Skagway

[DRS/NC]

I'm wondering about plans for Skagway.  Since the Canadian border is closed, any of the excursions into the Yukon or the swinging bridge are 'no go'. 

 

My DD & her DH and I rented a car & drove to Emerald Lake & Carcross in 2017 & had planned to repeat that beautiful trip.

I've ridden the train twice -- enough.

 

We're now thinking of taking the ferry to Haines.  Any other ideas?

 

[don't-use-real-name]

Nothing official from Canada about the border opening for cruise ship excursions.

The Summit WPYRR train trip may be a possibility as while it does cross into Canada

it loops right back out to return to Skagway - no gets off on Canada soil.

 

YES after taking the WPYRR every time I have been in Skagway it does get to be - enough.

However an extension to Lake Bennett or Carcross still is on the bucket list - been to

Fraser twice -

[oaktreerb]

Chilkoot hike and float is fun.  Your tour takes you to Dyea  and the beginning of the Chilkoot trail.    You hike a bit with your guide and then meet your raft to float back to Skagway.  There are a lot of hiking trails.  You can pick up a map with easy to strenuous hikes at the visitor’s center.  Check out the national park exhibits.  There is a very nice museum.  You could rent a car and drive out to see Dyea slide cemetery and the start of the Chilkoot Trail and then drive up the road to the border and turn around.  Murray’s Guide to the South Klondike highway is a great self driving guide.  It is available online.

 

 

[Northern Aurora]

The area around the old ghost town of Dyea is quite lovely.  Look for eagles.  Very few of the original buildings still exist for several reasons including the Taiya River washing them away and residents of Skagway re-purposing lumber of other structures.  But you can see the remnants of the old pilings of the very long piers.  The NPS began an archeological dig a number of years ago so have some of the remnants identified.  Just walking out along the Chilkoot Trail for an hour or so is interesting.

[Sailing12Away]

We're planning on riding the train in the early part of the day, then headed to the gardens for a glass blowing class to make our own ornaments to bring home. Stopping at the brewery, then headed back to the ship.

[TMLAalum]

Everytime I check the Haines-Skagway ferry website this message appears:

We are not currently selling tickets for 2021 due to covid! Please standby for more updates coming soon.

We are interested in taking Celebrity's "Haines Wilderness Odyssey by Jet Boat" but the jet boat part only occurs after taking the ferry! 

Hopefully come late July when cruising to Alaska resumes, the ferry will too!

[Ashland]

Most all of the private vendor's websites are saying closed for 2021 that I've looked at.

[Sea Hag]

On 6/26/2021 at 11:22 AM, Sailing12Away said:

We're planning on riding the train in the early part of the day, then headed to the gardens for a glass blowing class to make our own ornaments to bring home. Stopping at the brewery, then headed back to the ship.

The glass blowing place's website says they're closed for all of 2021. Have they decided to open and not updated the website?

[Sailing12Away]

28 minutes ago, Sea Hag said:

The glass blowing place's website says they're closed for all of 2021. Have they decided to open and not updated the website?

Poop, that stinks. When I checked last week I was able to do a mock booking reservation and I was confused because their website had time for 3pm, but on Viator they were listed as 2pm. Just went back to their site now and you're right, no availability any more 😞

 

That would have been something fun and different to do. Oh well, guess I'll just have to spend more time at the brewery - unless they're closed down too...

[Sea Hag]

3 minutes ago, Sailing12Away said:

Poop, that stinks. When I checked last week I was able to do a mock booking reservation and I was confused because their website had time for 3pm, but on Viator they were listed as 2pm. Just went back to their site now and you're right, no availability any more 😞

 

That would have been something fun and different to do. Oh well, guess I'll just have to spend more time at the brewery - unless they're closed down too...

Yeah, we were disappointed too. Last time we were there, we walked up from the ship and had a wonderful time there. Paid the admission fee and wandered around a lot. The glassblowers were at work and spent a lot of time talking to us. We saw them make several items. We wanted to go back again!

[GTJ]

On 6/26/2021 at 4:09 PM, TMLAalum said:

Everytime I check the Haines-Skagway ferry website this message appears:

We are not currently selling tickets for 2021 due to covid! Please standby for more updates coming soon.

 

Both Alaska Marine Highway and Alaska Fjordlines also provides ferry transportation between Skagway and Haines. You may want to check those schedules to see if anything there (or a combination of the two) can work.

[marykatherine111]

We are doing this https://www.diyjeeptours.com

 

They have a great new itinerary for you to follow because of the Canadian border closing.

[Marilyn Johannes]

On 6/27/2021 at 11:56 AM, Sea Hag said:

The glass blowing place's website says they're closed for all of 2021. Have they decided to open and not updated the website?

We booked this excursion directly with Jewell Gardens last week and our credit card has been charged. We are in Skagway August 25th. We will report back if we hear anything. 

[quack2]

I enjoyed my excursion to the Kroschel Wildlife Refuge out of Haines.  Fast ferry from Skagway to Haines; then excursion bus to the refuge.

[Sea Hag]

11 hours ago, Marilyn Johannes said:

We booked this excursion directly with Jewell Gardens last week and our credit card has been charged. We are in Skagway August 25th. We will report back if we hear anything. 

I'm still seeing the banner on their website saying that they're closed for 2021, and if I click to book a tour I get a blank page. If I go to the generic Princess Alaska excursions from the link on Jewell Gardens' website, I do see a glass blowing excursion, but if I'm in Personalizer looking at excursions for our 8/29 sailing, I don't see it. Very odd. I hope you get to do your excursion!

[LadyMac72]

15 hours ago, marykatherine111 said:

We are doing this https://www.diyjeeptours.com

 

They have a great new itinerary for you to follow because of the Canadian border closing.

We are doing this too.  I didn't see a new itinerary on the website.... can you point me in the right direction?

[georgiacat]

quack2, I looked at the website for Kroschel Wildlife Refuge out of Haines; it looks interesting.  What was the weather like when you did this?  Did you tour/book it yourself or through a ship?  It looks to be all outdoors, so I am concerned about how comfortable it would be if it rained.  (no control over the weather by anyone)

Please send me more details about your trip.  thanks

[marykatherine111]

DIY Jeep Tour in Skagway is open and operating this year while the cruise ships are here.

The trip is altered slightly but still amazing.  You will go up the Klondike Highway but you will turn around at the Welcome to Alaska sign at the top of the White Pass Summit; 

We have added a side trip out to the Dyea Tidal Flats and the Chilkoot Trailhead as a some extra stops so you have an action packed day with the jeep.

Even though we don't go into Canada  you will still see all the best stops on our jeep tour.  

 

You get to see the following:

 

Bridal Veil Falls

Pitchfork Falls (2nd largest waterfall in southeast alaska)

Reid Falls 

Captain Moore Bridge

Sawtooth Mountains 

Bracket Wagon Trail

White Pass Summit

Welcome to Alaska sign (great photo stop)

City Overlook

Gold Rush Cemetery

Dyea Flats & old town site.

Chilkoot Trailhead

Slide Cemetery

 

Your day will be packed with cool things to see and great photo stops.  We still have the audio guide that will talk to you while you drive and you still get the turkey wrap lunches, waters, and a cooler with ice packs.Lady

9 hours ago, LadyMac72 said:

We are doing this too.  I didn't see a new itinerary on the website.... can you point me in the right direction?

LadyMac, this is from the owner. They have us covered for a great day! Now lets hope for great weather!

[Ashland]

1 hour ago, marykatherine111 said:

DIY Jeep Tour in Skagway is open and operating this year while the cruise ships are here.

The trip is altered slightly but still amazing.  You will go up the Klondike Highway but you will turn around at the Welcome to Alaska sign at the top of the White Pass Summit; 

We have added a side trip out to the Dyea Tidal Flats and the Chilkoot Trailhead as a some extra stops so you have an action packed day with the jeep.

Even though we don't go into Canada  you will still see all the best stops on our jeep tour.  

 

You get to see the following:

 

Bridal Veil Falls

Pitchfork Falls (2nd largest waterfall in southeast alaska)

Reid Falls 

Captain Moore Bridge

Sawtooth Mountains 

Bracket Wagon Trail

White Pass Summit

Welcome to Alaska sign (great photo stop)

City Overlook

Gold Rush Cemetery

Dyea Flats & old town site.

Chilkoot Trailhead

Slide Cemetery

 

Your day will be packed with cool things to see and great photo stops.  We still have the audio guide that will talk to you while you drive and you still get the turkey wrap lunches, waters, and a cooler with ice packs.Lady

LadyMac, this is from the owner. They have us covered for a great day! Now lets hope for great weather!

Yikes !!!! You might consider using a bigger font....so hard to read your helpful info.

[Marilyn Johannes]

12 hours ago, Sea Hag said:

I'm still seeing the banner on their website saying that they're closed for 2021, and if I click to book a tour I get a blank page. If I go to the generic Princess Alaska excursions from the link on Jewell Gardens' website, I do see a glass blowing excursion, but if I'm in Personalizer looking at excursions for our 8/29 sailing, I don't see it. Very odd. I hope you get to do your excursion!

Spoke to the owner of glass blowing at Jewell Gardens and he is not doing tours this year at this time. He may start them as the season goes on but doesn’t have enough employees due to Covid.  He said he would contact us if he did end up doing the tour but it didn’t sound hopeful. 

[LadyMac72]

15 hours ago, marykatherine111 said:

DIY Jeep Tour in Skagway is open and operating this year while the cruise ships are here.

The trip is altered slightly but still amazing.  You will go up the Klondike Highway but you will turn around at the Welcome to Alaska sign at the top of the White Pass Summit; 

We have added a side trip out to the Dyea Tidal Flats and the Chilkoot Trailhead as a some extra stops so you have an action packed day with the jeep.

Even though we don't go into Canada  you will still see all the best stops on our jeep tour.  

 

You get to see the following:

 

Bridal Veil Falls

Pitchfork Falls (2nd largest waterfall in southeast alaska)

Reid Falls 

Captain Moore Bridge

Sawtooth Mountains 

Bracket Wagon Trail

White Pass Summit

Welcome to Alaska sign (great photo stop)

City Overlook

Gold Rush Cemetery

Dyea Flats & old town site.

Chilkoot Trailhead

Slide Cemetery

 

Your day will be packed with cool things to see and great photo stops.  We still have the audio guide that will talk to you while you drive and you still get the turkey wrap lunches, waters, and a cooler with ice packs.Lady

LadyMac, this is from the owner. They have us covered for a great day! Now lets hope for great weather!

 

 

This looks good! Thank you so much for sharing!  When are you going?  Our trip is in September and it's possible Canada will be reopen by then but I was seriously rethinking whether we should do the Jeep if it isn't.  Thanks again!  Hoping for great weather for you.  Please do come back and give us an update as to how it went.