Viewing/Department of Environment, 10 Burns Road, Box 2703 (V5R), Whitehorse, YT, Y1A 2C6
School visits
School programs have always been an important part of spring activities at Swan Haven. Hundreds of school children visit with their classes to participate in hands-on activities and games, in a spectacular outdoor classroom.
These popular programs are available throughout April for Grades 2, 3 and 5. Programming is provided in partnership with the Yukon Wildlife Preserve. Visit the wildlife preserve’s program page to book a visit for your class and for K-9 teaching resources.
For questions about A Celebration of Swans and wildlife viewing events, email [email protected] or phone: 867-667-8291 or toll free in Yukon: 1-800-661-0408, ext. 8291.