White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad
The White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad is the most popular excursion in Skagway and is a highly recommended tour for visitors. The railroad was built during the Klondike Gold Rush in 1898, and took the 110 mile landmark a little over 2 years to complete. It also transports passengers between Skagway and Whitehorse situated in Yukon, Canada.
The White Pass and Yukon Route Railroad was initially used by prospectors during the Gold Rush period. After this had ended, the miners of resources such as copper, lead and silver would use the railroad to transport freight towards the Yukon Territory. During World War II, the railroad was used to supply construction materials used to build the US Army’s Alaska Highway.
Metal prices had collapsed in which led to the temporary shutdown of the railway on October 1982. A few years later, cruise liners frequently stopped at Skagway, bringing in a constant flow of tourists to the area. The railway reopened as the White Pass Route in 1988, as a passenger railway.
Today, the White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad has become the popular excursion choice for visitors to Skagway. Passengers are given a tour of a lifetime. The rail service offers different excursion types, e.g.: Fraser Meadows Steam Excursion, Yukon Adventure, White Pass Summit Excursion, Rail & Motorcoach Connections.