Skagway

Skagway sits at the northern end of the Lynn Canal in Southeast Alaska and was the starting point of the Klondike Gold Rush trail in 1897-98. The town has a few blocks of restored wooden-fronted buildings along Broadway Street, maintained as part of the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park. Ships dock right in town. The White Pass & Yukon Route Railway is the main attraction: a narrow-gauge train that climbs 873 metres over 32km through tunnels, over trestles, and past waterfalls to the summit of White Pass. The round trip takes about 3 hours. The Gold Rush Cemetery has the graves of famous characters from the era, including con man Soapy Smith. The Red Onion Saloon, a former brothel, is now a bar with a small museum upstairs. Hiking trails lead to waterfalls and viewpoints above the town. The US dollar is the currency.