The White Pass & Yukon Route Railway is the only company offering train trips through the Yukon. The railroad, built from 1898 to 1900, stretches 110 miles from Skagway, Alaska, to Whitehorse, the capital of Yukon Territory. The rail route was originally a commercial enterprise, but in 1988 it was reconstituted as a tourism enterprise. The first 67 miles of track, from Skagway to Carcross, Yukon, is utilized for three different train trips. The railroad is designated an International Historic Civil Engineering Landmark.
White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad offers three train excursions departing from Skagway, Alaska: White Pass Summit, Fraser Meadows Steam, and Yukon Adventure. The season runs from May to September, with specific dates and times for each trip. Reservations are recommended for all the trips. All excursions are narrated to give passengers a feel for the landscape and an understanding of the Yukon's frontier history.
Chugging over bridges, through tunnels, and across scenic wilderness for 40 miles, the White Pass Summit Excursion is the most popular White Pass & Yukon Route rail journey. A vintage train transports passengers past Dead Horse Gulch, Bridal Veil Falls, Inspiration Point and into the history of the Klondike Trail. The destination on this excursion is the 2,865 foot White Pass peak.
The train excursion takes between three and three and a half hours, beginning and ending in Skagway. Trips are scheduled every day of the week from May 12 to September 21, with departures at 8:15 a.m. and 12:45 p.m. Tickets are $112, and $56 for children, as of March 2011. No passport is required for this excursion.
The Fraser Meadows Steam Excursion incorporates everything from the White Pass Summit Excursion, plus an added 12 miles traveling by steam locomotive -- Engine No. 73 or No. 69. The four-hour, 56-mile journey steams up steep grades and around hairpin turns till the land flattens at Fraser Meadows.
The train excursion departs Skagway Monday through Friday from May 27 to September 16. The only departure is at noon. Tickets are $155 for adults and $77.50 for children. Passports are required, as this excursion travels into Canada.
The one-way Yukon Adventure takes in 67 miles of track from Skagway to Carcross. The trip begins with a steep climb to White Pass summit and then into Yukon Territory, where the train has a layover at Lake Bennett Station, allowing passengers time to explore the historical gold rush town. The excursion includes a meal at the Bennett Eating House. After the layover, the train rolls on to Carcross, where passengers disembark.
The one-way Yukon Adventure runs from May 22 to August 31. Trips depart Skagway Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday at 7:45 a.m. The reverse journey departs Carcross Monday, Tuesday and Friday at 10:30 a.m. One-way tickets are $170 for adults and $85 for children. Passports are required.
