Skagway

Climate

The most common way to get to Skagway is by boat, whether cruise ship or Alaska Marine Highway ferry. It is also accessible by commuter flight from Juneau, and by car or via the Canadian South Klondike Highway.

The city is only a few blocks wide and a couple dozen blocks long, on level ground; walking works just fine. S.M.A.R.T. City Transit provides small buses around town and to and from the cruise ship docks. Bus fare for the short route that travels from the cruise ship docks to Broadway and 8th Street costs $2 per trip or $5 for an all-day pass. Buses run from May 1 - October 1, 7AM-9PM, 7 days a week. The fare for the bus route that goes from Broadway and 8th street along State Street to Jewel Gardens and Klondike Gold Fields is $5.

Start by stepping away from any buildings and turning 360 degrees for an impressive view of the nearby peaks that enclose Skagway.

• Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park Visitors Center

  address: 271 Broadway
  Built as the railway's depot, completed in December 1898, after a long history this building was transferred to National Park Service in 1976, with restoration completed in 1984, returning its appearance to the 1908-1915 time period. It now serves as the KGRNHP's Visitors Center and Headquarters. The National Park itself includes much of the historic downtown: the railway Administration Building, Soapy Smith's Parlor, Mascot Saloon and several other buildings, owned and restored by NPS and others, some leased even today for ordinary commercial purposes, to recreate the city's bustling activity.

• Skagway Centennial Statue

  address: 271 Broadway
  Remembers the miners coming to Skagway in the Gold Rush.

• Skagway Museum and Archives

  phone: +1 907-983-2420
  Photos and artifacts from Old Skaguay including a Tlingit canoe, a Portland Cutter sleigh and Bering Sea kayaks as well as Gold Rush era tools, baskets, beadwork and carvings. Also gold rush genealogy research.

• Footbridge to Yakutania Point & Smuggler's CoveTrails, exercise course, picnic spots.

• Skagway Sculpture Garden

• Skagway Overlook

  address: Mile 2 on Dyea Rd
  Turnoff and platform.

• Jewell Gardens

  phone: +1 907-983-2111
  Unique flowers and vegetables, including some giants.

• Gold Rush Cemetery

  address: Alaska St
  Old cemetery which includes the grave of Jefferson "Soapy" Smith and "The Largest Nugget in the World" which is really just a giant boulder painted gold. Trolley tours offered to the cemetery, but if you wish to walk from downtown it will take about 20 minutes.

• Mountain Flying Service

  phone: +1 907 766-3007
  address: 132 2nd Ave
  Mountain Flying Service does charter flights and flightseeing out of Skagway and Haines primarily. They have a spectacular plane with very large windows for flightseeing. Paul the pilot has been flying tours in the area longer than anyone else.

• White Pass & Yukon Route

  address: 2nd Av
  Railroad was built to transport miners from Skagway to the gold. It was in service until the early 1980s, servicing the Yukon's Mining Industry. Today, a portion of the railroad is restored and still in operation. An out-and-back day trip offers great views as the train snakes along the sides of mountains overlooking the river far below; although it goes into Canada, passports aren't required because you don't get off the train. The restored/replica passenger cars feature reversible seats so that passengers face forward both outbound and when the train reverses course to return to Skagway. Excursions start from $110. International trips to Fraser and Bennett Lake, British Columbia are also available. The railroad also offers a transport service for hikers returning from Bennett Lake after completing the Chilkoot Trail.

There is no shortage of shops along Skagway's main street (actually Broadway Street, one block from Main), offering an array of standard tourist souvenirs, native/local crafts and imported imitations, jewelry, and other goods. Here are a few:

• Granny's Gallery

  phone: +1 907-983-2775
  address: 272 State St
  Antique native carvings, art and jewelry.

• Precious Kollections Gallery

  phone: +1 425 306-8297
  address: 4th and Broadway
  Special showing of Alaskan Multimedia Artist, Tresham Gregg, working in woodcarvings, silk screen prints, tribal jewelry, puppets, paintings, and more. Plus exotic silver and stone jewelry.

A few restaurants and bars along the main street offering a variety of brews and cooking provide a pleasant alternative to - or break from - shopping and excursions.

• You Say Tomato

  phone: +1 907 983-2784
  address: State St
  Natural whole foods, fresh bread and produce, provisions for hikers.

• Skagway Fish Co.

  phone: +1 907 983
  address: Congress Way
  FISH. Halibut fish and chips, Alaskan king crab.

• The Stowaway Cafe

  phone: +1 907 983
  address: 205 Congress Way
  DINE. More upscale and overlooking the small boat harbor.

• Red Onion SaloonHas that Gold Rush era feel. "Meet the Ladies of '98".

Hotels

• Sgt. Preston's Lodge

  phone: +1 907 983-2521
  40 rooms.

Hostels

• Alaskan Sojourn Hostel

  phone: +1 907 983-2040
  address: 488 8th Ave
  One male dorm, one female dorm, one co-ed dorm, and one private room (sleeps 2). Kitchen facilities and outdoor barbecue. No lockouts or curfew. Open May through September.

• Skagway Home Hostel

  phone: +1 907 983-2131
  address: 3rd and Main St
  Kitchen facilities, outdoor barbecue, free internet. Guests are assigned one chore. Same-sex dorms (sleeps 3 each) inside the main house; co-ed dorm in a bunkhouse in back (sleeps 8). People with pet allergies note that there is one cat and one dog living in the hostel.

Bed and Breakfast

• At The White House

  phone: +1 907 983-9000
  address: 8th and Main St

RV Parks

• Pullen Creek RV Park

As of 2013, cellular users in Skagway and Haines have reported substantial network delays due to the load placed on existing infrastructure when passengers from multiple arriving cruise ships access the system simultaneously. An upgrade to 4G is planned but not yet implemented.