Trip Summary Trip Dates: Jun 08 - Jun 15 Start - End Locations: Juneau, Alaska - Days: 8   Rest Days: 0   Level of Support: Self-contained Miles: 350 Average Miles Per Day: 50 Surface: Road Riders: 14 Type: Self-Contained   Meals: Shared cooking Accommodations: Camping Physical Difficulty: Intermediate   Cost: $999 Booking Status: Closed

At the end of the longest fjord in North America lies a region steeped in gold mining history and north-country culture. Here you’ll also find the opportunity to follow the paths of gold rush stampeders through an incredibly scenic and beautiful region spanning Canada’s Yukon Territory and the southeast Alaska panhandle. The route follows the Dalton Trail and White Pass gold rush routes of the historic gold mining era of the late 1800s. On our ride, however, the bounty will be not a precious mineral, but expansive views, pristine landscapes, open roads, and camaraderie.

The route begins in Juneau, Alaska, dubbed America’s most scenic state capital, where the miles of abandoned mining tunnels outnumber the miles of road. Surrounded by the Tongass National Forest, a seventeen-million-acre temperate rain forest representing nearly a third of the old-growth temperate rain forest left in the world, we’ll camp within sight of the Mendenhall Glacier and a jaw-dropping view of waterfalls, icebergs, and rugged peaks.

A 68-mile ferry trip over the Alaska Marine Highway will afford opportunities to view coastal glaciers, island lighthouses, marine wildlife, and the snow-capped Chilkat Mountain Range on our way to Haines. Featured on the cover of the 2004 Outside Magazine “20 Dream Towns” issue, Haines is nestled along the shores of the Lynn Canal. It’s not surprising, perhaps, to learn that the renowned naturalist John Muir helped found this community. We’ll head north along the Haines Highway, crossing the Chilkat Pass into an alpine environment, as we follow the path cut by native Tlingit traders with people of the interior.

The area west of the 150-mile-long Haines Highway is a network of territorial, provincial, state, and national parks that forms a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The area’s Kluane National Park is home to the St. Elias Mountains and the world’s largest concentration of Dall sheep.

At Haines Junction, we’ll head east for 90 miles along the Alaska Highway, following the Dezadeash and Takhini Rivers. We’ll see the scars of the massive 1958 Takhini Burn, before arriving in the Yukon’s capital city of Whitehorse—a name derived from the fact that the churning water of the Yukon River reminded early travelers of the manes of white horses.

Our route then heads south along the Klondike Highway through the Yukon, British Columbia, and finally back into Alaska. Just outside the town of Carcross, short for Caribou Crossing, we’ll encounter the world’s smallest desert. Other nearby highlights include the blue-green waters of Emerald Lake, the ruins of the Venus Mine clinging to the hillside above Windy Arm of Tagish Lake, and the moonscape scenery near the Klondike Highway Pass.

Entering Alaska, the steep, 11-mile descent into Skagway provides views of the coast and the White Pass and Yukon Railroad. Once a lawless frontier boomtown, Skagway is home to the Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park, the Gold Rush Cemetery, and the Chilkoot Trail.

Challenging and rewarding, 350 miles of stunning scenery, gold rush history, alpine lakes, and coastal rainforests are your canvas for this cycling adventure.

For more detailed information, see Self Contained trip logistics.