Skagway and the White Pass & Yukon Railroad

Skagway is one of the oldest towns in Alaska. It is located in a narrow glaciated valley at the head of the Taiya Inlet at the north end of the Lynn Canal (95 air miles north of Juneau). The population of the city today is less than 1,000, but it doubles in the summer season to deal with about 900,000 visitors.

Skagway played a key role in the dramatic Klondike Gold Rush of 1897-1898. For several hectic months, uncounted thousands poured through its streets on their way north. They were headed for Dawson City, more than 500 miles inland. Conditions were so rigorous that fewer than half of those who arrived in Skagway reached the gold fields. As a rough-and-tumble frontier port, Skagway boasted more than 80 saloons; gun play was common and the town was controlled by a gang of organized criminals. Civilization arrived when the White Pass and Yukon Railroad Company began constructing its railroad in May 1989, and it advanced when the criminal element was purged two months later.

The White Pass & Yukon Railroad emerged as a result of the difficult trails and hazards encountered trekking inland in search of gold. Building the 110 miles of track was a challenge in every way. Construction required navigating cliff-hanging turns and building numerous tunnels, bridges and trestles. Thirty-five thousand men worked on the railroad’s construction, and it was completed in less than two years (however, by that time the gold rush was over).

We took a four-hour adventure on this legendary “Scenic Railway of the World” to take in the panoramic vistas of mountains, glaciers, gorges, waterfalls, tunnels and trestles. It was a beautiful sunny day with temperatures in the sixties, so that added to the enjoyment. Afterward, we went into town (which looks like an old movie set), and stopped in the must-see Red Onion Saloon, where the madams are dressed to create the scene of an old brothel.
Sailing out of the valley where Skagway is located was a spectacular site, and we saw many whales and dolphins. The moon was also a vision to see later at night over the water in complete blackness...