Skagway Travel Guide

Welcome to Skagway, Alaska

Skagway sprouted from the wilderness in the late 1890s to service the sudden influx of hopeful prospectors intent on digging up the Klondike during the gold rush. The boom town's whole purpose of being was gold, and its sparkling history of colorful characters—the rich, the rough and the brave—lives on in its stories, scenery and many historical buildings. Located at the northern end of the Alaska Panhandle's beautiful Inside Passage, Skagway is nestled in a striking valley on the mouth of the Taiya Inlet and it's of no surprise that industry turned to tourism when the gold ran out. Like other towns on the Inside Passage—Ketchikan, Sitka and Juneau—it's a popular port of call for most cruise ship lines and caters to the deluge of summer visitors with a variety of attractions and activities. The Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park protects most of downtown Skagway and its original gold rush buildings, as well as two major gold rush trails: the Chilkoot Trail and White Pass. Visitors can travel the scenic White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad, built to carry miners to the gold fields, or get a taste of the past at the Skagway Museum and Red Onion Saloon. This enchanting little town also offers a bevy of fishing charters, wildlife cruises, kayaking tours, hiking trails, bike rentals and even winter dog sledding tours on which to experience Skagway's breathtaking natural setting.