Emerald Lake question

[laura1960]

For those of you who have rented a car in Skagway and driven to Emerald Lake: what is there to "do" there? Is it more of a vista point to ooh and aah, or are there relatively easy trails to get down to the water's edge? Traveling with 3 kids and I'm sure they'd like to at least splash around and skip some rocks.

Also will be stopping at Caribou Crossing.

[bearbait]

I think your kids skipin' rocks would ruin the experience for everyone else visting the lake. I've taken some awesome photos there that wouldn't been possible with kids throwing rocks in the water.

[Cruiser304958]

There's a gravel road at the bottom of the hill before you go up to the viewpoint, that takes you right to the shore - but much of it is marshy at that end of the tiny lake. People up on the viewpoint wouldn't even see kids - much less see that they're throwing rocks. The dozen or so canoes that Spirit Lake Lodge launched the last time we were there spoiled the photo op I hoped for, though.

[dexddd]

For those that have gone through the border, what have been your experience as to how long it takes? My SIL who lives up that way says the Canadian Customs can be pretty lengthy.

[fleckle]

For those that have gone through the border, what have been your experience as to how long it takes? My SIL who lives up that way says the Canadian Customs can be pretty lengthy.

For us (US citizens) it has never been more than a minute or two. They ask where we are going, how long we will be there, take our passports, do whatever it is they do with them, and bring them right back to us.

 

Our only wait has been when there was a line of cars ahead of us, but even then it was only like waiting your turn to get up to the toll booth on a toll road. Maybe we have just been lucky that there were no problems with the cars ahead of us.

 

I am only guessing here, but if there was a vehicle with a problem that required lengthy processing, I should think they would ask that driver to pull over to the side of the building rather than sitting there blocking the lane and holding up the line.

[pattyj 1204]

We go to Canada via International Falls several times each year and have never had difficulties with the process, just waiting for our turn, Fishing trips usually have longer inspection times. For my opinion I don't see how children tossing a few rocks or splashing in the shallows could ruin the looks of the lake. It is a place for all people not just photographers.

[kansasdj]

I think Spirit Lake would be a better choice to skip rocks, but the vista view of Emerald Lake is spectacular! We were there in late May and saw bears feeding on grass not 20-30 ft from the road. Canadian Customs takes only a few minutes (there were only 2 cars ahead of us both times). Enjoy the scenery! It is so beautiful you will not know where to point the camera lens first.

[Trailblazer99]

I think Spirit Lake would be a better choice to skip rocks...

 

There's no beach at Spirit Lake and no public access.

[Budget Queen]

Emerald Lake is a turn around point, nothing more than a brief stop. Let the kids run around in the desert and anywhere else along the drive up, stop at Bove perhaps? Tagish Lake has several access areas. Take a walk around Carcross, go to the post office and mail a post card home. See how long it takes, :)

 

Hopefully you are taking "Murrays" guide with you?? Plenty of points of interest to involve the kids in.

 

There is no way to predict any wait times at borders. I've been searched twice on the Klondike Highway.

[laura1960]

Yes, we are DEFINITELY taking Murray's guide - it's been so highly recommended on this site. Thanks, Budget Queen.

And it's good to hear about the situation at the border crossing...doesn't sound too bad.

We've been to some mighty pretty lakes: Lake Tahoe here in Northern California, Lake Louise in Canada,and Crater Lake in Oregon, but from the pictures I've seen of Emerald Lake, it looks absolutely brilliant. Can't wait to see it, and yes, photograph it.

And FWIW, the kids wouldn't be running amok, chucking small boulders at unsuspecting people and wildlife; I was just looking to see if Emerald Lake was a place where they could stretch their legs a bit and enjoy the natural surroundings. I don't even know if they would skip stones at all, it just came off the top of my head. But, like others, I have a hard time believing that a small 11-year-old boy skipping one or two flat stones across a lake that probably spans many miles across could affect the view for everyone.

[Trailblazer99]

... like others, I have a hard time believing that a small 11-year-old boy skipping one or two flat stones across a lake that probably spans many miles across could affect the view for everyone.

 

It's a tiny lake but that first reply to you was still ridiculous.

[fleckle]

......We've been to some mighty pretty lakes: Lake Tahoe here in Northern California, Lake Louise in Canada,and Crater Lake in Oregon, but from the pictures I've seen of Emerald Lake, it looks absolutely brilliant. Can't wait to see it, and yes, photograph it.....

Okay then, just so that you don't get your hopes up with unrealistic expectations............ Emerald Lake can indeed be very pretty, but IMHO it is not that spectacular a lake considering that you have already been to the others you mentioned. As BQ says, it is used as a turn around point. That trip is taken for the journey, not for the final destination.

 

The reason why people say "drive up to Emerald Lake" is to use it as a reference because the scenery on beyond Emerald Lake is not as attractive as the scenery on the drive up to that point. For most it is the last scenic spot for a stop on the journey before heading back.

[account4fun]

There's a gravel road at the bottom of the hill before you go up to the viewpoint, that takes you right to the shore - but much of it is marshy at that end of the tiny lake. People up on the viewpoint wouldn't even see kids - much less see that they're throwing rocks. The dozen or so canoes that Spirit Lake Lodge launched the last time we were there spoiled the photo op I hoped for, though.

 

We went down this road and walked around the lake area. It was wet and buggy but it was really pretty and we saw two loons swimming. Very pretty site. Not a place for a long visit though IMO.

[Sun 4-ever]

We just got back Sunday from our trip to Alaska. We rented a car in Skagway and drove up to Emerald Lake. It is very beautiful and we enjoyed it. There are lots of places to stop and do some hiking if you so choose. We drove down one dirt road that took us right to some water where we saw a ton of butterflies. The border was a breeze. We didn't see any animals until our trip back and right in front of us walkiing on the road was a black bear. We pulled up right next to it and it didn't even bother to look at us. I rolled my window down and could have touched him we were that close and I took some picture. That was the hightlight of my day.

[Kellie in Texas]

Emerald Lake is beautiful but small; our tour van stopped up at the viewpoint on the road (where you look down on the lake). It's the "turn-around" point for some of the tours, not necessarily the destination, as others have said.

 

Going through the border checkpoint into Canada was easy; only took a minute or so. Coming back was a different story, as we waited in a line of probably 10-12 vehicles. They only had one gate open, so it took us somewhere between 20-25 minutes.

[whiteduv65]

can it be seen from the train or should we do the train up and bus down

[Budget Queen]

can it be seen from the train or should we do the train up and bus down

 

No Emerald Lake can only be seen by road.

[oldengine]