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| Skagway Centennial Statue |
| Photo © Barb & Ron Kroll |
Most people arrive in Skagway by cruise ship. The Alaskan city is at the northernmost tip of the Inside Passage. In summer, cruise ship passengers swell Skagway's population from about 1,000 to as high as 10,000 in a single day.
We drove to Skagway on the South Klondike Highway from Whitehorse, Yukon. Driving time is about two hours for the 180-km (110-mile) route.
A plaque below the Skagway Centennial Statue (location: 1st Ave. and Broadway St.) describes the history of the city which once had the Tlingit Indian name, Skagua, meaning "place where the north wind blows."
Self-guided walking tour
Like most cruise ship passengers and day-visitors, we only had a few hours to tour the city. The Skagway CVB website has an excellent walking tour map with descriptions of Skagway attractions.
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| Arctic Brotherhood Hall |
| Photo © Barb & Ron Kroll |
You can take a short one-hour self-guided tour, or extend it to a more detailed four-hour tour, which includes a side trip to the Gold Rush Cemetery.
Both Skagway walks are perfect for do-it-yourself shore excursions or getting some exercise before or after traveling on the White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad (WP&YR).
What to see and do
Strolling along the wooden boardwalk, we admired restored historic buildings that look much like they did when they were built between 1897 and 1900. Many of them now house shops, museums and restaurants.
The most unusual building is the 1899-vintage Arctic Brotherhood Hall (location: Broadway St. between 2nd and 3rd Ave.). Currently the Visitor Information Center, it has more than 8,800 driftwood sticks nailed to it.
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| Red Onion Saloon |
| Photo © Barb & Ron Kroll |
National Park Visitor Center
The restored 1898 Railroad Depot (location: 2nd Ave. and Broadway St.) houses the Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park Visitor Center. Managed by the U.S. National Parks Service, it offers free information and movies about the park.
Open late May to early September, the Trail Center (location: three blocks up Broadway, just north of 5th Avenue) provides Chilkoot Trail permits, briefings and a bear safety film. This historic route to the Yukon gold fields includes 27 kilometers in the U.S.A. and 26 kilometers in Canada.
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| White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad conductor |
| Photo © Barb & Ron Kroll |
Where to eat
Skagway restaurants have diverse menus ranging from pizza and Thai cuisine to burgers and seafood. We had lunch at the Red Onion Saloon (location: 205 Broadway at 2nd Ave.), followed by cream puffs at the Sweet Tooth Café (location: 315 Broadway).
Visitors planning to ride the WP&YR can buy take-out box lunches and drinks to enjoy during the trip.
Vintage train
The White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad offers a variety of one-way and round-trip excursions. It also brings hikers to-and-from the Chilkoot Trail.
Built between 1898 and 1900, the narrow-gauge railway and International Historic Civil Engineering Landmark follows the route of the prospectors. We eagerly stepped into a restored passenger coach as the conductor shouted "All aboard!"
Our train journey between Skagway and the Yukon was a historically significant way to end our visit to this fascinating Alaskan city.
