White Pass & Yukon Route Railway

The White Pass & Yukon Route is a 3-foot narrow-gauge railway begun on May 28, 1898; it reached the White Pass summit on February 20, 1899 and the golden spike was driven at Carcross on July 29, 1900. It climbs almost 3,000 feet in about 20 miles on grades near 3.9 percent. Freight service stopped in 1982 and the line reopened as an excursion railroad in 1988; it was named an International Historic Civil Engineering Landmark in 1994. The Summit Excursion runs 2.5 to 2.75 hours past Bridal Veil Falls, Inspiration Point and Dead Horse Gulch. Hiker service stops at the Denver (6 miles) and Laughton Glacier (14 miles) trailheads, with 7:40 am and 12:40 pm departures; no animals are allowed on hiking trips. The depot is on Second Avenue, about a 10-minute walk from the airport.