Skagway (Alaska)

Skagway is an Alaskan cruise port located on the northernmost point of Inside Passage. The town has population around 1,000 and lies in the narrow plain of Skagway River (at the head of Lynn Canal).

Skagway is also the northern terminus of Alaska Marine Highway (abbre AMH, state-operated ferry service). The settlement was familiar to thousands of gold rushers as the gateway to the Alaskan goldfields. It offered the shortest route to Klondike, but it was far beyond from being the easiest one. The gold rush was a blessing for Skagway and by 1898 the town became the largest in Alaska (with population ~20,000). When in 1900 the gold yield dwindled, Skagway's population of mostly miners shifted to Nome.

To serve the tourist influx during summer, Skagway's population doubles. Port Skagway (locode USSGY) is among the most popular Alaskan cruise ship stops. For mainly tourism purposes is operated the White Pass Yukon Route (abbrev WPYR) gauge railroad. This service runs throughout the summer months only. The railroad is also used for shipping copper ore from Alaska's interior.

Of all the tourists (~1 million annually), roughly 3/4 are cruise ship passengers. Most tourists come here to visit the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, as well as the Coast Mountains' White Pass Trail (from Skagway to Yukon River and the lakes Crater, Lindeman, and Bennett) and Chilkoot Trail (33-m / 53-km long trail connecting Dyea AK with Bennett BC Canada). The town has a historical district with ~100 gold rush era authentic buildings.

In June 2018, Carnival Corporation (via the subsidiary company Holland America-Princess Alaska Tours) entered into a deal to purchase "White Pass and Yukon Route" division of the company TWC Enterprises Ltd. The deal included Skagway's White Pass Dock/Port, also railroad (White Pass Scenic Railway) and retail operations. The money transaction was scheduled for July 31.

Skagway's most popular "shore excursion" options for cruise tourists include White Pass Railroad Excursion (aka White Pass Summit Excursion, provided by the train travel company White Pass & Yukon Railroad), Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park (30-min live presentations given by a ranger), Yakutania Point (overlooking Tailya Inlet, walking and hiking), Dewey Lake Trail hiking (the Lower loop has length 2,5-mi/4-km, the Upper loop has length 3 mi/5 km).

The most-booked White Pass Summit Excursion features traveling in vintage coaches (pulled by an original steam locomotive) on the route to the White Pass Summit. The route passes attractions like Bridal Veil Falls (waterfall flowing from Lake Serene to South Fork Skykomish River), Inspiration Point Mine, Dead Horse Gulch (3000+ horses died on the trail during the Klondike Gold Rush, and their bones can still be seen near the summit). The unique train travel also features breathtaking views of the mountains, glaciers, gorges, tunnels.

In June-July-August 2022, three rockslides caused damage to the port, the dock used for the mountain train excursion remained closed for the rest of the season, and dozens of cruise ships were diverted to other Alaskan ports.