White Pass Railroad
Our visit to Skagway brought us to a town that feels like an old western mining settlement nestled at the base of the mountains. With a year-round population of only about 1,100 residents, Skagway transforms when cruise ships arrive, swelling to several thousand visitors in a single day.
One of the popular attractions is the White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad. It is a scenic three-hour round-trip journey from Skagway to the summit of White Pass. The railway was constructed during the Klondike Gold Rush, beginning in 1898 and completed in 1900. It was built to provide prospectors with a safer and more efficient route into the Yukon after thousands of gold seekers struggled to cross the rugged mountain passes on foot.
The railroad climbs nearly 3,000 feet in just 20 miles, winding through steep mountain terrain, over trestle bridges, and past waterfalls, glaciers, and deep gorges. At the summit you cross into Canada and can view the lakes and valleys that once marked the route to the Yukon gold fields.
During the gold rush, reaching the summit was only the beginning of the journey. Prospectors still had to travel roughly 600 miles through a network of lakes and rivers to reach Dawson City and the Yukon gold fields. The railroad made crossing the mountains far easier, but it did not eliminate the long journey that followed.
It's easy to imagine the determination of the gold seekers who passed through this harsh landscape more than a century ago. Today, the journey is considerably more comfortable, but the spectacular scenery and fascinating history make it one of the highlights of any visit to Skagway.
A few tips if you're planning to ride the White Pass Railroad. The left side of the train offers the best views on the climb to the summit, while the right side provides the best scenery on the return trip back to Skagway. One of our tour guides mentioned that afternoon departures often have better weather, as the clouds tend to lift and break apart near the summit later in the day.
For photographers, don't feel limited to your seat. If you're steady on your feet, the front and rear platforms of each train car provide unobstructed views and excellent opportunities for photos without reflections from the windows. On the day we rode the train, temperatures were around 60°F in Skagway and dropped to about 50°F at the summit, so bringing an extra layer is a good idea.
