Skagway – Gold Rush History and Nature Trails

Skagway brings the history of the Klondike Gold Rush to life in a special way while also opening up routes into forests, along the coast, and through historic landscapes. Those planning a trip to Skagway can choose between short explorations in the city, longer hikes, and excursions by train, bicycle, or ferry. This combination helps you select the right vacation rental or holiday home based on your preferred travel pace, without limiting the trip to a single experience.

Gold Rush History in Skagway

The historic district in downtown Skagway covers six city blocks and is designated as a National Historic District. The Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park manages more than 20 buildings in the Skagway Historic District and immediately outside its boundaries. For an initial orientation, the self-guided “Walking Tour of Park Buildings” is a good choice: Over 0.64 miles, it passes historic buildings from the Gold Rush era.

Individual buildings also tell different sides of the city’s history. The J. Bernard Moore House offers insights into life on the early frontier. Moore Cabin is the oldest building in Skagway and was built in 1887. The Arctic Brotherhood Hall was established in 1899 and served as a community meeting place for more than 100 years. The Skagway Museum focuses on local history, the Klondike Gold Rush, and baskets, beadwork, and carvings created by Alaska Native peoples.

Museums and Historic Experiences

The Visitor Center Museum offers accessible, interactive exhibits with artifacts, video clips, maps, photographs, and dioramas. At the Jeff. Smiths Parlor Museum, you can see rare photographs, unique artifacts, folk art, unusual specimens, and animatronic figures. The Mascot Saloon Museum presents a restored Gold Rush-era saloon and offers insights into vice in Skagway, community figures, changes in the city, and the restoration of the building. No tickets, passes, or payments are required for the Mascot Museum.

The “Days of '98 Show” has entertained audiences for more than 100 years with a melodrama about Skagway’s Gold Rush era. The film “Gold Fever: Race to the Klondike” combines historical reenactments, archival photographs, and landscape footage of the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park. This means that Skagway offers both compact cultural activities and more extensive historical impressions.

Hiking, Forests, and Trails into the Surrounding Area

The Chilkoot Trail is a 33-mile recreational trail. More than 15,000 people use it each year for day hiking, backpacking, or trail running. Along the route, hikers pass hundreds of artifacts left behind by gold seekers. For a shorter outing, the area with the Gold Rush Cemetery and Lower Reid Falls is about 1.5 miles on foot from the Visitor Center.

The Dewey Lakes Trail System is very close to the Skagway Historic District and leads into spruce and hemlock forests. Another trailhead is located about three-quarters of a mile from the Skagway Historic District. From there, trails lead along the coast and up a mountain, offering panoramic views over the valley. Those who prefer to travel by bicycle can ride along the scenic road to Dyea, passing wetlands and historic sites while enjoying views of Taiya Inlet.

Getting There and Planning Your Accommodation

Skagway can be reached via the Alaska Marine Highway ferry system, the Klondike Highway, and scheduled air taxi flights between Juneau and Skagway. For excursions with a strong focus on the landscape, the White Pass & Yukon Railroad, built in 1898, offers a special perspective: It crosses White Pass through the wilderness of British Columbia and Canada’s Yukon Territory.

When looking for accommodation in Skagway, it is worth deciding on the focus of your trip in advance. For historical discoveries, plan days around museums, buildings, and a walk through the Historic District. For longer outings, you should focus your excursion planning on the Chilkoot Trail, the trails at the Dewey Lakes Trail System, or the route to Dyea. The Skagway Visitor Center provides free area guides and hiking maps. At Moore Homestead, the daily schedule varies and should be checked at the Visitor Center; the museum is closed in winter from early October through the end of April.

Find more destinations via Gustavus, Angoon.

For the overarching travel overview: Hoonah-Angoon Census Area.