White Pass

Visiting White Pass

Called “The Scenic Railway of the World”, the railway through White Pass is still operational today, and it takes visitors on a journey over the same trail that adventure-seeking prospectors traveled more than a century ago. With incredible summit view and a wealth of history to explore, White Pass remains an integral part of Alaska’s legacy. By far, our most popular tour in Skagway is indeed the White Pass Railroad Summit Excursion and Train Tour.

About White Pass

In the late 1800s, gold fever had hit Alaska, and White Pass played a key role in the Gold Rush and expansion of settlement across the state. Sitting at an elevation of 2,864 ft., White Pass is a crossing between the Boundary Ranges of the Coast Mountains boarding Alaska and British Columbia. This pass leads from the historic city of Skagway to Bennett Lake and the headwaters of the Yukon River.

More Ways to Experience White Pass

Some of the most popular ways to experience White Pass include:

• White Pass Railroad Summit: A scenic train tour


• White Pass Summit & Beyond Tour: Travel into the Yukon


• Skagway Your Way Private Tour: Take 3 hours for the drive of your dreams


• Skagway Yukon Sled Dog Tour: This sled dog tour includes summiting White Pass


• Liarsville Gold Rush Camp & Salmon Bake: Travel back in time to the Gold Rush and feast on salmon


• White Pass Mountaineering Adventure: Serious hikers can experience the summit firsthand


• Laughton Showshoe Experience: Combine a scenic train ride with a snowshoe adventure

Geography and the W.P. & Y.R. Railway

When choosing between the Chilkoot Trail and the White Pass Trail, many gold prospectors chose White Pass—but not without challenges. The unforgiving landscape of the Coast Mountains made for harsh, often deadly, conditions on the Trail, with sheer cliff drop-offs of hundreds of feet and snowdrifts that could pile up to 30 feet or more.

The ruggedness of White Pass also made it a challenge to complete the White Pass & Yukon Route Railway. This railroad was the solution for getting prospectors across the deadly Pass, and this marvel of engineering was built in the middle of the 1898 Klondike Gold Rush. In 1899, the first passenger train reached Lake Bennett through the completed rail system.

History of White Pass

White Pass was a secret of the native Chilkoot tribe of Alaska until 1887, when William Ogilvie hired Captain William Moore to map the boundary between the United States and Canada. Until that point, the only known way to cross the mountains to the Canadian interior was Chilkoot Trail—a rugged mountain route that was difficult to pass and not suitable for wagons.

With the help of a Tagish First Nation native named Keish, better known as “Skookum Jim Mason”, Moore discovered the Chilkoot secret of crossing the mountain range. The pass was then named by Ogilvie after the Canadian Minister of the Interior, Thomas White.

Moore came back to settle in the area on a 160-acre homestead while he worked on blazing a trail to the summit of White Pass. In 1896, Skookum Jim discovered gold in the Klondike—eventually leading to Moore’s original homestead being overrun by gold seekers flooding to the region.

Interesting Facts

The summit of the White Pass Trail lies only 15 miles from Skagway, and today, it’s a popular destination to enjoy stunning Alaskan views and to get a firsthand look at the trials and tribulations that Gold Rush prospectors faced when traveling to the Klondike gold fields.

• White Pass Trail is also called “Dead Horse Trail” after 3,000+ horses died on the trail in a period of one year during the initial Klondike Gold Rush.
• The Skagway Historic District and White Pass is a United States National Historic Landmark.
• Both the original cabin and Moor House built by William Moore are preserved, restored, and open to visitors as museums.
• The infamous “Soapy Smith gang” from Skagway terrorized newcomers to the Klondike during the late 1800s, until they were run-off in the famous Shootout on Juneau Wharf.
• Legends says that the first official ticket for the W.P. & Y.R. Railway was sold in 1898 by a man who paid 25 cents per mile after pleading to be taken onboard an inspection train.

Points of Interest

Visitors to White Pass will climb almost 3,000 feet over 20 miles, seeing the mountains, glaciers, and waterfalls of the Skagway area like never before. As one of the most popular shore excursions and an International Historic Civil Engineering Landmark, White Pass is a must-see on any traveler’s list.

View more of the best things to do in Skagway or all of our Skagway tours.