Once the gold rushers hit Skagway, two routes led into the Klondike. One of them is followed today by the White Pass and Yukon Route railroad, which runs from Skagway to White Pass Summit in three hours. In the early days of the gold rush, it went by the name Dead Horse Trail because thousands of the poor creatures fell to their deaths from it while hauling miners’ supplies.

The other route into the Klondike was the 33-mile Chilkoot Trail, which you can still walk today. The only footpath in Klondike Gold Rush park, the trail is managed through an agreement between the national park services of the United States and Canada.

The Park Service visitor centre in the old railroad depot on Second Avenue and Broadway offers films, exhibits, ranger talks, and information on conditions along the Chilkoot Trail. Rangers lead excellent walking tours of historic Skagway, which depart several times daily.