Skagway
Practical Travel Advice for Seniors: Skagway, Alaska
Skagway is where the Alaskan Gold rush began around 1897. Gold was discovered in the Alaskan Klondike the year before and Skagway was the nearest jump off point to begin the quest north. The prospectors had to go through the White Pass Summit to reach the area where gold was located and it was a bitter cold and treacherous route.
The White Pass and Yukon route narrow-gauge railroad was completed in 1900 to help transport the miners, however, it finished just when the gold rush peaked and then petered out.
The big attraction in Skagway is of course the White Pass Summit and the beautiful drive to it. Watch for snow covered peaks and icy lakes surrounded by plenty of pines, while creeks and waterfalls carry the snow melt down to the glaciated valley. The summit is at 3290 feet!
You can take a bus or you can take the railway. If you take the bus, you will need to bring your passport as you enter Canada to turn around. We did both, but I would choose one or the other next time as we covered a lot of the same ground.
The train was a nice diversion. Note: Sit on the left side of the train leaving Skagway and if you can shift to the right side on the way back, that is the best view as a lot of the ride hugs the side of mountains. It was novel riding the train and a little scary in some places. There was live and recorded narration going on the train and also on the bus that gave some history of the area. The train is partially accessible, but you will need to call in advance as accessible spaces are very limited.
The narrow-gauge train follows the original Yukon trail to the gold fields through the White Summit pass. Also, several of the buildings in town have been preserved from the Gold Rush days.
Besides the White Pass Summit, there are plenty of other things to do at this stop. The Chilkoot Valley is a great place to explore and features bear sighting tours, bicycling, trail walking, ATV, etc. while the Chilkat River is perfect for kayaking, rafting, jet boat and watching the eagles fly overhead. Also on offer is Glacier Bay flight seeing and helicopter excursions with sled dogs. There is even a golf course close by and a place for rock climbing!
Where we stayed: On board a small cruise ship. Limited accessibility: Wide aisles and elevators, but only some penthouses have accessible restrooms. Also, in rough seas mobility in the aisle ways can be tricky.
How we got there: Flight from US to Vancouver, then sailing through the Inside Passage and up to Seward. This was part of an eleven-day Inside Passage cruise followed by a seven-day land tour from Seward to Denali National Park and Fairbanks.
General Accessibility Information: Alaska is in the US, so most sights, hotels, shops, restaurants and infrastructure are accessible. But it is still best to call in advance to verify and make specialty arrangements. Some of the towns, sights and excursions may have uneven ground and some of the conveyances (small planes, kayaks, etc.) may not be accessible. Larger cities will have curb cuts, etc, but some smaller towns may not. See our sections on specialty apps and accessible travel for more on accessibility assistance.
