Alaska's cities

Haines, Alaska

Drive or float to Panhandle town for eagles, fishing and history

By Leon Unruh / Alaska.com

Haines is the home of the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve, where as many as 4,000 bald eagles gather each fall to feast on spawning salmon. Hundreds of people also flock to the preserve and to Haines for the Alaska Bald Eagle Festival each November, about the time snow arrives.

The area's many lakes and varied terrain attract many migratory birds as well. Birders are likely to find as many as 80 common species, according to "Birds of the Chilkat Valley," published by the Haines Convention and Visitors Bureau.

But Haines has its attractions in warmer weather, too. The summer highs reach into the 70s, and Haines doesn't get as much rain as many of the other Inside Passage towns.

Fishing for salmon in the Chilkat River and Lutak Inlet is good, and anglers also pursue halibut and red, silver and pink salmon.

Hikers find a number of trails, including routes along the coast in Chilkat State Park as well as to summits overlooking the water. The "Haines Is for Hikers" booklet is available at the visitors center on Second Street.

Cruise ships bring quite a few visitors to town, creating a demand for excursions. There are a number of tours available, as well as charter boats. Although the sound of the flights is not universally enjoyed in town, small planes and helicopters use Haines as a launching point for flightseeing and air taxi service into the Tongass National Forest and Glacier Bay National Park.

Situated where the Alaska ferry system meets Alaska's road system, Haines is a well-used port for drivers -- car and RV -- who don't want to travel the entire Alaska Highway. Many people board a ferry in Bellingham, Wash., float to Haines and then drive up the Haines Highway (passing through a part of British Columbia and Yukon Territory) and then on to Alaska's Interior Alaska or Southcentral Alaska regions.

Drivers who want to visit nearby Skagway, another gold rush town, may find it better to take the ferry instead of the highway. Skagway is 14 miles by boat and about 350 miles by road.

Haines got its start as a mining and fishing town. Klondike stampeders of the late 19th century landed at Haines and then walked north along the Dalton Trail. Livestock also were pushed along the trail. Later, the Haines Highway -- a narrow, scenic route -- was laid roughly parallel to the trail.

In the gold mining days, the U.S. Army established its presence at Fort William H. Seward south of downtown Haines. The post, later renamed Chilkoot Barracks, was the last "gold rush" post to be closed.

Haines has a special place in Alaska's musical lore. Elinor Dusenbury, the homesick wife of a post commander (1933-36) at the barracks, wrote the music to what became the state song, "Alaska's Flag," after leaving the state. The tune was set to a poem written by Marie Drake in 1935.