The Chilkoot Trail: day hikes, permits and the closed border at the pass

By Skagway Times editors · Checked October 18, 2026

The Chilkoot Trail is the hike most people picture when they think of Skagway. It runs 33 miles (53 km) from Dyea, Alaska, over Chilkoot Pass to Bennett, British Columbia. You can taste it in an afternoon or spend several days on it. Before you plan anything, read the border section below: right now no one is allowed to hike the whole trail from end to end.

A short history

Long before the gold rush, the Tlingit used the trail as a trade route and controlled who traveled it. It opened to Euroamerican travelers in the 1880s, and Tlingit and Tagish packers were hired to carry their gear. In 1897 and 1898, during the Klondike Gold Rush, stampeders hauled a year's worth of supplies up the pass, where the North West Mounted Police checked their outfits. In winter, the last climb was the Golden Stairs, a line of steps cut into the snow. On April 3, 1898, an avalanche between Sheep Camp and the Scales killed dozens of people, the worst disaster on the trail.

The stampeders then built boats at Lindeman and Bennett lakes. When the ice on Bennett finally broke up on May 29, 1898, about 800 boats set off for Dawson City that day. Once the White Pass & Yukon Route railroad was built over the White Pass from 1898 on, the Chilkoot was quickly abandoned. Today it is a recreation trail, and it was named a National Historic Trail in 2022.

Getting to the trailhead at Dyea

The U.S. trailhead is just north of the old Dyea townsite. NPS puts it about 9 to 10 miles from Skagway. The Dyea Road is mostly dirt and is graded each summer. From the Trail Center, drive north toward the Klondike Highway, turn left onto Dyea Road, and follow it about 7 miles. The parking lot is on the left and the trailhead is across the road on the right.

The park doesn't run transportation to Dyea. Private companies offer rides and tours, or you can drive a personal or rental car. Parking at the Dyea Townsite is limited to 4 hours. Overnight hikers park at the Dyea Campground, about a quarter mile from the trailhead. The campground costs $10 per site per night, first come, first served.

The day hike to Finnegan's Point

For most visitors, the best way to see the Chilkoot is as an out-and-back day hike. NPS lists four options from the U.S. side:

• Saintly Hill: 2 miles round trip. It climbs about 500 feet in the first half mile and then drops back down toward the Taiya River.
• Beaver Ponds: 6 miles round trip, ending at ponds crossed on raised boardwalks.
• Finnegan's Point: 10 miles round trip. It climbs gently through coastal rainforest to views of the Taiya River and the Irene Glacier.
• Canyon City Loop: 16.75 miles round trip from the trailhead. NPS says only experienced, well-prepared hikers should try it as a day hike.

Finnegan's Point is at mile 5 and is the first campground on the trail, at an elevation of 249 feet. It has a warming shelter with a wood stove, bear boxes and an outhouse. On a clear day you can see the Irene Glacier hanging above the far side of the river. Budget the drive to Dyea on top of the hike itself, and keep your ship's all-aboard time firmly in mind.

Permits, reservations and fees

Season. From June 1 to September 12, every overnight hiker needs a permit, and campsites must be reserved. On the U.S. side, from April 1 to May 31, no permit is needed and sites are first come, first served. The Canadian side has its own shoulder-season permits for April 15 to May 31 and September 13 to October 31.

U.S. side (NPS). Reserve on Recreation.gov, print the permit, and validate it at the Chilkoot Trail Center in Skagway. Everyone in your group must attend a safety orientation there. The Trail Center is on Broadway between 5th and 6th avenues. During permit season, orientations are at 9 am, 11 am, 1 pm and 3 pm. Recreation.gov lists a $20 nonrefundable permit fee per trip. You may camp only in the designated campgrounds, and you choose them when you apply.

Canadian side (Parks Canada). Reserve through reservation.pc.gc.ca or by phone at 1-877-RESERVE. Fees for 2026, in Canadian dollars:

You can make, change or cancel a Parks Canada reservation until 11:59 pm two days before you arrive. Permit fees are fully refundable up to 21 days before your trip and half refundable after that. Reservation fees are not refundable. Orientation is mandatory, and you must attend it within 2 days of your hike. For the Canadian side it is held in Whitehorse.

The border, Bennett and the train

The border is closed to hikers. Chilkoot Pass is roughly the halfway point of the trail and sits on the U.S.–Canada border. In 2026 it is illegal to cross the border on the trail in either direction. Hikers must stay on one side and turn around at the pass. The pass isn't an official port of entry and has no customs facilities, which is why both countries are keeping it closed. The trail first shut in 2020, and crossing has not been allowed since both sides reopened.

In practice, a "full 33 miles" trip now means one of two out-and-back hikes:

• From Dyea to the pass and back. Sheep Camp, at mile 13, is the last U.S. campground before the summit.
• From Bennett to the pass and back. That is about 26 km (16 miles) each way with roughly 450 m of climbing. Parks Canada notes that the round trip is about as long as the whole trail.

Getting to and from Bennett. There is no road to Bennett. You arrive and leave by train, air charter or boat, and walking the railroad tracks is not allowed. The White Pass & Yukon Route (WP&YR) runs a Chilkoot Hiker Service that connects Bennett with Skagway or Carcross. It requires a passport and recommends getting your Parks Canada permits before you book seats. As of mid-October 2026, the booking page showed no available dates, so call WP&YR at 1-800-343-7373 for the current schedule. Bennett has a small WP&YR depot museum that is open while the train is in. For border and customs questions, contact the Canada Border Services Agency in Whitehorse at 1-867-667-3943 or U.S. Customs and Border Protection in Skagway at 1-907-983-3144.

Trail segments and campgrounds

Mileages are NPS mile markers, measured from Dyea. Canadian site counts come from Parks Canada.

*The pass mileage is our own calculation. Parks Canada puts the pass 26 km from Bennett, and NPS puts Bennett at mile 33, or 53.1 km.

Guided hike-and-float trips

If you'd rather not organize the drive and the hike yourself, cruise lines sell guided Chilkoot hike-and-float excursions. One example, listed by Carnival, takes 4.25 hours in all. It includes a 30-minute van ride to Dyea, a hike of about 2 miles that climbs to around 350 feet, and a 40-minute float down the Taiya River in an 18-foot raft. The minimum age is 7. Check your own cruise line's listing for details and price.

Bears and weather

Brown bears and black bears are often seen along the Chilkoot. NPS recommends that every hiker watch a 20-minute bear safety film at the Trail Center. Parks Canada recommends carrying bear spray at all times. As soon as you reach camp, put all food, garbage, cooking gear, fuel and scented toiletries in the bear lockers, and cook and eat only in the designated areas. During breaks, keep your pack within arm's reach.

The pass has its own hazards. Snowstorms can happen even in midsummer, and fog is common. There may be avalanche danger until mid-July, and parts of the route can stay under snow until then. There is no cell service anywhere on the trail, so carry a satellite communication device.