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Haines, Alaska, is situated on a spit of land on the west side of the Lynn Canal along one of the deepest fjords in the Inside Passage. It is one of only three ports in southeast Alaska with access to North American roads. As a result, Haines is a busy place in the summer. Many vacationers (and their vehicles) ride a ferry to Haines and head up the Haines Highway to the Alaska Highway into northwestern Canada and the Alaskan interior. Other visitors arrive by cruise ship. In warm-weather months, the town's population swells considerably.

A haven for bald eagles and artists, Haines is distinctive, with the officers' quarters of historic Fort William H. Seward nestled around a parade ground and the snowy 6,500-ft/2,015-m Cathedral Peaks towering in the background—all visible from the water. The first permanent army post in Alaska, the fort now houses hotels, restaurants, art galleries, Alaska Indian Arts and the Chilkat Center.

Each fall, more than 3,500 eagles flock to the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve on the Chilkat River to feast on a late run of salmon. Several hundred remain in the area throughout the year.

Must See or Do

Sights—Fort William H. Seward; Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve; Haines Highway.

Museums—Alaska Native arts and crafts, including a Chilkat blanket, along with pioneer and gold-rush artifacts at the Sheldon Museum and Cultural Center; interpretive displays on the natural history of the Chilkat Valley and its annual eagle population at the American Bald Eagle Foundation; 1,800 hammers at the Hammer Museum.

Memorable Meals—Warm chocolate molten cake with pistachio ice cream and cherry compote at the Halsingland Hotel Commander's Room Restaurant; fresh crab, seafood and prime rib at the Fort Seward Restaurant and Saloon.

Late Night—The Bamboo Room and Pioneer Bar on Front Street, featuring a back bar from 1886; the Officers' Club Lounge at Hotel Halsingland at Fort Seward.

Walks—Traversing rain forest on the Battery Point Trail; great views hiking on Mount Riley; Mount Ripinsky's north peak (3,650 ft/1,132 m); the 7-mi/11-km hike through beach and forest on the Seduction Point hiking trail.

Especially for Kids—Visiting Dalton City, a replica frontier town created for the Disney movie White Fang; playing on the playground at Tlingit Park; skateboarding at Haines Skate Park.

Geography

The rainy maritime climate of southeast Alaska meets the drier continental climate of interior Alaska and Canada at Haines, resulting in warmer and drier conditions during summer than most southeast Alaska communities. The area sports not only the hemlock and spruce forests of the Alaska's Inside Passage rain forest but also pines, birch, cottonwood and other deciduous trees prevalent in the interior. Wild berries abound, drawing 120 species of birds, foremost among them the American bald eagle. Haines has the world's largest congregation of bald eagles each fall. About 3,500 eagles congregate along the Chilkat River in the Valley of the Eagles.

Tucked on a peninsula between Lynn Canal and the Chilkat Inlet, Haines is further defined by a backdrop of mountains. Chilkat Range peaks tower 3,500-6,000 ft/1,085-1,860 m above the small community. A short flight to the west is Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, home to 11 tidewater glaciers. The drive northwest along the Haines Highway skirts Kluane National Park and Preserve and the Tatshenshini-Alsek Provincial Park, both part of the first binational World Heritage Site, 20 million acres/8.1 million hectares of protected wilderness that includes the largest nonpolar ice cap in the world and 350 valley glaciers.

History

Haines has a lot to offer the history buff. Originally called Deishu (pronounced DAY-shoo), meaning "end of the trail," it was a trading post and ancestral home for both the Chilkoot and Chilkat Tlingit tribes. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, it was one of the gold-rush gateways to the Klondike. An early entrepreneur, Jack Dalton, used the Tlingit Trail through the coastal mountains to create a toll road and charged miners en route to the Klondike. Part of that trail became the picturesque Haines Highway.

Missionary S. Hall Young and naturalist John Muir chose Haines as the site for a Presbyterian mission. The town was named for Francina Haines of the Presbyterian Home Missions Board. Commercial fishing, three canneries employing imported Chinese laborers, the timber industry and agriculture flourished in the fertile area.

An ongoing border dispute between the U.S. and Canada prompted construction of Fort William H. Seward, named for the secretary of state who arranged Alaska's purchase from Russia in 1867. Men, mules and oxen cleared the land. Foundations for the buildings were cut from local granite, and by 1904, officers stationed in this wilderness outpost had ornate Victorian fireplaces and beautifully carved door and window frames in their quarters. It was the only military base in Alaska for the next 20 years. The fort was decommissioned after World War II and is now a National Historic Landmark.

Potpourri

Thanks to an alluvial fan reservoir of relatively warm water and a late run of salmon, more than 3,500 eagles congregate in the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve, Miles 18-24 Haines Highway, during the fall. The Chilkat Valley is a year-round home for 200-400 eagles.

The bald eagle, found only on the North American continent, can fly at 30 mph/48 kph and reach 100 mph/161 kph during a dive. Their wing span is 6-8 ft/1.8-2.4 m and they weigh 9-12 lbs/4-5.4 kg, with females slightly larger than males. They can spot fish, their main diet, from more than a mile/kilometer away. Eagles mate for life and live up to 30 years. You can recognize an immature eagle by its mottled brown and white plumage. It takes four to six years for eagles to develop the characteristic white (bald) head and tail feathers.

In the early 20th century, when eagles were thought to threaten salmon runs, there was a US$2 bounty paid for bald eagle carcasses. The birds are now protected by federal law.

Built in 1903, Fort Seward is Alaska's first military post. It was designed to be a show place, a symbol of the U.S. Army's strength in Alaska. The officers' quarters had the latest conveniences, including indoor flush toilets, claw-foot bathtubs and marble-topped washstands.

The Alaska Native trade route from water to the interior was dubbed the "grease trail," because one of the most important items on the route was oil extracted from eulachon (pronounced hooligan), tiny candlefish or smelt that are so oily you can light them and use them as candles.

Haines is one of just three cities in southeast Alaska that are accessible by road (Skagway and Hyder are the other two).

The Alaska Marine Highway is the intrastate ferry and primary mode of transport in these parts. It also connects to parts of British Columbia and Bellingham, Washington.

Parts of Walt Disney's White Fang movie, starring Ethan Hawke, was filmed in Haines in 1990. The town is also home to Discovery Channel's hit series Gold Rush Alaska.

Location

Unlike many other southeast Alaska communities, Haines is not inundated with cruise ships during the summer. Although some ports get three to five ships a day, Haines only sees one ship each week, on Wednesday.

Most cruise ships pull up to the Port Chilkoot dock at the foot of historic Fort Seward, a few blocks south of the town center. Some smaller cruise ships dock at the Fast Ferry dock, a block south of the Port Chilkoot dock. On those rare occasions when more than one ship is in port, passengers may be tendered to the dock in smaller craft. There is also a small-boat harbor downtown, and the Alaska Marine Highway ferry terminal is 5 mi/8 km north of town.

It's about a 10-minute walk from the docks to downtown. The visitors center there is open May to mid-September Monday-Friday 8 am-5 pm, till 6 pm Wednesday; Saturday and Sunday 9 am-noon and 1-4 pm. During winter, it's open Monday-Friday 8 am-5 pm.

The center has a brochure with a walking-tour map of the town and Fort Seward. Nature lovers should ask for "Haines Is for Hikers," a brochure listing several nature walks and hikes. There's also a local bird list (many bald eagles and other birds spend time in Haines each year). The visitors center is at 122 Second Ave. S. Phone 907-766-2234. Toll-free 800-458-3579. https://www.visithaines.com.

Shore Excursions

Popular shore excursions include tours of the town and surrounding sights by van or bicycle, river-rafting through the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve, kayaking in the area fjords (Lutak and Taiya inlets), hiking in the Alaskan rain forest and flightseeing trips to nearby glaciers.

Charter boats offer saltwater fishing, and several outfits guide hunting trips. There's also fly-in fishing. For motorists, the Golden Circle drive is a scenic three- to five-day jaunt to the Yukon and Skagway, and the return to Haines is via a summer water taxi.