The White Pass and Yukon Route Railway is a popular attraction for cruise guests visiting
Skagway, Alaska.
Completed in 1900, the railroad was the primary means of transportation for prospectors travelling
over the White Pass to the goldfields in the Yukon.
The “White Pass Summit Excursion” allows guests to ride in vintage-style passenger
cars along the same route as gold prospectors of the past while seeing spectacular views,
gold rush points of interest, and more.
The narrated tour takes about two-and-a-half hours as the train travels forty miles round-trip
to the White Pass summit at 2,888 feet in elevation.
We enjoyed the White Pass Summit Excursion with our little JellyBean while visiting Skagway
during our Alaskan cruise in late May of 2019.
The “White Pass Summit Excursion” can be booked through your cruise line or the
railroad’s website.
If you book through your cruise line, you’ll board the train alongside your ship.
We purchased tickets through the railroad’s site and selected a departure time that was
convenient for our schedule.
The site offered minimal savings, but our non-cruise-line passenger car also seemed
to be less crowded for our tour.
If you book through the railroad, be sure to allow 15-20 minutes for the roughly half-mile
walk from the furthest Skagway piers to the train depot.
The White Pass Depot is one of the first buildings you’ll see in Downtown Skagway.
The depot has restrooms,
a gift shop,
a small coffee bar,
and a cute photo op.
Large complimentary maps of the train’s route are available at the ticket booth.
The map helped us track the points of interest -- and our current elevation -- during the tour.
A smaller version is available in the All Aboard magazine.
Each White Pass and Yukon Route train has multiple engines and passenger cars, including
some that are wheelchair accessible.
Each car is heated and has several rows of padded seats that each hold two adults.
Small windows at the top of the cars can be opened for fresh air and restrooms are located
in the back of the car.
During our tour, complimentary bottled water and brochures were available and the tour
guide’s narration was broadcast through the speakers.
On an interesting note, almost all of the passenger cars are named for a lake or river
in Alaska, the Yukon, or British Columbia.
When you board the train, be aware that both sides of the train will have views of all
of the sights by the end of the tour.
The left side will see most of the sights on the way up to the summit and the right
side on the way down.
Although you cannot move from car to car, you can enjoy the tour from the outdoor platforms
at the front and back of each car.
As the train leaves the depot, there will be a few sights located on the right side
of the train.
The first is Harriet Pullen’s grave.
“Ma Pullen” was an entrepreneur during the Gold Rush who eventually opened and owned
an upscale hotel.
Further along on the right, the abandoned Salmon Hatchery was established in 1982 by
the city as a vocational opportunity for local high schoolers.
Gold Rush Cemetery is located on the right, at mile 2.5 of the journey.
It was the first cemetery of Skagway and many people tied to the Gold Rush are buried there.
As the train leaves town, the Skagway River -- which starts in British Columbia, Canada
-- will be visible on the left side of the train.
At mile 5.8, the train crosses the Skagway River near the start of the Denver Glacier trail.
At mile 6.9, Rocky Point provides a great view back to Skagway and the cruise ships,
with Mount Harding in the distance.
Across the canyon, you can see the Klondike Highway, which also leads to the White Pass
Summit.
Near mile 8, you can catch a glimpse of a large whirlpool and rapids in the Skagway
River that are rated Class 6, or “unpassable.”
The “On to Alaska with Buchanan” sign on the opposite side of the canyon at mile
8.8 was reportedly painted in the 1930s and 40s to commemorate George Buchanan,
a businessman who helped bring boys from Detroit to Alaska each year.
After passing Buchanan Rock, you’ll likely see more and more waterfalls on the rocky
side -- or right side -- of the railroad.
At mile 11.5, you can see Bridal Veil Falls, which -- according to the brochure -- “cascades
6,000 feet from the glaciers on Mount Cleveland and Mount Clifford.”
Heney Station at mile 12.3 was named for Michael J. Heney, the man who authorized and managed
the construction of the railroad.
Near Heney Station, the railroad track splits.
During our tour, two other White Pass and Yukon Route trains passed in the opposite
direction heading back to Skagway.
While we waited, our train was stopped near a small avalanche that was still visible up
the mountainside.
As the train approaches the bridge, you’ll pass Glacier Station and the start of the
Laughton Glacier trail at mile 14.
After crossing the bridge, Mount Carmack will be visible in the distance.
The mountain was likely named after George W. Carmack, whose group discovered the gold
that started the Klondike gold rush.
Near Glacier Gorge, the train enters Tunnel Mountain at mile 16 for a pitch-black journey
to the other side.
The view from Inspiration Point at mile 17 -- through the criss-crossing mountainsides
to Skagway below -- is breathtaking.
The 400-foot steel bridge at mile 18.6 was the tallest cantilever bridge in the world
when it was completed in 1901.
The replacement for the steel bridge and the 675-foot tunnel at mile 18.8 were completed
in 1969.
At mile 20.4, the train will reach the White Pass Summit and cross the US/Canada border,
which is designated by two flags and a marker.
The train then turns back and begins the descent to Skagway.
Along the way, there are several opportunities to take great photos of your train against
a spectacular Alaskan backdrop.
After finishing the White Pass and Yukon Route railway tour, the train depot is a great place
to start exploring Skagway, starting with the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical
Park next door.
Kids can complete a Junior Ranger book in advance -- at home or on the train ride -- and
turn it in to be sworn in as a Junior Ranger.
Ranger-led tours through Skagway’s Historic District are available and tickets can be
reserved online in advance.
Finally, a fun photo op near the train depot -- especially for smaller kids -- is the railroad’s
HUGE Rotary Snowplow #1 that was built in 1898 and retired in 1965.