White Pass & Yukon Route
Skagway to Carcross
Skagway → Carcross
- 106 km along the track
- 4 stops
- 9 commentary points
The Klondike gold rush railway, climbing from tidewater at Skagway up a mountain wall to the White Pass summit and the Canadian border, then past Lake Bennett, where the stampeders built their boats, to Carcross in the Yukon.
Stop Overnight stop Commentary point
Legs
| From | To | Distance | On the train |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skagway | Fraser | 42 km | about 1 h 30 min |
| Fraser | Bennett | 20 km | about 1 h |
| Bennett | Carcross | 43 km | about 1 h 50 min |
Approximate scheduled times. Check the timetable with the operator before you travel.
Things to know
- Passport needed - the train crosses into Canada at the White Pass summit, and passengers clear Canadian customs at Fraser. Bring a passport or other accepted travel document, also for the trip back into the United States.
- Summer only - the railway runs from late May to mid-September, with most trains timed around the cruise ships in Skagway. Book ahead; the Carcross service runs less often than the summit trips.
- Sit on the left going up - on the climb to the summit the best views of the gorge are on the left side going north (the right coming back).
- Time zones - the operator's times are in Alaska time. The Yukon keeps UTC−7 all year, an hour ahead of Alaska in summer.
- Carrying on - coaches link Carcross with Whitehorse, about an hour north by road, and with Skagway for passengers riding the train one way.
- Patchy signal - mobile coverage fades on the climb and is mostly gone between the summit and Carcross; a phone may also switch to a Canadian network and roaming charges.
Ride it with Rail Passages
All 9 commentary points on this route, triggered by GPS and readable offline.
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GPS may not be available everywhere. Tunnels, deep canyons and some rail cars can block the signal. The app estimates where the train is for a few minutes from its last speed, but cards may come late until the signal returns.