Experience Skagway

The vast majority of visitors to Skagway, Alaska - over one million per year - arrive in town, like we did, by cruise ship through the Inside Passage for a day in port. However, Skagway is one of the few Inside Passage communities accessible by road via the Klondike Highway, which crosses the US/Canadian Border into the Yukon Territory. This means that access is easier than many other areas of south-east Alaska.
The town has a rich gold rush history, but today Skagway survives almost entirely on tourism, as bus tours and more than 400 cruise ships a year turn this small town into a boomtown again every summer. Visitors can explore the colorful history and characters of the Klondike Gold Rush in the heart of downtown Skagway along Broadway Avenue. More than 20 historic buildings have been preserved by the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park. The park’s visitor center is a great place to begin exploring the area’s gold rush history. Housed in an 1898 railroad depot, it showcases exhibits that educate visitors about the gold rush that led to modern-day Skagway.
The most outlandish building of Skagway’s seven-block historical corridor, and possibly the most photographed building in Alaska, is Arctic Brotherhood Hall. What was once a fraternal hall is now home of the Skagway Visitor Department. You can’t miss it even if you tried. Its facade is covered with 8,833 pieces of driftwood that were attached in 1899.
The Skagway Museum is well worth a visit. It occupies the entire first floor of the century-old McCabe Building, a former college, and is devoted to various aspects of local history, including the Klondike Gold Rush and Alaska Native baskets, beadwork, and carvings. Don't miss the Moore Homestead which is Skagway's oldest building, dating back to 1887. Captain William Moore built the cabin when he staked out his homestead as the founder of the town. Next door is Moore's House which has been restored and can be visited.
Originally built in 1898 for the stampeders headed for the Klondike gold fields, the White Pass & Yukon Railroad is today the most popular tour from Skagway. Spectacular sights along the way include Glacier Gorge, Dead Horse Gulch, and Bridal Veil Falls. At the top of the steep climb at 2,888 feet is White Pass, which is also the international boundary between the United States and Canada.
For the adventurous, Skagway has an excellent trail system that begins just blocks from the downtown area and allows hikers to trek to alpine lakes, waterfalls, and even the graves of Skagway’s most notorious residents: Soapy Smith and Frank Reid. Gold Rush Cemetery, a 1.5-mile walk from downtown Skagway, is the destination for many visitors who become infatuated with the story of Soapy Smith and Frank Reid, the villainous conman who ran the town and the city surveyor who staged a gunfight with him. Both died from the incident and are now buried in Gold Rush Cemetery.
Skagway is home to a wide range of tour guides and outfitters ready to take you on practically any kind of outdoor adventure. Many can be undertaken while your cruise ship is in port. Rent a bike or join a guided mountain bike tour. Take a helicopter flightseeing tour and land on a glacier for a thrilling dog sled ride. Join a guiding service for a hiking, wildlife viewing, or photography tour. Take to the water on a sea kayak or take a scenic float down the Taiya River.
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