Why does everyone rave about White Pass Railroad tour - what else is good in Skagway?

[buttah75]

Well, now that we're leaning toward doing Orca whale watching/Coaster heli-dog sled both in Juneau (thanks to this board), we're wide open for a Skagway excursion.

 

We're in our 40's and have two boys, 12 and 16. Everyone seems to say the WPR is a must-do, but other than scenery, I can't figure out why. It seems very long (7 hours!), and stuffed animals in a museum don't really appeal to me. I'd rather see real animals!

 

Can you guys explain why you loved the White Pass tour so much, and if not that, what else would you recommend in Skagway?

[Sue L]

WE did the horseback riding and we loved it. My kids who were 19 and 21 at the time had a blast.

[travelnnana]

I thought the train was boring - if you want to go to the Yukon - just rent a car since there are 4 of you

[Yukon]

I love trains, history and impressive engineering - so the WP&YR was high priority for me when I first arrived. I've now been on it a dozen or more times and still love it.

 

BUT, there are about 90 other possibilities in Skagway - something for every taste.

 

Murray

[vbmom87]

This ship tour has gotten great reviews:

 

Glacier Safari Wilderness Cruise

 

Hiking Trails:

 

http://www.skagway.com/skagwaytrailmap.pdf

[vbmom87]

Everyone seems to say the WPR is a must-do, but other than scenery, I can't figure out why. It seems very long (7 hours!), and stuffed animals in a museum don't really appeal to me. I'd rather see real animals!

 

The reason a whole lot of us are going to Alaska is to see the scenery, which is why the train appeals to us. We are going on the 9 hour tour...we came to Alaska for scenery and by golly we are going to try to pack in as much scenery as we can.

[frames]

Glacier Point Wilderness Safari is the best excursion I've been on in two trips to Alaska. So I do suggest it to anyone who asks. We will do that one again next year when we go to Alaska. It was expensive but worth every cent IMO.

 

Good luck!

[wishIwascruising]

Sue L. - we are considering horseback riding but we have some little ones, I've emailed the stables at Emerald Lake to find out age requirements. What can you share about the horseback ride, where did you go, what did you see, did you get back in plenty of time to board the ship without being anxious? Any information would be gratefully appreciated. We are on the Star departing Aug. 3. We will be renting cars in Skagway for the drive up to Emerald Lake.

[NayRN]

Thank you so much for the spectacular slide show of Tracy Arm Fjord! I've already booked the catamaran excursion into Tracy Arm Fjord and your photos made me realize that it will be worth all the money that I paid for the excursion. What month was it when these photos were taken? I leave end of July--I hope it's just as beautiful for us!!

 

NayRN

[Cruisin Rick]

You not only get a scenic ride on the WP&Y but there's a lot of history you'll be seeing along the way. We spent some time at the park service building in Skagway first and learned about the Klondiker's quest for gold and the hardships they went through. It was pretty facinating to hear the stories of how they built the Yukon Route also. There were plenty of stories about it and then you get to ride the train and it gives you a better perspective of what they went through.

 

If I remember right, it was about 3-4 hours to the summit and back. It was a shorter train ride, we enjoyed the experiance and the scenery was fantastic . There's no one excursion that's perfect for every person so if this doesn't appeal to you, there are other things to choose from.

[Yukon]

Sue L. - we are considering horseback riding but we have some little ones, I've emailed the stables at Emerald Lake to find out age requirements. What can you share about the horseback ride, where did you go, what did you see, did you get back in plenty of time to board the ship without being anxious? Any information would be gratefully appreciated. We are on the Star departing Aug. 3. We will be renting cars in Skagway for the drive up to Emerald Lake.

 

I went out with Joni 2 years ago. It was a great trip - http://www.yukonalaska.com/photos/082806-trailride.html I don't know about age restrictions, but she has gentle horses, and getting back on time is no problem.

 

Murray

[leflerpet]

Glacier Point Wilderness Safari is the best excursion I've been on in two trips to Alaska. So I do suggest it to anyone who asks. We will do that one again next year when we go to Alaska. It was expensive but worth every cent IMO.

 

Good luck!

 

 

Did you book this through the ship or independently?

[frames]

What month was it when these photos were taken? I leave end of July--I hope it's just as beautiful for us!!

 

NayRN

 

In regards to Tracy Arm Fjord - We were there in early June and very fortunate to have such a nice day. I was not aware of the catamaran excursion (at the time) - I think that will be incredible.

 

Enjoy Alaska!

[frames]

Did you book this through the ship or independently?

 

We booked through the ship(NCL).

[fatcattravel]

I am going on the Island Princess in July and I was wondering what type of room you stayed in? The shore excursions are so expensive...I am looking into the rail ride but you said it was boring was it too long for you? We are thinking about an independent tour operator with Chilkoot Tours. Did you go to Emerald Lake...Would love to hear more of what you thought of the Island Princess also.

[#1survivorfan]

For just the price of a picnic lunch you can hike Lower Dewey Lake. We did this when we were in Skagway and had a great time. The weather was beautiful and the scenery was gorgeous. There are many hikes around Skagway to do....this was recommended by Budget Queen and we (4 adults) throughly enjoyed the day.

[Yukon]

For just the price of a picnic lunch you can hike Lower Dewey Lake. We did this when we were in Skagway and had a great time. The weather was beautiful and the scenery was gorgeous. There are many hikes around Skagway to do....this was recommended by Budget Queen and we (4 adults) throughly enjoyed the day.

 

You can see the other Skagway hiking options at http://www.nps.gov/klgo/planyourvisit/shorterdayhikes.htm I go out to Yakutania Point quite often - easy and beautiful.

[GamecockinTN]

I agree that the history and scenery of the White Pass Railway make it well worth the trip; it was only a couple of hours.. We went last summer and loved it. We, unfortunately, did not also have time to hike, but the hikes from Skagway were recommended. The town itself was mostly touristy type shops. That was another reason we chose the White Pass.

[frames]

On our first visit to Skagway, we did the Hike & Float the Chilkoot - it was very good.

 

 

from my journal...

We were up early for breakfast this day as we had signed up for a 7:45 AM excursion. We chose the Hike & Float the Chilkoot Trail excursion for that day. Our guide met us on the pier. Only four people had signed up for this excursion. I was a bit surprised that only four people out of 2000 had signed up for this. They picked us up in a van and we headed for the town of Dyea. That day we would hike two miles of the Chilkoot Trail. The Chilkoot Trail is 32 miles long. It has been said by those who study the Gold Rush, that the Chilkoot Trail “is the meanest 32 miles in history”. However, today hikers refer to it as the “most beautiful 32 miles in Alaska…”

 

 

 

As we arrived at the trailhead, Sean (our guide) went over some basic procedures for our hike that day. Although he was not from Alaska (from Ohio via Colorado), he was a very knowledgeable guide. He had a degree in biology, served two years in the Peace Corp, was an 8th grade science teacher, ski instructor, rafting guide and hiking guide. He was well suited to be our guide on this hike/float. He made an impression on us in regards of what to do in case we encounter a bear. All of us should slowly put our hands above our head and start talking or singing. He did make it very clear to us that we should not run. The reason we should not run is because we cannot out run a bear! However, just in case, he also had pepper spray that was about 600 times stronger than what we could purchase in a store. Next, Sean handed out trail mix and we were on our way.

 

 

 

It was a great hike. The only thing that would have made it better was if it had been longer. Also, it really was worth having a guide. We would have missed many things that out guide pointed out and explained to us. For instance, we came upon a tree with bear claw marks. They were about five inches wide and about 12 - 15 inches long. Sean asked us what type of bear made theses marks, black or brown? Of course we did not know. As it turned out, they were from a black bear because each of the claws started at a different height. Sean pointed many things about the ecosystem there. It was fascinating. At the two-mile point, we got in a raft and floated back down the TaiyaRiver. The float lasted about 40 minutes. There were no rapids; it was an easy float.

 

 

 

On the way back to Skagway, Sean took us to the Soapy Smith gravesite. There is a lot of history and many stories regarding this con man. We both agreed that this excursion was very good. Subsequently I bought the book, Chilkoot Pass by Archie Satterfield. It provided much more insight to the things we saw that day and the stories we were told.

 

 

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Like other posters have said - there is no shortage of things to do in Skagway. :)

 

 

[hoopsdad]

We used Southeast Tours for horseback riding around Emerald Lake and it was fantastic!

[country traveler]

really awesome slide show. What kind of program did you use?

[jeannL]

frames, glad to hear you enjoyed the Glacier Point Wilderness Safari so much. My family (including 2 teens) is doing it in 3 weeks. We're very excited about it. I enjoyed seeing all your pictures. Thanks for posting them.

[buttah75]

frames, what type of Tracy Arms Fjord tour was yours? Looks beautiful and doesn't seem like a floatplane.

[buttah75]

or are those photos actually taken from the ship?

[Sue L]

Sue L. - we are considering horseback riding but we have some little ones, I've emailed the stables at Emerald Lake to find out age requirements. What can you share about the horseback ride, where did you go, what did you see, did you get back in plenty of time to board the ship without being anxious? Any information would be gratefully appreciated. We are on the Star departing Aug. 3. We will be renting cars in Skagway for the drive up to Emerald Lake.

 

 

Not sure the ages you are talking about but there was a family with around a 5 or 6 year old. They had a small horse and the grin never left their face. They picked us up right at the pier and we had about an hour drive into the woods where the camp was set up. Click on the link in my signature for pictures. Never had any fear of missing the ship. These tours live or die by the cruise lines. Also ours was booked through the ship.