Bikes are everywhere in Skagway, owing to its small, pancake-flat downtown and a population of summer workers from the Lower 48 making short commutes on tight schedules. There’s even a free bike-repair station out front of Skagway’s public library.
But the town also is a great destination for a weekend bicycle trip from Haines or Juneau. State and private ferries charge only a small fee for bringing your bike along. Due to some rough sections, take a mountain or cross bike.
Two tent campgrounds are available downtown and two more are located near the Dyea flats, 10 miles from town. Choose between a couple days in town whooping it up at the watering holes, or load up on groceries for a peaceful weekend on Dyea’s beaches and trails. There are a few hills between Broadway and Dyea but the views will push you along.
Heading north on the Klondike Highway, turn left onto Dyea Road about a quarter mile past the Skagway River Bridge. There’s a great overlook of town, Lynn Canal and the cruise docks on your left about a mile in. Everyone stops here for a photo.
Continuing on, watch for marine mammals and eagles along Long Bay and loop into the wide moraine at Dyea. Two campgrounds are available here, one maintained by the National Park Service staffed by rangers near the Chilkoot Trail start, and a more primitive, free municipal campground at the end of the road on the Taiya River flats.
Once you set up your tent, you can make day hikes along the Chilkoot Trail or Lost Lake Trail, beachcomb the tidal flats, visit the Slide Cemetery, and on hot days, take a plunge into Lost Lake. All are separated by a short few-minute bike ride.
Watch for new bike trails now under construction (2020) near Yakutania Point.
