Haines is situated at the upper end of North America’s longest and deepest fjord. It is 14 miles south of Skagway and 80 miles north of Juneau.
The Chilkat Valley is home to abundant wildlife and Haines is home to one of the highest concentrations of Bald Eagles in North America. 260 other species of birds also pass through the Chilkat Valley each year. The Chilkoot River offers an amazing opportunity to view both brown and black bear. Visit the information center for a Wildlife Viewing Guide.
Haines can be reached via the 159-mile Haines Highway which branches from the Alaska Highway 100 miles north of Whitehorse at Haines Junction. The Haines highway was built in 1943 and is now one of Alaska’s best and most scenic highways. The town is served by the Alaska Marine Highway System, as well as scheduled air and bus transportation. Across the waters of the Chilkat River is Pyramid Harbor and the start of the Dalton Trail — one of the routes to the gold fields of the Klondike. This trail was developed by the Chilkat Indians for the purpose of trading in the interior and was improved in the late 1880’s by Jack Dalton.
