The two men most commonly referred to as the "founders" of Atlin are Frederick Miller and Kenneth McLaren, who staked claims along the nearby Pine Creek in 1898.

Atlin landline telephone service is provided by Northwestel, following a purchase from the incumbent Telus Communications in November 2023.

[5] Satellite internet is provided by the local ISP Atlin Community Network, Xplornet, and more recently Starlink.

[6] Atlin long relied on a local diesel generator, but hydroelectric power was restored around 2009 with a micro-hydro project near where one historically operated.

Atlin has a subarctic climate (Köppen Dsc)[9] with long, cold winters and short, mild summers.

Precipitation is generally light, with less than 200 millimetres (7.9 in) of actual rainfall per year, and a snowfall less than that of markedly milder Juneau on the coast.

Atlin was featured on the historical television series Gold Trails and Ghost Towns, season 1, episode 9.