Skagway Facts!

Skagway fact #1 – Skagway rules!

Most people traveling to Alaska for the first time have no idea Skagway even exists. After discovering that “Skagway” is one of their ports of call, they often say, “Where the heck is that?” When they arrive in town, they have a lot of questions about small-town life in Alaska’s great frontier. Most tourists are flabbergasted that people so good looking and charming could live in a such a remote place. This list of Skagway facts will help you better understand the unique appeal and charm of our little Alaskan town.

Skagway facts – The town

• Skagway was Alaska’s first incorporated city and still the best.
• Skagway has a population of around 800 in the winter, and 2,800 during the tourist season.
• The Skagway Borough also encompasses Dyea.
• Many famous people have traveled through Skagway, including Jack London and Dick Van Dyke.
• Skagway has two grocery stores, The Fairway Market, and You Say Tomato.
• Food is barged into Skagway.
• Skagway is one of three Southeast Alaska communities with a connective road.
• Travel to Juneau from Skagway is only possible by boat and airplane.
• Skagway frequently gets high winds.
• Skagway’s most famous resident was the outlaw Soapy Smith.
• Skagway has a public library, recreation center, and medical clinic.

Skagway facts – The winter months

• Skagway does not “shut down” in the winter.
• There are four restaurants open during the winter months – The Station, Sweet Tooth Cafe, Skagway Brewing Company, and Glacial Smoothies.
• There are 4 Bars open during the winter months, Happy Endings Saloon, Skagway Brewing Company, The Elks Lodge, and the Eagles Lodge.
• A special Santa Train runs every December and Canadians usually take over the train.
• Northern lights are frequently spotted in Skagway on clear nights.
• It can get cold in Skagway, but it’s usually milder than you may expect.
• Skagway only gets 26 inches of precipitation a year, so there usually isn’t much snow.
• The Klondike Highway remains open year round but does occasionally close to clear avalanches or because of bad weather.
• The closest McDonalds, movie theater, or Walmart is 100 miles away.

Skagway facts – The tourist season

• Skagway is the best town to visit on your cruise.
• Skagway boasts a large tour infrastructure so there are countless things to do.
• Almost all species of wildlife seen in Alaska can be found in Skagway and the surrounding region.
• Skagway is only 50 miles from the Yukon Territory, but the Klondike is 500 miles away.
• The Gold Rush is not a place, but rather a period in history.
• The White Pass & Yukon Route train is the most popular land-based excursion in Alaska.
• There are countless events during the summer, including relay races, softball tournaments, and a drag show.
• You have to travel to Whitehorse or Haines to play golf, which is why my game is so bad.
• Skagway has a two-lane bowling alley, but tourists can only play on it if they’re Elks members.
• During some years, humpback whales are frequent local visitors.
• Skagway has a terrible housing shortage in the summer because so many seasonal workers are required.
• Skagway rules.
  

  Oh, and Haines has a museum for hammers.