Welcome to the gateway of the Klondike Gold Rush and the muse of Jack London. The legendary Skagway is located at the northernmost point of the Inside Passage, with majestic mountains for a scenic backdrop. In 1896 a stampede of prospectors arrived here on steamships. Today, the Skagway area is abundant in stories, photos and legends about the Klondikers’ adventures. Besides Skagway’s rich history, it also thrives with diverse flora and fauna from the harbor waters, rivers and mountains. As an Acupuncturist-at-Sea, I enjoyed many port days in this area, and therefore, love sharing top Skagway travel attractions.
A historical perspective makes visiting Skagway even more interesting.
As the Gateway to the Klondike, approximately 100,000 prospectors left their homes and family’s to risk their lives for fame and fortune. Firstly, after the long, arduous steamship journey to Skagway, Klondikers then followed either the Chilkoot or White Pass Trails to the Yukon River, and finally sailed to the Klondike.
Fighting a cold climate and rugged terrain, Canadian authorities required them to bring a year’s supply of food. Equipment weighed up to a ton and, therefore, they carried it in stages. Needless to say, many returned home penniless or even died in the adventure. However, many Klondikers, like Jack London, savored the journey and not the destination, with his best-selling novel, Call of the Wild.
Top Skagway Travel Attractions
White Pass & Yukon Railroad
White Pass & Yukon Railroad is an engineering marvel and a top attraction for Skagway. It takes you to the heart of the Klondike Gold Rush. You catch this vintage train in town, climbing 3,292 feet above sea level to the top of White Pass on a 65-mile journey into the Yukon. This breathtaking odyssey takes you through the pristine Tongass Forest, majestic mountains, rivers, waterfalls, wildlife, tunnels and glaciers.
Oftentimes the locomotive gets you up close and personal to the edge of steep, vertiginous cliffs, seeing the vast valleys below. I experienced this journey twice: once in early season (May) the second in Sept. For me, these painted 2 completely different worlds. In May, there is still a lot of snow once you climb into the mountains. In contrast, during September there is little snow and the summer greenery and wildflowers are in full bloom.
National Historic District Walking Tour
There are many themes for these ranger-led tours to relive the history on the streets of Skagway. Skagway bustles with many shops and iconic building, all enveloped between majestic mountains and harbor waters. Walking is the best way to immerse yourself in this unique historic landmark and a guide helps to assure not missing out on stories and events from the past.
Klondike Gold Rush Visitor Center and Museum
Klondike & Gold Rush Visitor Center & Museum offers opportunities to learn the history independently or with a ranger guide. A good place to start is seeing a short-looped film, introducing significant events for historical perspective.
Then, you can explore photos and exhibits, with captions retracing the historical landmark events. This is a compact and informative venue to start and gain insights, before exploring the living museum on the streets.
Hiking Trails – Top Skagway Travel Attractions
One of my favorite hikes is Dewey Lake trail, beginning near downtown Skagway, just across the White Pass Railway tracks. Lower Dewey Lake is less than a mile with a 500 feet elevation gain (3.6 miles to circumnavigate the Lake). Upper Dewey and Devil’s Punchbowl are more challenging distance of 5 miles, gaining 3000 feet in elevation. Also, near Skagway is the unique hike to the Gold Rush Cemetery and Reid Waterfall (above photo), combining history and nature.
Watch Salmon Spawning Upstream
From late May to September the salmon swim upstream to spawn in Skagway. Visitors go to a stream near the downtown and cruise ship terminal. Also, there is wildlife, such as, bears and seals feeding on the salmon.
Raft Tour on the Taiya, aka Dyea River
This river flows for 17 miles near Skagway and is renowned for its abundant wildlife, such as, bears and bald eagles. On a rafting tour you can take in the scenery and simultaneously learn about the Gold Rush history.
Chilkoot Lake State Park
Chilkoot Lake is a pristine lake with mountain peaks reflecting on its waters, abundant wildlife and salmon in its river. This tour takes you on a high-speed catamaran along the fjords from Skagway to Haines. It offers panoramic views of waterfalls and fiords, along with wildlife. I did a Naturalist Tour here with a very informative Guide. We hiked and identified many diverse plant species and learned about the flora and fauna of the region.
Related: Skagway, Alaska’s Wonderful Attractions – Gateway to Klondike
Explore the Yukon
This all-day tour begins with riding parallel to the 1898 Gold Rush Trail, over the White Pass summit and into the epic Yukon. Along the way you can enjoy the majestic scenery, including lakes, tundra, villages, and wildlife.
Dog Sledding
Finally, for many tourists, dog sledding is the quintessential Alaska experience. On this excursion, you’ll take a scenic helicopter ride to Denver Glacier Dog Camp, where you’ll meet professional mushers and sled dogs. Then, you experience the dog sledding ride across the glacier. Also, you can choose to stand and mush or sit and observe. I haven’t yet gone to these dog camps in Alaska, but have heard countless visitors say this was the highlight of their Alaskan experience.
Overall, Top Skagway Travel Attractions
From Jack London’s Call of the Wild: “There is an ecstasy that marks the summit of life, and beyond which life cannot rise. And such is the paradox of living, this ecstasy comes when one is most alive, and it comes as a complete forgetfulness that one is alive.”
Overall, Skagway is a rare venue in that it really does take you back in time, to relive one of history’s most exciting chapters. Even though there are usually a lot of cruise ship visitors, the variety of things to do offers something for everyone, in a beautifully rugged setting just like it was in 1896 during the Klondike Gold Rush. The stories still linger here for anyone to be inspired, especially from the spirit of Jack London’s Call of the Wild reminding us, that it’s about the journey, not the destination.
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