Skagway

The NPS visitor centre for the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, occupying the beautifully restored 1898 White Pass & Yukon Route depot. The free exhibits and ranger programmes tell the remarkable story of the 1897–98 Gold Rush stampede with vivid period photographs and artefacts.

A National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark built in 1898 to serve the Klondike Gold Rush. The narrow-gauge railway climbs 3,000 feet in 20 miles through spectacular mountain scenery to the White Pass summit on the Canadian border.

Skagway's comprehensive local history museum housed in a magnificent turn-of-the-century granite building. Covers the Tlingit people's history, the explosive Gold Rush era, and the colourful characters (lawmen and outlaws alike) who shaped the town.

Skagway's legendary main street is one of the best-preserved Gold Rush townscapes in the world — a 6-block stretch of original 1898 false-front buildings including saloons, hotels, and outfitters. Walk the same boards as the 100,000 prospectors who surged through in 1897–98.

Skagway's original craft brewery, producing small-batch ales and a full menu of Alaska comfort food. Set in a handsome 1920s clapboard building with views of the surrounding mountains — the social hub of Skagway.

The most surprising restaurant in all of Southeast Alaska: a Thai kitchen serving authentic curries, noodles, and stir-fries in the heart of Gold Rush country. Wonderful for vegetarians and those craving something other than seafood.

Skagway's most famous building: an authentic 1898 Gold Rush saloon and former brothel that has barely changed in 125 years. Serves beer, shots, and bar snacks in the original barroom with sawdust on the floors and a period piano.

A cheerful deli-café on the main drag, popular with locals and early-rising visitors for fresh bagels, overstuffed sandwiches, espresso, and homemade baked goods. The smoked salmon on everything is non-negotiable.

A farm-to-table restaurant attached to the beautifully restored 1897 Skagway Inn. Locally sourced Alaska seafood and produce served in an elegant Victorian dining room and garden, making it the finest dining experience in Skagway.

A micro-distillery operating out of a historic 1898 building on Broadway, producing whiskey, gin, and vodka from Alaskan ingredients. The intimate tasting room is one of the highlights of any Skagway visit.

Skagway's no-frills locals' bar — a genuine frontier tavern with cheap cold beer, strong liquor, pool tables, and more character than anywhere else in town. The antidote to the heritage tourism scene outside.

Skagway's favourite coffee spot — a warm, friendly independent roaster with excellent single-origin espresso, fresh pastries, and sandwiches. The perfect stop before boarding the White Pass train.

The iconic 1898 narrow-gauge railway that climbs from sea level to the White Pass summit on the Canadian border in 20 miles of breathtaking switchbacks and trestles. Follow the same route that 100,000 gold seekers took in 1897–98 — an unforgettable engineering and historical spectacle.

The legendary Chilkoot Trail — the 'meanest 33 miles in history' walked by 100,000 gold rush stampeders in 1897–98. The lower section from Dyea passes through old-growth rainforest past Gold Rush artefacts to the ruins of Canyon City, with stunning river gorge scenery throughout.

A pair of pristine alpine lakes reached via a short but steep hike from downtown Skagway. Lower Dewey Lake sits in a glacially carved basin with spectacular mountain reflections; the higher lake adds a more demanding climb through old-growth forest to a remote wilderness setting.

Meet an authentic Alaskan sled dog kennel in the scenic Dyea Valley and learn about the life of a working musher. Ride a wheeled sled through boreal forest, interact with the dogs, and hear firsthand accounts of the Iditarod and Yukon Quest races.