One of the most popular tourist activities in Skagway, Alaska is taking the train on the White Pass and Yukon Route. This historic railway is great for train enthusiasts, as well as nature lovers, history buffs, and any kid obsessed with Thomas the Tank engine. We were lucky enough to take one of these excursions on an Alaska cruise.
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History
If you know anything about the Yukon Gold rush, then you’ll recognize White Pass as one of the two routes people used to get into the Yukon. The narrow-gauge railway was completed in 1900 after the initial rush of people to the gold fields had subsided into everyday business. It links Skagway and Whitehorse, though there are other stops on the way. Along the route you can see the Chilkoot trail taken by so many on their trip to the Yukon. You’ll definitely be glad you are riding instead. You can also see the old bridge the train used to use and the remains of a historic derailment .
The Views
Alaska is beautiful. However, most of it looks more or less like where I live in Western Washington: trees, water, mountains. There were two places in Alaska that didn’t just look like home to me. The first was viewing the glaciers, and the second was taking the train on the White Pass and Yukon Route.
The train sets out pretty steeply, and before you know it, you have an amazing view back toward Skagway and of the cruise ships sitting at the pier. Pretty soon you are at 3,000 feet which is above the tree line that far north. There are actually still trees, but even centuries-old conifers are only about a foot tall. Picture alpine meadows but with miniature trees. There were lovely little ponds and wildflowers too. The only wildlife we saw from the trains were some birds.
How To See It
This is not a cheap excursion. The White Pass summit excursion is about $134 per adult when booked through the White Pass and Yukon Route website. Cruise passengers may also book through their cruise line. It looks like you might save a little money booking directly through the website, but in this case, I would suggest booking through the cruise line for two reasons. First, the WP & YR website actually suggests this as it allows you to board the train right at the pier. Second, there are many excursions that combine the train ride with other activities. For example, our excursion only went as far as the summit, then switched to a bus ride back for a different view and a stop at Liarsville.
Is it Safe?
There have been two accidents on the line this century. In 2006 a work train with no passengers derailed killing one worker and injuring three others. In 2014 there was a derailment that resulted in some minor injuries to passengers and workers. You’ll have to decide if that seems safe to you or not.
Other Considerations
I have a mild fear of heights. The Mount Roberts Tramway didn’t really bother me much at all even though it lifts you off the ground and all the way up a mountain. The White Pass train bothered me a lot even though it’s actually on the ground. It wasn’t the bridges. It was the precipitous drop right next the train tracks on some stretches. For some reason this translated into me feeling the need to lean in the opposite direction. My brother, seeing me list to the side like a sailing ship in a strong wind, reasonably asked, “What are you doing?” My equally reasonable reply was, “Keeping the train on the tracks. You can thank me later.” My dad who also dislikes heights had no trouble at all and sat like a normal person for the whole ride. Go figure. Fellow acrophobes, you have been warned.
You may need your passport with you depending on the excursion you choose. Make sure to read the fine print wherever you reserve your trip.
There are bathrooms available on the train and the trip is narrated so that you know what you are seeing. You can even go outside on the ends of each car, but you get the feeling you are taking your life into your hands to do so. Some excursions include a box lunch.
This is a fairly long excursion for kids, but it does have the advantage of changing scenery. Kids can also move around more than they could in a car or bus. They can swap seats with a sibling, climb on your lap, etc. We had 3 five-year-olds and ten-year-old with us. They all found it tolerably interesting, and there wasn’t any whining.
Have you ridden the White Pass and Yukon Railway? What did you think? Please be sure to scroll down to leave a question or comment below.
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I haven’t done that one, my husband is afraid of heights and some of those pictures of the train right on the edge make me a little nervous, too! Maybe some day we’ll try it. I definitely want to get back to Alaska.
I’m really glad I did it, even if I was leaned sideways half the trip!