Map/Directions for self tour in Skagway (to Emerald Lake?)

[4_Leaf_Clover]

We currently have the heli glacier landing w/dog sledding planned for Skagway, but we want to have a backup plan incase it gets canceled.

 

If we are able to find a place to rent a car last minute, where do you suggest we drive? I have heard repeatedly to do the drive to Emerald Lake.

 

Where can I get a map or directions to Emerald Lake? Or what route do you guys suggest we take with great scenery? We are open to suggestions.

[DougH]

There are only two places to rent a car in Skagway that I am aware of, Avis or Sourdough. There is only one road out of town so you would have to be extremely directionally challenged to miss Emerald Lake :) Do a search for Murrays Guide for a mile by mile description of the drive.

 

Not sure what time your other tour is scheduled or your time in port but the drive to Emerald Lake and back takes about 5 hours on average (with lots of stops) You can probably do both but I'd reserve a car in advance

[4_Leaf_Clover]

There are only two places to rent a car in Skagway that I am aware of, Avis or Sourdough. There is only one road out of town so you would have to be extremely directionally challenged to miss Emerald Lake :) Do a search for Murrays Guide for a mile by mile description of the drive.

 

Not sure what time your other tour is scheduled or your time in port but the drive to Emerald Lake and back takes about 5 hours on average (with lots of stops) You can probably do both but I'd reserve a car in advance

 

Thanks! I actually reserved the dog sledding at 1:45 in the afternoon in hopes that all of the fog will be lifted by then bettering our chances (I know fog is probably the least of our worries lol) We are in port until 8:30 and I know we wont have time to drive up to Emerald Lake before our tour or after if our tour operates, but do you think I'll have time if it gets cancelled at the last minute at 1:45?

 

I wish now that I had scheduled the dog sledding either early in the morning or later in the afternoon so I would have time to do both...but with it right smack in the middle of the day that makes it impossible. (and for that reason I am thinking I wont be able to rent a car ahead of time since I dont know what I am doing. I cant reserve it for 2pm "just incase" our tour gets cancelled, because if it doesnt then I'm out that money for the rental.)

[mapleleaves]

A milepost guide to Emerald Lake. Just keep track of your time and drive as far as you can. http://www.bellsalaska.com/myalaska/klondikehwy2.html

 

There are also maps of skagway and trails in the town web site:

http://skagway.com/

[frugaltravel]

A milepost guide to Emerald Lake. Just keep track of your time and drive as far as you can. http://www.bellsalaska.com/myalaska/klondikehwy2.html

 

Great guide and it is free :D

[DougH]

The Avis office usually open at 8am. If you got there early you could probably do the drive before your other tour. You'd have to watch the time and maybe skip a lunch stop but should be able to see most of the sights. Then drive to the other tour and turn in the car afterward.

[rayliang]

I say drive it anyway... Its beautiful. And the 5 hour time is about right, with stops in all the beautiful turnouts to take pictures.

[4_Leaf_Clover]

Ok, I rented a car from Avis with a pick up time at 8am and return time of 7pm. My heli tour leaves at 1:45 and I'm assuming I will have to be there ready to go 30 mins or say prior (1:15ish?) Assuming I drive out of the parking lot of Avis at 8am (unlikely) that gives me 5 hours and 15 minutes. That is REALLY REALLY cutting it close if I am wanting to see Emerald Lake and make it back in time.

 

IF I DROVE STRAIGHT TO EMERALD LAKE WITHOUT STOPPING, APPROX HOW LONG WOULD THAT TAKE?

 

I wonder if I can drive straight to Emerald Lake in the morning and then based on time make some stops on the way back to Skagway. We could always take off back toward Emerald Lake after our heli dog sled tour (4pm) and hopefully go as far as our stopping point from the morning. Thoughts?? I just dont know...

[Assateague Island Princes]

Ashlie - any chance you can change the time of your flight? If you could get that first thing in the morning or even later in the afternoon, you'd be much better off w/a cushion for your drive to Emerald Lake. We drove (w/no other excursions planned) in late May of 2010 leaving the Avis parking lot around 8:40AM, and didn't make it back to Skagway til around 6:00PM. Granted - we stopped a ton of places for scenery, bears (:D), at Carcross, the smallest desert, Spirit Lake for lunch, a bit of hiking, etc. and it was a wonderful, full day. I'm not sure how much you'd enjoy yourselves if you were constantly looking at your watch and trying to determine whether or not you'd make it back to Skagway in time....or if you'd make it Emerald Lake, your destination, at all.

 

Good luck - hope it all works out for you.

[4_Leaf_Clover]

Ashlie - any chance you can change the time of your flight? If you could get that first thing in the morning or even later in the afternoon, you'd be much better off w/a cushion for your drive to Emerald Lake. We drove (w/no other excursions planned) in late May of 2010 leaving the Avis parking lot around 8:40AM, and didn't make it back to Skagway til around 6:00PM. Granted - we stopped a ton of places for scenery, bears (:D), at Carcross, the smallest desert, Spirit Lake for lunch, a bit of hiking, etc. and it was a wonderful, full day. I'm not sure how much you'd enjoy yourselves if you were constantly looking at your watch and trying to determine whether or not you'd make it back to Skagway in time....or if you'd make it Emerald Lake, your destination, at all.

 

Good luck - hope it all works out for you.

 

I tried to change it this morning because I had the same thoughts but the price has gone up from $499 per person to $599 per person since we booked it and it said if we made any changes then we would have to pay the higher price :(

 

I understand that we would enjoy ourselves better if we werent rushed, but since I cant change the time I would rather be rushed then sitting around Skagway for hours wishing I had made the drive.

 

Hmmm.

[DougH]

I'd say 90 minutes straight to Emerald Lake. You'll really only be here 10-15 minutes, maybe 30-45 tops in Carcross and the a bunch of quick roadside stops for scenery/photos. While its nice to see Emerald Lake even if you turned around at Carcross you would see most of the sights along the way. Emerald Lake is only maybe 10 minutes past Carcross but by not going all the way wou would save 1/2 hour minimum.

 

Like someone else mentioned if you could get you flight moved up or pushed back a bit it would make doing both much easier. ( but I still think both can be done in your time)

 

Whatever have fun. This year I go to Haines instead of Skagway and am looking forward to my drive up the highway from there for a change.

[4_Leaf_Clover]

I'd say 90 minutes straight to Emerald Lake. You'll really only be here 10-15 minutes, maybe 30-45 tops in Carcross and the a bunch of quick roadside stops for scenery/photos. While its nice to see Emerald Lake even if you turned around at Carcross you would see most of the sights along the way. Emerald Lake is only maybe 10 minutes past Carcross but by not going all the way wou would save 1/2 hour minimum.

 

Thanks for the replies.

 

When you say "You'll really only be here 10-15 minutes"...do you mean "here" as in Emerald Lake?

 

Also, are you stating that I'll be in Carcross for maybe 30-45 minutes tops? What is in Carcross for me to see and stay for 30-45 minutes?

[4_Leaf_Clover]

Also, I understand that we wont need our passport to enter into Canada, but will need it to enter back into Alaska, correct? Where is this stop point at and how long does it normally take?

[DougH]

Emerald Lake is just a quick stop to pull over and look, not really anything to do. Carcross has a nice little museum/visitor center and a small general store where everybody buys an ice cream cone. Your time here may vary :) Overall your total tijme depends on how often you pull over for photos and just take in the beautiful scenery.

[Frank12]

Emerald Lake is just a quick stop to pull over and look, not really anything to do. Carcross has a nice little museum/visitor center and a small general store where everybody buys an ice cream cone. Your time here may vary :) Overall your total tijme depends on how often you pull over for photos and just take in the beautiful scenery.

 

Can you get lunch at Carcross?

[slider728]

Also, I understand that we wont need our passport to enter into Canada, but will need it to enter back into Alaska, correct? Where is this stop point at and how long does it normally take?

 

 

What you are saying about the passports is pretty well accurate. According to my understanding of the laws, you should not need your passport to get into Canada, but you do need your passport to cross back into the US. It wouldn't surprise me if Canadian Customs won't let you come in without a passport as you might have no way to cross back into the US, but I have never tried it.

 

I haven't been down the Klondike in two years now, but to my recollection, Canadian customs is a small yellow building with two lanes, located about 10 or 15 km across the Canadian border (I think a bit more than 20 miles from Skagway).

 

Personally, I have never had an issue crossing into Canada. I do not think I have spent more than 15 minutes waiting in line at Canadian customs and that is with 6 cars ahead of me (that was out of Haines. I do not recall there ever being a line entering Canada from Skagway).

 

Others might have a different experience, but for me, entering back into Alaska is a pain. I have travelled overseas quite a bit in my youth and never had a problem. I cross from Canada into Alaska in a car in the middle of nowhere and I get grilled extensively. I don't remember the last time it took me less than 15 minutes of questioning to get across the border. They have never been mean to me. They have tried to trip me up on things with random questions, but they have never been unprofessional. I have a very common first and last name and I now live in the suburbs of a large city. Custom's won't tell me what the deal is, but based on them focusing on my height, weight, and where I come from, I suspect that someone with my name has a want/warrant out for them.

 

So realistically, I would budget 15 minutes to cross through Canadian customs, though my average time is probably less than 5 minutes. Coming back into the US, the lines move a bit slower and I would expect 15 to 30 minutes, with my average being around 15 to 20. I usually encounter a short line coming into Skagway from Canada.

 

It is a beautiful drive and I think it is well worth it if you love just to watch scenery. Hopefully I'll be making the drive this year again, heading from Juneau to Hyder, AK! I've never gotten tired of driving in this part of the country.

[Yellow Lab's Rule]

We did the drive to Emerald Lake last year. We rented from Avis at were at the office right when it opened at 8am. We were the first in line and on the road by 8:20-8:30am. With stops round trip we were back around 2pm. We stoped plenty of times to take pictures, we stopped to watch the bears along the road (we saw 4 - 1 up - 3 back). Stoped at the Yukon sign, dessert, Emearald Lake, Crosscut, grave yard, Alaska Sign and plenty of stops in between. Both Candian and American Customs took now more than a few min. We used the Murray Guide, I recommend it. You can do it, I would recommend driving straight to Emerald Lake and do you stops on the way back that way you know how much time you have. The drive was beautiful. It was my second time to Skagway and I wish I had done it the first time. When I go back I plan to do it again. The scenery was unbelievable.