Information About

Skagway

Quick Facts

Open in The Map Skagway on The Map

Location

59 ° 27' 29.999" N,
135 ° 18' 50" W

Region

Skagway

Elevation

30 ft (9.14 m)

Skagway in Detail.

Getting There


About

population 659 at mouth of Skagway River, near head of Taiya Inlet, 90 mi. NW of Juneau, Coast Mts.


History

Name derived from Skagway River. The town, called "The Gateway to the Golden Interior," was founded in 1897 by Captain William Moore, who had a cabin here, when gold was first discovered in 1896 near Dawson, on the Yukon River. The town served as a base of operations for thousands of prospectors during the Klondike gold rush of 1897-98, and became the largest town in Alaska at that time. Both Canada and the United States claimed possession, but Canada yielded to the United States until the boundary dispute was settled. Skagway post office was established in 1897, and the population grew to 3,117 in 1900. The town is the terminus of the White Pass and Yukon RR which was built to Whitehorse in Yukon, Canada during the gold rush period. A military post at Skagway was called "Skaguay" by the U.S. Army.

Skagway Gallery

Pictures of, from, or near Skagway.

Birds Sighted Here

Sorted by Most Common to Least Common Viewings

Surf Scoter, Glaucous-winged Gull, White-winged Scoter, Marbled Murrelet, American Crow, Bohemian Waxwing, Common Gull, Common Redpoll, Mallard, Arctic Tern, Barrow's Goldeneye, Herring Gull, Common Merganser, Common Murre, Pacific Loon, Snow Goose, Red-breasted Merganser, Black-legged Kittiwake, Buff-bellied Pipit, Harlequin Duck, Bonaparte's Gull, Common Raven, Mountain Bluebird, Pine Siskin, Dark-eyed Junco, American Wigeon, Violet-green Swallow, American Robin, Pine Grosbeak, Common Goldeneye, Green-winged Teal, Blue-winged Teal, Lesser Scaup, Bald Eagle, Steller's Jay, Bufflehead, Barn Swallow, Pigeon Guillemot, Long-tailed Duck, Belted Kingfisher, Northern Shoveler, Savannah Sparrow, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Canada Goose, Tufted Puffin, Warbling Vireo, Tree Swallow, Greater Scaup, Glaucous Gull, Cliff Swallow, Varied Thrush, Wandering Tattler, Kittlitz's Murrelet, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, White-crowned Sparrow, Trumpeter Swan, Redhead, Ring-necked Duck, Red-necked Grebe, Eurasian Collared Dove, Vaux's Swift, Surfbird, Pectoral Sandpiper, Spotted Sandpiper, California Gull, Iceland Gull, Red-throated Loon, Common Loon, Pelagic Cormorant, Black-billed Magpie, Black-capped Chickadee, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Red-breasted Nuthatch, American Dipper, Hermit Thrush, Song Sparrow, Red-winged Blackbird, Orange-crowned Warbler, Yellow Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Townsend's Warbler, Wilson's Warbler, Gadwall, Northern Pintail, Common Eider, Horned Grebe, Rufous Hummingbird, Black Oystercatcher, Long-billed Dowitcher, Wilson's Snipe, Greater Yellowlegs, Parasitic Jaeger, Yellow-billed Loon, Great Blue Heron, Osprey, Red-tailed Hawk, Hairy Woodpecker, Merlin, Peregrine Falcon, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Western Wood-Pewee, Pacific-slope Flycatcher, Bank Swallow, Pacific Wren, Swainson's Thrush, Gray-crowned Rosy Finch, White-winged Crossbill, Fox Sparrow, Lincoln's Sparrow, MacGillivray's Warbler, Rock Pigeon

Places Near Skagway
Cities:

Canyon City, Denver, Gantegastaki, Rocky Point,

Bars:

Indian Rock,

Bays:

Lutak Inlet, Nahku Bay, Smugglers Cove, Taiya Inlet, Taiyasanka Harbor, Tanani Bay,

Beaches:

Tanani Beach, Tlegu Beach,

Capes:

Dyea Point, Halutu Peninsula, Low Point, Nukdik Point, Taiya Point, Tanani Point, Yakutania Point,

Cities:

Skagway,

Dams:

Haines Army Depot Water Supply Dam, Lower Dewey Lake Forebay Dam, Lower Dewey Lake Number 1 Dam, Upper Dewey Lake Dam,

Glaciers:

Irene Glacier, Laughton Glacier, Saussure Glacier, Schubee Glacier, Villard Glacier,

Lakes:

Black Lake, Devils Punch Bowl, Goat Lake, Icy Lake, Lost Lake, Lower Dewey Lake, Paradise Lake, Pump House Lake, Summit Lake, Upper Dewey Lake,

Mountains:

A B Mountain, Boundary Peak 109, Mount Carmack, Mount Cleveland, Mount Clifford, Face Mountain, Mount Gollum, Mount Harding, Mount Hoffman, Porcupine Hill, Mount Ripinski, Twin Dewey Peaks, Mount Villard, Mount Yeatman,

Parks:

Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park,

Mountain Passes:

White Pass,

Peaks:

Lactic Acid Peak, Mount Mordor, Nelson Tower,

Mountain Ranges:

Sawtooth Range,

Ridges:

Halutu Ridge,

Rivers:

East Fork Skagway River, Ferebee River, Nourse River, Skagway River, Taiya River, White Pass Fork Skagway River,

Streams:

Burro Creek, Captain William Moore Creek, Dayehas Creek, Dewey Creek, Johnson Creek, Johnson Creek, Kasidaya Creek, Mink Creek, Nelson Creek, Porcupine Creek, Reid Creek, Snyder Creek, West Creek,

Routes:

Chilkoot Trail, Dewey Lakes and Devils Punch Bowl, Lower Dewey Lake Loop Trail, Mount Ripinsky and 7 Mile Saddle Trail, Reid Falls Trail, Skyline Trail, Sturgill's Landing Trail,

Valleys:

Ferebee Valley, Glacier Gorge, Warm Pass Valley,

Cities:

Tanani,

Waterfalls:

Bridal Veil Falls, Pitchfork Falls, Reid Falls,