MV Tarahne — Atlin, BC
Posted by: 
Dunbar Loop
N 59° 34.400 W 133° 42.347
8V E 573113 N 6604607
The MV Tarahne, built in 1917, once carried tourists across Atlin Lake. Retired in the 1930s, she is now preserved ashore as a community landmark and cultural gathering place.
Waymark Code: WM1CG9J
Location: British Columbia, Canada
Date Posted: 08/18/2025
Views: 0
The MV Tarahne rests quietly on the shore of Atlin Lake, a relic from the early days when this remote town was a celebrated resort destination. Built in 1917 for the British Columbia Yukon Railway Company, she was designed to offer speed and comfort for travellers who had journeyed north by rail and steamer, carrying them across the vast waters of Atlin Lake to explore the surrounding wilderness.
For more than a decade she provided scheduled service, excursions, and charter cruises, carrying visitors who came seeking both adventure and luxury in one of the most striking landscapes in British Columbia. By the early 1930s, with the decline of the White Pass & Yukon Route’s tourist trade during the Depression, the MV Tarahne was retired. Beached on the shoreline, she lingered for decades, slowly weathering in the northern climate.
In the 1980s, community members and the Atlin Historical Society began efforts to preserve the vessel. Though no longer seaworthy, she was stabilized and restored as a reminder of Atlin’s golden era of tourism. Today she serves a new role as a gathering place, hosting weddings, celebrations, and the annual Atlin Arts & Music Festival. From her decks, visitors can look out over the same sweeping views that once drew travellers from far away, making the MV Tarahne both a historical landmark and a living part of Atlin’s cultural life.