Nestled at the northern end of Lynn Canal, which is actually a 2,000-foot-deep fjord that extends for 90 miles through Alaska's Inside Passage, Skagway is a tiny town with a larger-than-life history and personality. During the frantic Klondike gold rush of 1898, tens of thousands of stampeders sailed from Seattle and other points to what was then a lonely estuarial outpost to begin their arduous journey through the wilderness into the Canadian Yukon. Skagway morphed practically overnight from a patch of forest into an unruly den of saloons, gaming parlors and brothels with a population of more than 20,000. By the summer of 1899, the boom had ended, and fortune seekers moved on to Nome and other areas or returned home, leaving Skagway with a population of around 700.
The town hasn't grown much over the decades, with around 1,100 current residents. But its appeal as one of the state's most popular cruise ports continues to soar. Downtown's intimate historic center comprises several blocks of pedestrian-friendly streets lined with colorfully painted vintage buildings that house galleries, souvenir shops, restaurants and bars.
Skagway delivers an appealing mix of offbeat (and sometimes scandalous) history, dramatic natural scenery, and both relaxed and more extreme opportunities for adventure. You can ride the legendary White Pass & Yukon Route Railway into the soaring mountains, hike a stretch of the original stampeders trail or simply stick around the intimate — though bustling when ships are in town — downtown to soak up Skagway's endearing personality.
A great solo travel tip spotted this week on The Points Guy Articles.
