Murrays Guide in Skagway

[Halehuaka_i]

I looked at the free guide online and decided $5 is very little to pay for the complete guide. It's printed out and I will read over a couple times before we get to Skagway.

Thanks, Maryb for the tip on highlighting items of interest:

 

"The guide is very helpful and I had gone over it before hand and highlighted (colourcoded) some things ...e.g. the outhouse stops ;), the must see vista pullovers, the popular bear sighting areas, etc. etc. This was very helpful as the guide is pretty detailed."

 

We are in Skagway on Labor Day!

 

Lei

[mapleleaves]

We have used the guide 2 times for trips up to Emerald Lake and loved it! This time we will be stopping in Haines and would like to explore the roads out of Haines. Does anyone know of a similar guide for Haines? Or could you suggest where we should go to view scenery and wildlife? Thanks!

 

Bells has one:

http://www.bellsalaska.com/myalaska/yukon-highway-3.html

 

View info and request a free visitor guide on the Haines web site:

http://haines.ak.us/home

 

Check your library for Alaska travel books, and copy the pages you need for the trip.

 

There is good bear viewing around Haines lakes and rivers if you're visiting in Sept. Check with tripadvisor .... there's a resident of Haines who posts regularly.

Edited August 6, 2014 by mapleleaves

[Budget Queen]

We have used the guide 2 times for trips up to Emerald Lake and loved it! This time we will be stopping in Haines and would like to explore the roads out of Haines. Does anyone know of a similar guide for Haines? Or could you suggest where we should go to view scenery and wildlife? Thanks!

 

I've used Murray's- listed under roads and highways. http://www.explorenorth.com

Edited August 7, 2014 by Budget Queen

[fleckle]

We have used the guide 2 times for trips up to Emerald Lake and loved it! This time we will be stopping in Haines and would like to explore the roads out of Haines. Does anyone know of a similar guide for Haines?

Yes, Murray also has a guide for the Haines Highway, from mile 0 to mile 152.8.

 

Direct link here> Exploring the Haines Highway, Alaska & Yukon Territory

 

When you get there, notice that he includes photos plus a number of other helpful links.

 

 

Edited August 7, 2014 by fleckle

[BlessedAgain]

We will be in Haines the last week in August. Will there be any salmon running then? Where would be our best bet for spotting bears along our drive? I'm so familiar with Skagway, but Haines is a whole new world for me! How far can you expect to travel up the highway and back in one day, stopping for views of course?

[Budget Queen]

We will be in Haines the last week in August. Will there be any salmon running then? Where would be our best bet for spotting bears along our drive? I'm so familiar with Skagway, but Haines is a whole new world for me! How far can you expect to travel up the highway and back in one day, stopping for views of course?

 

Yes, you have a good chance of catching a salmon run and maybe some bear sightings. You are best to allow for plenty of "waiting" time. The area is along the creek to the Chilkoot Lake. When bears have been my priority there, I slowly drive the area back and forth. A good expansive viewing area is to park in the pull off and walk over to the bridge and look around with binoculars. There is a campground at the lake, and picnic tables, if you want to spend all day outside and eat. But their outhouse bathrooms have been some of the "worse" I have seen in Alaska (and I've seen a LOT of Alaska outhouses :)

 

The above is NOT the Haines Highway, you make a right along the coast and follow the road to the end- a few miles to the campground and lake.

 

For the Haines Highway drive, I would suggest, just driving to the Yukon sign and returning. It is expansive scenery the whole way. Haines is very different from Skagway. I suggest you look at their visitor guide- available online, and determine what would be of most interest to you.

[dhmom99]

As of May 14, 2014, there is a FREE version of the guide, An Explorer's Guide to the South Klondike Highway. Although much shorter than the paid version, it's still more complete and much more current than the other 2 guides to that highway worth noting, Bell's and the one published by the Skagway News.

 

nice.

[dateacher]

Just used it last week. It was a great resource. I printed it out and highlighted the stops I didn't want to miss. The woman at the car rental place offered us maps and when I said I had something she asked if it was Murray's? Obviously, Murry's is well known around those parts.

 

Just as a warning, we actually missed Emerald Lake on the way up. Not sure if we missed any signs or were just too busy looking at something else. We caught it on the way back.

[FloridaMimi]

I really hope you budgeted trip insurance into your travel expenses. If the $5 is an issue, then I hope you have plans in place for emergency as the onboard medical clinic isn't inexpensive, and an emergency disembarkation can be very costly.

 

I know this from experience, and will never cruise without insurance... we are finding out just how nice it is to have had it this last cruise.

 

Just a thought...

 

I totally agree. We've never had to use it, but still get it on every cruise we take. My motto is....... I'd rather have it and not need it, than need it and not have it. :)