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Skagway
City Information
Overview
Much of Skagway lies
within the Klondike
Gold Rush National
Historical Park and
many of the
buildings and old
shop fronts have
been restored so the
town looks similar
to the boomtown it
was in the late
1890s. Skagway
was the starting
point for thousands
of gold rush
stampeders who
headed to the Yukon
by way of the
Chilkoot Trail or
the White Pass
Trail.
Attractions in
and around Skagway
The Yukon and
White Pass Railroad is one of the most famous
and popular attractions in Skagway. During
the gold rush era, the narrow-gauge railroad was
constructed within 2 years with little more than
picks, shovels and blasting powder, an amazing
engineering feat. The historic route now
provides three-hour tours to the top of the
mountain pass and back to Skagway. Seated in
parlor cars, passengers ride up the most
spectacular part of the trip viewing scenery
such as Glacier Gorge, Dead Horse Gulch, and
Bridal Veil Falls. At the top they see the White
Pass at 2,885 feet which is also the
international boundary between U.S. and Canada.
Skagway is a
delightful place with Broadway Street, the main
avenue in town, bustling with activity and
people, some in gold rush attire. The Klondike
Gold Rush National Historical Park Visitor
Center is located in the old White Pass & Yukon
Railroad depot and features displays, ranger
talks and the movie, 'Days of Adventure, Dreams
of Gold.' The 30-minute film is narrated by Hal
Holbrook and provides a historical and realistic
look back into the gold rush days. The park
rangers also lead free 45-minute walking tours
of the historic district at various times each
day.
A seven-block
corridor along Broadway features restored
buildings, false fronts and wooden sidewalks.
Look for the Arctic Brotherhood Hall. Built in
1899, it's hard to miss with 20,000 pieces of
driftwood tacked to the front, making it one of
the most distinctive buildings in Alaska and one
of the most photographed. The Trail of '98
Museum or Skagway Museum is jammed with
gold-rush relics including many items devoted to
the town's two leading characters, Soapy Smith
and Frank Reid.
The Mascot
Saloon, built in 1898, has been restored and
features exhibits depicting the old saloon at
the height of the gold rush. Corrington Museum
of Alaska History covers the state's history,
beginning with the Bering Land Bridge, recorded
on 40 pieces of scrimshaw which is hand-carved
ivory from walrus tusks. Captain William Moore
and his son built Moore's Cabin, the oldest
building in Skagway, in 1887 when they staked
out their homestead as the founders of the town.
City Hall consists of a granite building built
in 1900 as McCabe College and later served as a
U.S. Court until the city obtained it in 1956.
Gold Rush
Cemetery, a 1.5-mile stroll out of town, features the graves of Soapy Smith and
Frank Reid along with many stampeders' graves.
From Reid's gravestone, it is a short hike
uphill to the lovely Reid Falls, which cascade
300 feet from the mountainside.
In 1898,
Skagway's rival city, Dyea, at the foot of the
Chilkoot Trail, was on the shortest route to
Lake Bennett where stampeders began their float
to Dawson City. After the completion of the
White Pass & Yukon Railroad in 1900, Dyea
quickly died. Time, weather and the shifting
Taiya River have obliterated all of the
buildings that housed an estimated 5,000 to
8,000 people in 1898. The pilings of Dyea Wharf
and Slide Cemetery are all that remain. The
graveyard is where 47 men and women were buried
after perishing in an avalanche on the Chilkoot
Trail in April 1898. The winding and scenic Dyea
Road connects Skagway to the site of the ghost
town. Skagway Overlook offers an excellent view
of Skagway, its waterfront and the peaks above
the town.
The Chilkoot
Trail is probably the most popular hike in
Southeast. While hiking either all or part of
the Chilkoot Trail, visitors will find history
at their feet, literally. Hundreds of
discouraged gold miners ditched their supplies
as they gave up their dreams of Klondike gold
and headed home. Old pick axes, wagon wheels,
and shovels and countless other items are found
along the 33-mile trail. Less adventurous
travelers can walk just part of the trail, while
hardcore hikers will want to take on the
once-in-a-lifetime trek. The U.S. National Park
Service and Parks Canada as part of Klondike
Gold Rush National Historical Park administer
the Chilkoot Trail. A permit is required to hike
both the U.S. and Canadian portions. Information
on permits and fees, customs requirements,
regulations, camping, weather, equipment and
trail conditions are available from the Chilkoot
Trail Center in Skagway.
History
Skagway and the nearby ghost town
site of Dyea were the start for over
40,000 gold rush stampeders who
headed to the Yukon by way of the
Chilkoot Trail or the White Pass
Trail. Skagway's population exploded
to 20,000 with saloons, hotels and
dance halls on every corner and
became infamous for its lawlessness.
For a time, Soapy Smith ran the town
and his gang conned and swindled
naïve newcomers out of their money
and stampeders out of their gold
dust. A mob of angry citizens
finally banded together and Soapy
Smith was killed in a gunfight.
Other Information
Population: 834
Location: Skagway is
located 90 miles
northeast of Juneau at
the northernmost end of
Lynn Canal, at the head
of Taiya Inlet. It lies
108 road miles south of
Whitehorse, Yukon
Territory, Canada via
the Klondike Highway.
Access: Road access on
Klondike Highway from
Carcross/ Whitehorse;
scheduled air taxi
service from Juneau,
Haines and Whitehorse;
state ferry, all classes
of cruise vessels;
railroad from Fraser,
British Columbia (with
connecting buses from
Whitehorse, B.C.), water
taxi from Haines.
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