Bears around Skagway: what visitors and hikers need to know

By Skagway Times editors · Checked October 18, 2026

State wildlife managers call all of Skagway bear country, not just the backcountry. Black and brown bears are both seen regularly along the Chilkoot Trail. Most cruise passengers never meet one, but if you're walking to Lower Dewey Lake, heading out to Dyea or starting up the Chilkoot, a few minutes of preparation is worth it.

Where bears turn up near Skagway

• Dyea and the Taiya River. The National Park Service notes that brown bears work the Dyea area in spring looking for food, and that the late-summer salmon run there draws bears, birds and people. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) says salmon in the Taiya River between July and September attract both black and brown bears, and suggests watching for tracks, scat and clawed trees around Dyea. In late August 2023 the park closed the Dyea campground because of bear activity and property damage, reopening it on September 5 with a "Bear Aware" advisory.
• The Chilkoot Trail. Parks Canada describes the trail as black bear and grizzly habitat on its side of the border where bear activity can bring closures.
• The Klondike Highway. ADF&G says roadside bear sightings are most likely in late spring and early autumn, when bears feed at lower elevations.
• Town and the Dewey Lakes. In fall, bears enter a heavy-feeding phase before denning and come into town after fruit and unsecured garbage. KHNS reported sightings near 19th Avenue and around City Hall, including a brown bear sow with cubs. The Dewey Lakes trails start at the edge of town, so treat them as bear country too.

Black bear or brown bear?

Color will fool you: black bears can be cinnamon, gray or even white. The NPS suggests looking at shape instead:

Before you go: a short checklist

• Check with the park visitor center (2nd and Broadway) for recent bear activity, especially before visiting Dyea. Chilkoot hikers must stop at the Chilkoot Trail Center on Broadway for an orientation before starting, and the park recommends its 20-minute bear safety film there.
• Walk with others, and make noise near streams, brush and blind corners, where a bear may not hear you coming. Leave the headphones off.
• Be extra alert at dawn and dusk, and back off if you smell something dead or see birds gathered over a carcass.
• Carry bear spray where you can reach it in a second or two: on a belt or chest holster, not inside your pack.

Food storage and attractants

Bears that learn to get human food can become dangerous and may end up having to be killed, so storage rules exist for the bears' sake as much as yours.

• On a day hike: keep your pack and snacks within reach at every break. Never leave them unattended.
• At Dyea campground: keep food and anything scented out of your tent, follow the posted storage rules and dispose of garbage properly.
• On the Chilkoot (US side): the NPS asks hikers to put food, trash and scented items in the bear boxes and to pack out leftovers.
• On the Chilkoot (Canadian side): Parks Canada asks you to lock all attractants in the bear-resistant lockers as soon as you reach camp, before choosing a tent site. That covers food, garbage, dishes, stove and fuel, and toiletries. Cook and eat only at the shelters or picnic tables, never at your tent.
• In town: if you're staying a while, keep garbage secured and don't put it out the night before pickup.

If you meet a bear

This summary follows NPS and ADF&G guidance. Read the full pages before a backcountry trip.

1. It hasn't seen you: stay calm and move away quietly, keeping an eye on it.
2. It has seen you: stand still, talk to it in a calm voice and wave your arms so it knows you're a person. Don't run and don't climb a tree. Get small children and pets to safety right away.
3. It's stationary: back away slowly and give it room. If it follows, stop and hold your ground.
4. It charges: most charges are bluffs. Hold your ground. Use bear spray when a charging bear is about 60 feet away or closer.
5. A brown bear makes contact (a defensive attack): play dead. Lie flat on your stomach, legs apart, hands protecting the back of your neck, pack on. Stay still until you're sure it has left. Fight back only if the attack goes on.
6. A black bear attacks, or any bear seems to be stalking you (predatory behavior): do not play dead. Fight back with whatever you have, aiming at the face.

If you have an encounter in Dyea, there is a red emergency phone at the Dyea Ranger Station near the campground entrance, or call 911. Report non-emergency sightings to the park visitor center at (907) 983-9200.

Bear spray: buying it, using it, and traveling with it

Using it. The NPS prefers bear spray to firearms for self-defense, and recommends only EPA-registered bear spray, not personal-defense pepper spray. Practice pulling the can and removing the safety clip before you need to. Aim a little low so the cloud forms between you and the bear, and expect wind, rain and cold to cut its range. Parks Canada suggests short bursts and leaving the area once the bear retreats.

Buying it in Skagway. The NPS tells Chilkoot hikers that Skagway is the last place to gear up, since Dyea has no stores, and that local retailers carry many items but selection can be limited. We could not confirm from a business's own page which Skagway shops sell or rent bear spray. Call ahead rather than counting on finding a can.

Flying home with it. You almost certainly can't. The FAA says most bear sprays are larger than the 4-ounce limit and cannot go on a plane, and Parks Canada says bear spray is not allowed on commercial flights even in checked baggage.

Taking it back on your cruise ship. Cruise lines set their own rules. Holland America's prohibited-items list bans pepper and mace cartridges and tear gas sprays, limits aerosols to small personal-care amounts, and says its list is not complete. Check with your line before you buy. Don't assume you can carry a can back aboard.

On the White Pass train and into Canada. We could not find a White Pass & Yukon Route policy on bear spray, so ask the railroad before you bring a can on board. For Canada, Parks Canada says bear spray is legal there only if it is clearly labeled for use on animals and holds 500 ml (or 500 g) or less. It also says sprays sold for protection against people, such as mace, are not legal in Canada. Those pages don't say what to declare at the border, so ask the Canada Border Services Agency before you cross with a can.

The safe way to see brown bears: Haines

If you want a good look at brown bears, the easiest route from Skagway is the Haines Skagway Fast Ferry. It takes about 45 minutes, runs May to September, and leaves from the dock on Congress Way. ADF&G says brown bears come to the Chilkoot River outside Haines from mid-June through October to feed on salmon, with July and August the peak.

Alaska State Parks' guidance for the Chilkoot River corridor asks visitors to park only in pullouts, stay a safe distance away and leave the far bank to the bears. It notes that the view from a vehicle is good too, and that feeding bears or attracting them with food or garbage is illegal. A guided tour handles the ferry timing and the driving. See our Wildlife Safari & Bear Viewing page.