THE THOMS SUNDAY TRAVEL SECTION.
Skagway is on the map for two reasons, gold and location. The gold is the reason for the great Klondike gold rush of 1896. The location part comes in because Skagway is at the beginning of the White Pass, the quickest route to the gold.
Unfortunately, there is very little to see in Skagway from the gold rush days except for some old buildings and tombstones.
And the Klondike? An old dredge here and a refurbished paddle-wheeler there.
The most popular and authentic treasure from the early 1900s is the narrow-gauge White Pass and Yukon Railroad. And it makes up for many of the missing pieces. In addition, it offers numerous excursions to places along the gold trail.
The great news is that gold is not the main reason you come to Skagway.
Like the rest of Alaska, you come for the natural beauty. And also the potential of seeing wildlife in its natural environment.
Here, Skagway has an overabundance in the scenery and marine and wildlife.
These alone are good reasons to visit Skagway.
Come aboard; we’re expecting you.
Visit Skagway Town.
Starting at the cruise piers, the town stretches for 27+ short blocks to the north. However, side to side, the town rarely reaches four complete blocks. This puts many of the town attractions within walking distance.
Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park Museum & Visitor Center.
This is in the original train depot. Today it houses a small museum that gives an easy-to-follow introduction to the Klondike. It includes information on both the Chilkoot and White Pass. There is also a visitor center in the other section.
Red Onion Saloon.
The building dates from 1897. It was a saloon with a brothel upstairs during the gold rush. The current Red Onion dates from 1978.
Arctic Brotherhood Hall.
This now-defunct fraternal hall was a club for prospectors. Today, it houses the Skagway Convention and Visitors Bureau.
The Skagway Museum.
On 7th street, you will see the building at the end of the road. Not only is the museum collection of cultural heritage, arts, and history impressive, but so is the building. Built as a Methodist school in 1898, it has been a courthouse as well. Today, the museum shares the building with the city hall.
Check the Skagway Cruise Calendar to see how many people may be in Skagway with you. Cruise Calendar.
Edge of Town.
Gold Rush Cemetery and Reid Falls.
The cemetery is a 1.5-mile (35 minutes) walk northeast of town.
The small cemetery is the final resting place for Soapy Smith, Frank Reid, and many others.
Jefferson Smith II visits Skagway to profit off the Klondike prospectors. One of his cons was to wrap money around bars of soap and sell the soap for $1 each. One of his men would “buy” one of the bars with money inside and make a scene of unwrapping it. More people would start buying the soap. Somehow the honest people never got one of the bars with money inside. He would earn the nickname “Soapy Smith” for this scam.
His scams were legendary, and his reign as the “Boss of Skagway” was short. Frank Reid and Jesse Murphy end his life during the 1898 Shootout on Juneau Wharf. Frank Reid will die from his wounds twelve days later.
A seven-minute walk past the cemetery is Lower Reid Falls, a small waterfall coming down through a ravine.
The gardens across the Skagway River are where Henry Clark began the first commercial vegetable farm in Alaska. Walk the gardens admiring flower beds, ponds, giant vegetables, and a miniature train. A glassblowing studio on-site gives demonstrations throughout the day. The Smart bus stops on the highway out front.
The town has some other old buildings and many that just look old. Wander the grid and see a little of Skagway off the main street.
Visit Skagway’s Surroundings.
Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park.
The park includes Skagway’s visitors center and six blocks of the historic business district. Outside of town is the Chilkoot Trail near where Dyea used to be.
The Chilcoot Trail.
You can still transverse the 33-mile trail from sea level at Dyea to Bennett Lake in Canada. The elevation gain is 2100 feet and is for healthy hikers.
Yakutania Point Park.
The park is northwest of the airport on the other side of the creek. Follow the signs to Dyea. Park offers an approximate 1.5-mile loop with mountain, forest, and fjord views. Longer hikes are available.
Dyea.
There is almost nothing left of the settlement that pre-dates Skagway.
It is a great nature area for those looking to get away from the crowds. And it’s the beginning of the Chilcoot Trail.
The Yukon.
Like many Southeast Alaska towns, Skagway is a gateway. In this case, to the Yukon.
You can take the restored White Pass and Yukon Railroad or a bus to the Yukon.
Just make sure you go as far as the Yukon. Unfortunately, too many people take the train only as far as the White Pass and miss the Yukon altogether.
Summit Lake.
The first lake you come to after crossing the Canadian border (and White Pass) is Summit. From here, the White Pass route follows many valleys. In comparison, the Chilkoot still has 10 more miles before it reaches a valley.
The Emerald Lake.
This Yukon lake gets its name from its multiple shades of green. The color is from sunlight reflecting off deposits of white clay and calcium carbonate.
The Carcross Desert.
This is actually a series of dunes popular for recreational sports, including sandboarding. It creates an ecosystem unique to the Yukon.
Yukon Suspension Bridge.
Along the Klondike highway, stop and take a walk over this bridge 65 feet above the Tutshi River.
If you only have a day, take the bus to Carcross in the Yukon and the train back. Sometimes this runs in the reverse order.
If you will be in town the day the steam engine runs, this is great as well. See Skagway, but leave time to experience the Yukon.
Visit Skagway and Further Afield.
Juneau Ice Field.
Covering more than 1500 square miles in Alaska and Canada, the icefield stretches from Juneau north to Skagway.
To reach the ice field, you need a helicopter from Skagway. Then, you can fly over the glaciers, land on them, or dog sled on them.
Haines.
Just under an hour’s ride by fast ferry is the charming town of Haines.
The town serves as the gateway to the Chilkat State Park. and Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve.
Unless there is a cruise ship in Haines, you may feel like you have the place to yourself.
Visit Skagway Summary.
There is so much area to cover that one day is not enough to see everything.
You can easily see the town in half a day. The sites near town will take up the rest of that day.
Then there is the Yukon, Lynn Canal, and Haines to see.
If you do plan to overnight in Skagway, plan ahead. Accommodations go quickly as the hospitality (tourist) season is short.
Mother Nature really had a field day in the Skagway area. Majestic mountains, verdant valleys, raging rivers, and the wildlife that live in these settings.
The salmon spawning season runs from the end of July to the end of August. Although I never guarantee wildlife spotting, the chances of seeing bear and eagle “fishing” along streams is close to 99%.
What are you waiting for? Visit Skagway.
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“See the World” Continued on Page T3. “Taste the World” Continued on T11.