SKAGWAY
Travel information on Skagway, Alaska and things to do in Skagway.
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| Photo: © Brian Adams - Alaska Travel Industry Association |
Known as the “Gateway to the Klondike”, and famous for the Gold Rush of 1898, Skagway is located in the Upper Lynn Canal in the northernmost part of Southeast Alaska.
The gold rush era is brought to life in the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park where a collection of more than 450,000 artefacts and authentic gold rush buildings complete with boardwalks, honky-tonk piano bars and townsfolk in period costume, turn the clocks back more than a hundred years. Park rangers offer free walking tours of the historic district.
The population of Skagway doubles for the summer tourist season when the cruise ships deliver more than a million visitors to enjoy the journey to the past.
One of the favoured modes of transport to the past is the The White Pass and Yukon Route narrow gauge railroad linking the port of Skagway with Whitehorse, the capital of Canada's Yukon Territory.
Built in 1898, and designated an International Historic Civil Engineering Landmark, this narrow gauge railroad climbs from sea level to 2900 feet. It is one of the steepest railroads in the world and offers a wealth of panoramic views, two tunnels and several bridges and trestles including the steel cantilever bridge which was the tallest of its kind in the world when it was constructed in 1901.
For those who prefer following the route of the Klondike Gold Rush on foot, the Chilkoot Pass Trail is the only long trail traverse in Southeast Alaska, crossing through the Coastal Mountains from Skagway to Canada.
Closer to the town centre, the Gold Rush Cemetery, a short walk out of the main area of town, features the graves of legendary local con man, Soapy Smith and many others, as well as the scenic Reid Falls cascading 300 feet down the mountain side.
The town’s name derives from “Shgaguay”, the Tlingit name for the area, which means “windy place with white capped water”.