Chilkoot Trail out of Skagway, Alaska is one of the best hikes in the world.

Why?	World > North America > West Coast > Chilkoot One of the best hikes in the world is the CHILKOOT TRAIL Do you know this hike? You can expand this page by emailing suggestions in the appropriate sections below. Our editors will add your comments. Thanks! The most famous hike in the North is as much history lesson as it is a fascinating trek. AT A GLANCE retrace the Klondike gold rush of 1898 only 50 hikers allowed to start each day it can be difficult to get a hiking permit most of the hike is medium difficulty if the weather cooperates one day (Sheep to Happy) is long and exhausting! 5 days, 4 nights recommended 53kms (33mi) best months mid-July to mid-Sept — not winter! WHY WE LIKE THIS HIKE an astonishingly wide variety of terrain and scenery temperate rain forest to high alpine to boreal forest our favourite section is the weird & unusual topography immediately over the Pass trail littered with photogenic relics, many with interpretive signs visiting ghost towns en route, especially the sidetrip to Canyon City it's an international hike, starting in the States and finishing in Canada comparing how the USA and Canada manage their sections of the Trail the wooden church at Bennett the scenic train ride back to Skagway from the end of the Trail at Bennett Lake the hike is well managed with full-time maintenance, ranger/warden stations, and great campgrounds long hiking days as the sun sets late excellent diversions out of Skagway include visiting mellow Haines, Glacier Bay and, ultimately, a trip to see the Kodiac Bears on Admiralty Island ... add a comment here The Chilkoot Trail is a great excuse to get yourself to the Alaskan panhandle, one of the most wonderful places in the world. But the climb from Sheep Camp over the Pass might not be your best day! trail profile - National Parks Service CONSIDERATIONS Confirm the border regulations for crossing into Canada from the USA. It varies for each nationality. The Chilkoot is isolated, strenuous, physically challenging, and potentially hazardous. (Parks Canada) That said, we found this hike not as difficult as we had heard. Scrambling the huge boulders of the Pass itself was actually fun. (We had good weather.) most of the trails are good but you will certainly have sections of mud and snow weather is notorious here it can snow, even blizzard, any day of the year the Pass often shrouded with cloud off-season hiking can be deadly. The Trail is unmanned by Parks.staff avalanche danger between Sheep and Happy until mid-July, most years hypothermia is a real risk. Be prepared. though this is bear country, leashed dogs are still allowed every hiker will see bear tracks there is a fair chance you will see bear — many hikers carry bear spray and all hike very carefully it's a very short season. Late August is your best bet. maximum 12 in a group rescue, if needed, could cost you US$2000 or more. Buy insurance which covers trekking. biting insects can be a nuisance early in the season ... add a comment here ROUTES Get a hiking guidebook as early as possible to help plan your itinerary. You must decide which of the nine designated campgrounds you want before you apply for a permit. A typical itinerary: night 1 - Finnegan's Point or Canyon City night 2 - Sheep Camp night 3 - Happy Camp night 4 - Bare Loon Lake or Lake Lindeman If you stay at Finnegan's first night, there is no rush on the first day. You can even start late afternoon. Almost everyone stays at Sheep and Happy, the closest campsites on either side of the Pass. That day took us about 12hrs! From Bare Loon or Lindeman it is easy to finish in time to catch the train back to Skagway. consider staying 2 nights at Sheep Camp, giving yourself 2 chances for clear weather for climbing the Pass ... add a comment here You are allowed to reverse the traditional route, but almost everyone prefers to relive history. Experienced snow trackers start trying to cross in late May when avalanche is still a real risk and staff not yet on duty. September can be cold and rainy but, if you get good weather, September can also be excellent. LOGISTICS If you sign on with a guided trip, logistics will be organized for you. This section is for independent hikers. the expensive part is getting to Skagway, Alaska taking the Alaska Marine Ferry through the Inside Passage from Seattle is our preferred transport. Consider flying to Juneau, Alaska and catching the ferry the rest of the way to Skagway. flying to Skagway, via Juneau, is the quickest a good alternative is flying to Whitehorse, Yukon, then catching a Alaska Direct Bus to Skagway if you love trains there is a train and bus option Skagway - Whitehorse Skagway is a rustic little tourist trap, quite charming when the Cruise Ships are not in port most hikers pick-up their permits at the Skagway Trail Centre across from the railway station where you check details on trail conditions, railway times, customs requirements, etc. watch the 12-minute video on hiking the Chilkoot Trail transport is easy to arrange to the trailhead 8mi away at Dyea it is best not to rush the Chilkoot. (You may want to sit out of the rain at some point and read the history.) there are a number of options exiting the Chilkoot and returning to Skagway (or Whitehorse) the best exit is to hike the pretty final section to Bennett and catch the train all the way back to the coast ... add a comment here Travel is expensive in Alaska. Happily, hiking is relatively inexpensive. Still, you will be hit with a series of fees for both the U.S. and more so the Canadian Park system. Get an up-to-date quote by telephone. Inquire as to the best way to get a booking for the day you want to start. you must pay when you phone to book your permit. One credit card can be used to pay for up to 12 hikers. a separate reservation fee of $10 / person is non-refundable BACKCOUNTRY PERMIT for Chilkoot Trail Apply only by mail or phone: Parks Canada, Mon-Fri, Sept-May: (800) 661-0486 Skagway Trail Centre, Mon-Fri, Jun-Aug: (907) 983-3655 If you do not get a permit, don't panic. Of the 50 available permits each day, 8 are saved for walk-ins. Be standing at the doors of the Skagway Trail Centre by 8AM, 7-days-a-week to try for a walk-in. Wait until noon if you want to try to snag a permit from a no-show. This is a realistic option for one or two hikers but not for large groups. CHILKOOT TRAIL GUIDES Sea to Sky Nature Tours Great Canadian Adventure Company VisitYukon.com - Chilkoot from Whitehorse Alaska Tours Yukon Tours and Travel Alaska Mountain Guides - Chilkoot and Trail of '98 to Dawson ... add a recommendation here Porters and pack animals are not available. If you are not an experienced, confident hiker, we advise you sign on with a tour. LOCAL INFORMATION Parks Canada Chilkoot Klondike Goldrush National Historic Park National Parks Service Skagway Chilkoot Trail conditions - NPS Chilkoot Trail group guide - NPS ... add a recommendation here BEST TREKKING GUIDEBOOKS The Most Famous Trail in the North - Chilkoot Pass - Satterfield, 2004 Lonely Planet Hiking in Alaska - Dufresne, 2001 A Hiker's Guide to the Chilkoot Trail Falcon Hiking Alaska - Littlepage, 1997 Hiking With Ghosts: The Chilkoot Trail - Backhouse and Dorst, 2000 ... add a recommendation here If you buy just one guide, get the latest edition of Satterfield. Of the 3 guides we carried, Hiking With Ghosts (a travelogue) was the most enjoyable to read at night aloud on the trail. We were excited to hear of a new guidebook, From the Chilcotin to the Chilkoot, 2005, by Lougheed. Unfortunately we were misled by the title as the Chikoot Trail section is minimal. BEST TRAVEL GUIDEBOOKS Lonely Planet Alaska - Dufresne, Penland, Root, 2003 Fodor's Alaska - Johansen (Editor), 2006 The Milepost - 2006 (updated annually) ... add a recommendation here OTHER RECOMMENDED BOOKS Klondike Fever - Pierre Berton Chilkoot Trail, Heritage Route to the Klondike - Neufeld and Norris, 1996 Into the Wild - Jon Krakauer, 1997 The Call of the Wild and White Fang - Jack London Chilkoot: An Adventure in Ecotourism - Ingelson (Ed), 2001 Klondike - Pierre Berton Gold Rush Dogs - Murphy Alaska - Michner ... add a recommendation here BEST MAPS Trails Illustrated Chilkoot Trail 1997 ... add a recommendation here topo trail map - Parks Canada Chilkoot Trail - BirdShooter, hike profile 1 Chilkoot Trail - BirdShooter, hike profile 2 Skagway maps - NPS ... add a recommendation here BEST WEB PAGES After this page, the best links are Chilkoot Trail - Wikipedia Hiking the Chilkoot Trail - Lundberg why hike the Chilkoot? - i-NEEDtoKnow.com Chilkoot Trail - BirdShooter White Pass & Yukon Route railway - Lake Bennett - Skagway Frontier Excursions - shuttle Skagway - Dyea Alaska Direct Bus ... add a link here BEST PHOTOS & TRIP REPORTS Chilkoot Trail - chilkoot-trail.com, 2004 Chilkoot Trail - chilkoot-trail.com, 2003 Chilkoot Trail - chilkoot-trail.com, 1972 !! Chilkoot Trail - Binnendijk, 2000 Chilkoot Trail '98 trip report - Lundberg, 2003 update Chilkoot Trail - ~kbuenau Chilkoot Trail - Kiely, 1998 Chilkoot Trail - McCharles, a comic travelogue Chilkoot Trail - GrandCanyonTreks.org, 2002 Chilkoot Trail - Dickson Chilkoot Trail - Dick Postma, 1997 Chilkoot Trail Stampede trip report - Dickson, 2001 historical photo album - Carcross Community School ... add a link here MOVIES, VIDEOS, DVDs add a recommendation here Next Chilkoot Adventure? We want to hike the Chilkoot, then continue on down the Trail of '98 by water to Dawson City. (600mi+)