Klondike Highway drive from Skagway

[pcann]

We are planning on renting a car in Skagway and following the road log of the South Klnodike Highway from Skagway to Carcross. Will we also see Emerald Lake? What is a realistic time frame for the drive start to finish? I realize we will stop and see scenic areas. What would the gas cost for this trip? Trying to budget ahead of time. :)

[JohnQ]

150miles roundtrip, and about 5 hrs according to Yukon. Will find out in a few weeks. The drive to and back is the real treat. Download Yukons mile guide.

[boten]

We did this drive last month. Avis did not have a full size car - which we reserved months in advance - so they gave us a mini-van. On the way to Carcross you'll have to pass Canadian customs. The road is very scenic with many stops on the way to Carcross. When you reach Carcross you'll make a left turn into town. Leaving Carcross, make a left turn again and continue on the road. Emerald lake is about 10-15 minutes drive on the left (you'll pass the Cinammon cache on your right about 2 minutes before the lake).

The way back is faster since you've stopped at the nice spots already, but you'll stop at US customs.

It took us about 7 hours total (about 65-70 miles each way).

There's only one gas station in Skagway and it wasn't that expensive, I think it was less than $20.

Enjoy.

[pcann]

Boten, can you give me any more info on your experiences? If our ship is in port from 7:00am -5:00pm we should be able to do this drive in that time frame. How was the condition of the road? We plan on doing the stops for lunch and pictures - we don't need to feel rushed do we? Is there any highlights of your drive? I do have the copy of Yukon's mile map to use for the drive - will this be the best one to use? Does Avis open at 8:00am?

Thanks again, my fellow passengers are very concerned about this drive because they do not want to miss the ship. :(

[boten]

Our ship (Summit) was in port 10 am - 8 pm so you have the same number of hours. Make sure you are ready to disembark ASAP.

Avis opens at 8 or earlier. Take the bus shuttle ($1.50 pp) and tell the driver you need Avis, he'll drop you a short block from there and will point the way.

No need to rush, take your time. By all means use Yukon's guide, but sort out the things that interest you most. Stop whenever you see an interesting sight.

The road is very good.

You can always, and most probably will, have a much faster way back (since you already seen most of the spots).

On the way out, do NOT stop at the welcome to Alaska sign, leave that stop for the way back, it will be on your right for easier stop & go.

When we returned to Skagway, we had plenty of time, we drove to the viewing spot about 1-2 miles on Dyea road to see the town from above. Then drove the streets, took some photos of the town, filled the tank and returned to Avis.

Sometime, in the afternoon, they tell you to wait for the ride back to the ship. Don't buy that! If there's no one available to take you, just tell them you'll leave the car with the keys in the ignition at the dock. Miraculously, there will be someone to drive you to the ship.

[seattlecruiser]

If one person picks up the car at Avis can they drive back close to the ship to pick up the other passengers? Thanks.

[pcann]

Boten, Thanks for the experienced information. I will put this info with our Yukon map for reference. I am hoping the weather will be good, we will see lots of wildlife, the car stays healthy and I do not run out of film for the camera. :)

[taxatty]

Not sure, but I did see cars driving and parked within 100 yards or so from the Princess dock. The Avis office is in the first building you get to in town anyway, and is only a 10 minute walk from the ship.

 

Note that for a mountain road, thje Skagway-Emerald Lake trip it is an easy grade and not very difficult. The scenery on the Canadian side of White Pass is very different than before the pass, and the lake views are especially beautiful. Make sure you make at least a quick stop at the "World's Smallest Desert" a short distance before Emerald Lake--one of the wierdest sights ever.

 

Les

[boten]

We didn't stop at the "smallest" desert, since we live in a desert anyway :) . We stopped for lunch at the Cinammon Cache. The chicken soup was good, the sandwich was decent, the cinammon bun was not good, at least for me, but I'm no expert on cinammon buns.

Take extra film in case you run out.

[Budget Queen]

For clarification- wildlife viewing is rare- I have driven to Whitehorse serveral times and never saw any. It seems the time for wildlife is very early season in May. But I have never seen anything on my August-Sept trips.

[mpk]

The Avis office is in the first building you get to in town anyway, and is only a 10 minute walk from the ship

 

Keep your eyes open- the sign the posted perpendicular to the building, but obscured by some street poles. To make things worse, that sign is small and doesn't use the standard Avis typestyle. Curiously, once inside the office there are no less than four large standard Avis signs propped up on the floor against the wall. They should have at least put one in the window :)

 

First building on the right. Look carefully!

[pcann]

I will look real good for the Avis Sign. I was hoping the cinnamon rolls at the Cinnamon Cache were good. This was going to be one of our stops. I will have to try them anyway :) The smallest desert was another of our do not miss sights. I guess if we won't see much wildlife the scenery will be just as super.

[ute_fan]

If it works, here is a picture of the Avis office if it helps. By the way, I didn't think the cinnamon buns were that great either. My family was quite disappointed, as I'd been bragging them up for weeks :confused:.

[tadjr]

Depending on which dock your ship is at, you cant drive right to the ship, but close. I drove everyone back to the ship in the afternoon and dropped them off a short walk away. It was much closer than walking from in town. You can get as close as where the tour buses park. Maybe a hundred yards from the first dock.

For another reference, we got the car and were on the road by 820am. We stopped for MANY pictures along the way, stopped to play in the snow at the summit about 10 mins, spent about 45 mins in Carcross, ate for about 30-40 mins at the Cache and drove out to Emerald Lake, came back to the cemetary, walked to the falls there, filled up the tank, went to the ship and changed and drove back into town and had the car there by 4pm. The time frame you are looking at should be no problem, even with a lot of stops.

Have fun and be sure to mark the sights you want to see on Yukons guide. It makes it easier to look for the things you are interested in seeing. The only wildlife we saw in May was an eagle, but the lady at the visitors cented in Carcross said she saw a mom and baby bear on the way in to work that day.

[JohnQ]

Tadjr

Does the office open before their 8am schedule? Do they have just one person working. It would seem like a 2 hr wait just to get your car if there is only one working? It looks like we could have a caravan to Carcross.

[pcann]

JohnQ, when are you taking the journey to Carcross?

[tadjr]

We got there just after 8 so I dont know if they were open earlier or not. There were 2 people working in the office, but we were there the first week so I dont know if they have more than that during busy season or that is the norm. Based on the size of the office, I dont think they could fit more than 2 in there at a time. They were quick though and the car was waiting out the back door for us.