Destination attractions things to do in haines

Posted: 02/09/2007--25/11/2008 || Rate this Article: 3 || Views|| Sign In || Register ||Hello Guest

As ferries and cruise ships approach their landings in Haines, Alaska their passengers behold the snow-clad Takhinsha Mountains standing majestically behind the small, southeastern Alaska town. People come to Haines to enjoy its sheer beauty, friendly welcome, outdoor adventures and historical and cultural offerings. With 60 inches of annual precipitation, Haines offers a comparatively drier climate than many of the other coastal places in Alaska. Its average high temperature in July is 66F and the daily average minimum in January is 16F. Cars, ferries, boats, airplanes, and even bicycles bring visitors to Haines. The thirty-five minute flight from Juneau to Haines doubles as a sightseeing excursion.

Haines straddles a narrow peninsula at the northern end of Lynn Canal, North America's longest (60 miles) and deepest (1,600 feet) fjord. The explorer George Vancouver, one of the first Europeans to travel to the area, named the fjord after his homeport of Kings Lynn in England. On the west side of the peninsula the Chilkat River flows into the Chilkat Inlet of Lynn Canal. The Chilkat, meaning basket of many fish, band of the Tlingits portaged their canoes across the thin strip of land where Haines now stands to avoid the twenty-mile paddle around the peninsulas point. On the east side of the peninsula is Haines harbor at Portage Cove, which lies on the Chilkoot Inlet of Lynn Canal. The Chilkoot, meaning basket of large fish, band of Tlingits lived a little farther up the fjord. The Tlingits name for the Haines area was Dei Shu, meaning end of the trail.

These Native coastal people traveled to the Interior lands to trade rendered candlefish (eulachon) oil, seashells and baskets for caribou hides, moccasins, birch wood bows made by the Athabaskan tribes. Referred to as one of the grease trails, the path the coastal traders followed became part of the course many prospectors traveled on their way to the gold fields during the Klondike Gold Rush. This well beaten track crossed the Chilkat Pass, elevation 3,510 feet, which was one of the few mountain passes offering access to the Yukon from the coast.

During World War II, the U.S. military built the road from Haines Junction, Yukon Territory, to Haines, 150 miles south, in order to provide an emergency evacuation route to the Pacific tidal area in case of a Japanese invasion of Alaska. At Haines Junction, the Haines Highway connected with the Alaska Highway, or ALCAN (the military acronym for Alaska-Canada) Highway, that the U. S. army built in 1942 from Dawson Creek, B.C. to Delta Junction, AK. Usually snow free by May, the now paved and well maintained Haines Highway is one of the two year-round roads linking southeastern Alaska with the Interior. All along its course the highway offers spectacular views of towering mountain peaks, glaciers, rivers, lakes and wildlife.

Beyond the Takhinsha mountains lie the ice fields of Glacier Bay National Park. From the Haines airport, visitors can take flights over this stunning park, which is less than 25 air miles away. Lying just north of the Glacier Park are the Tatshenshini- Alsek Wilderness Provincial Park, the Kluane National Park, and the Wrangell-Saint Elias National Park and Preserve, which together encompass one of the largest unbroken regions of protected wilderness in the world. This huge tract of truly wild lands provides habitat for grizzly bear; Dall sheep; the glacier bear, a rare form of black bear whose fur is smokey-blue; and many other kinds of wildlife that animal lovers are thrilled to see.

Alaska Marine Highway vessels serve Haines from southeast Alaska, Prince Rupert, B.C. and Bellingham Washington. In the summer daily ferry service and high-speed catamaran rides connect Haines and Skagway. While Skagway lies just 14 miles from Haines by water, the route by land between the two towns is 360 miles!

The Haines area's miles of trails, shorelines and river banks offer a range of easy to strenuous hikes as well as flower viewing, bird and other wildlife watching. The Visitors Center, downtown on 2nd Street, offers two free handouts, a trail guide entitled Haines is for Hikers and a checklist of Birds of the Chilkat Valley. The relatively flat Battery Point Trail leads 1.2 miles to Kelgaya Point, along the Lynn Canal. Three trails lead to the 1,760 feet top of Mt. Riley. Hikers there are rewarded with a panoramic view of the Davidson and Rainbow Glaciers, Lynn Canal, the Chilkat River, Taiya Inlet that leads to Skagway, and 360 degrees of snow covered peaks. The hike up and down Mt. Ripinsky (3,900 feet) offers more extensive view of mountains and inland waterways, but it is ten miles long and quite challenging.

A drive on Mud Bay Road leads south of town to Chilkat State Park which offers beach access, splendid views of the Davidson and Rainbow Glaciers across Chilkat Inlet, a picnic area, and a 6.9 mile hiking trail to Seduction Point at the tip of the Chilkat Peninsula. A drive north of Haines on Lutak Road goes to the Alaska Marine Highway ferry terminal almost 4 miles from town, and ends at the State Recreation Site, with picnic and camping areas, at picturesque Chilkoot Lake, ten miles from the middle of town. Just before arriving at the lake, visitors see the Alaska Department of Fish and Games fish weir that is used to count the sockeye salmon returning to Chilkoot Lake between June and September.

Spring brings excellent king salmon fishing in Chilkat Inlet. The Haines King Salmon Derby, held Memorial Day weekend, presents great prizes to the winners. The Chilkat, Lutak and Chilkoot Inlets provide the best halibut fishing in summer. From early spring to late fall, Dolly Varden can be caught in the lakes and rivers and along the marine shorelines. Sockeye, pink, and coho salmon and cutthroat fishing are also excellent in the Haines area. For more fishing information, anglers can contact the ADF&G.

Haines businesses offer fishing charters, sightseeing, wildlife viewing, and photography excursions. Its tour and rental operations offer alpine and glacier hiking, mountaineering, ice climbing, dog sledding, snowshoeing, backcountry skiing and climbing trips, rafting adventures on the Tatshenshini and Alsek rivers, jet boat rides on the Chilkat River, sea kayaking rentals and guided tours, nature trips with local naturalists, and off-road bicycle tours. People who want to enjoy outdoor activities and adventures on their own can find gear for all seasons and activities such as climbing, camping, paddling, fishing, hunting at Haines outfitters and hardware stores.

Scattered around town and on Haines outskirts are many arts and crafts galleries and gift shops where shoppers can browse and buy finely crafted items made by Chilkoot and Chilkat Tlingits and other resident artists.

People who want to learn about the Haines varied cultural heritage can tour the Sheldon Museum and Cultural center on Main Street near the harbor. It contains an excellent collection of Tlingit artifacts and other historical and cultural items related to the area. On the second floor, visitors can watch the slide show on the local history and n Audubon video about the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve. Not far from there, the Tsirku Canning Company has recreated an old salmon canning factory with reconditioned antique equipment and includes a video with its tour.

Between 1900 and 1904, just south of Haines town center, the U.S. Army built Fort William H. Seward, named in honor of the Secretary of State who negotiated the purchase of Alaska from Russia in 1867. Fort Seward was the first permanent Army post in Alaska and the only military base in the territory until 1940. It was renamed Chilkoot Barracks in 1923 to commemorate Chilkoot Pass. After WWII, the post was deactivated and the property sold. Eventually private owners restored the buildings to use as homes, retail businesses, arts and crafts galleries, and commercial lodging. In the 1970s Fort Seward regained its former name and was declared a National Historic Landmark. Its white Victorian buildings surround the central parade ground where the Totem Village with a colorfully adorned Tlingit Tribal House now stands. Twice weekly in the summer, the Haines Salmon Bake is held next to the Tribal House. In the effort to revitalize Tlingit culture, the highly praised Chilkat Dancers wearing Chilkat blankets and other authentic dress and carved masks perform in the Tribal House one night a week from June to August, bringing to life the legends of the ancient Natives.

In the non-profit Alaska Indian Arts, Inc., centered in the historic hospital building on the southeast side of Fort Seward, guests can watch master silversmiths, woodcarvers and other crafters at work and can buy crafts for sale from the artisans. The Haines Visitors Bureau offers a free, detailed historical guide and walking tour of Fort Seward.

Special events draw people to the Haines area throughout the year. In mid January, from the U.S. / Canada border, 40 miles north of Haines to Dezadeash Lake on the Haines highway and back, racers participate in the Alcan 200 International Snowmachine Race.

Late May brings the celebration of the annual Great Alaska Craftbeer and Homebrew Festival, including a dinner and awards. Visitors can taste the best of regional microbrews at this gathering.

In the third week of June, the Kluane to Chilkat International Bike Relay begins in Haines Junction, Yukon Territory with two, four and eight person teams racing to cross the finish line in Haines, Alaska. On the Saturday closest to the summer solstice, the Summer Solstice Celebration offers live music, dancing, food, and handcrafted beer at the Fairgrounds, just off the Haines Highway. Visitors can wander around Dalton Citys Gold Rush era buildings, which were created in 1990 at the Fairgrounds location as the film set for Disneys White Fang. A few businesses, including a restaurant now occupy those buildings.

Haines July 4th Independence Day Celebration includes the Mt. Ripinsky Run, a parade, barbecue, soapbox derby races, kids fishing derby, and other fun events.

In August, the five day fun packed Southeastern Alaska State Fair and Bald Eagle Music Festival attracts 15,000 people to the Fairgrounds for its logging show, farmers market, pig races, food, dog show, parade, exhibits and evening concerts by nationally known performers.

In June 1982, the State of Alaska established the 48,000 acre Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve just nine miles north of Haines in order to protect this critical habitat of the world's largest concentration of bald eagles and the natural salmon runs in the Chilkat River. From mid fall to January close to 100,000 chum salmon swim upriver to spawn. Most of the lower Chilkat River stays open through the winter because of warm ground water (40F) that naturally percolates into it near the Tlingit village of Klukwan, keeping the river water from freezing.

Soon after spawning, the salmon die, providing a feast that attracts all kinds of wildlife, including over 3,500 bald eagles at a time of year when other food sources are meager. Most of these raptors fly in from other areas to perch in the enormous cottonwoods lining the Chilkat River, giving them ready access to the plentiful salmon. The stretch of braided river flats which parallels the Haines Highway between Mile 18 and Mile 21 has become known as the "Council Grounds" because it is the prime eagle congregation area and so offers the main viewing area for eagle watchers. Birders must not stop on the road, but need to pull into the roadside turnouts which are 19.2, 20.2, and 20.6 miles from Haines. At these pullouts, visitors may read the interpretive panels about the eagles, watch the great raptors and take photos. Some of the turnouts have restrooms, photographers blinds, and hiking trails. On the drive to the eagle preserve visitors can view fish wheels Native people use to catch migrating salmon.

During the third week in November, Haines Alaska Bald Eagle Festival celebrates the peak of the winter eagle gathering with educational seminars, tours, art exhibits, and special family events.

Travelers who come to Haines during spring, summer and early fall stand an excellent change of seeing some of the areas resident bald eagles which number about 200.

People who want to learn more about the huge raptors are welcome at the non-profit educational and research American Bald Eagle Foundation which operates a natural history museum containing over 100 full sized mounted specimens, including a variety of mammals and marine and aquatic creatures. It is open year round and located at the intersection of the Haines Highway and 2nd Avenue.

Haines spectacular vistas, exciting activities, fascinating cultural heritage, and helpful, friendly people combine to make it an Alaska destination of boundless enjoyment.