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Alaska Natives. A "klabas," or scaling knife resembling an Eskimo ulu, used by Athapaskans at Yukon fish camps along Yukon River near Tanana. Alaska Task Force # 2347-25-R4165
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Alaska Natives. Copper artifacts from the Dixthada site (Athapaskan: 600 B.P.) near Healy Lake in Tanacross, Alaska. Alaska Task Force # 1808-13-4289
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Alaska Natives. Two people staring towards the water next to a small boat and a hut in the Alaska Region.
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Alaska Natives. Two people staring towards the water next to a small boat and a hut in the Alaska Region.
Alaska free images - Moore Homestead
Moore Cabin (left) and J. Bernard Moore House In 1887, Captain William Moore and his son Bernard (Ban) began construction of a log cabin and wharf at Skagway Bay and named their site "Moorsville." They cleared... More
Alaska free images - Moore Homestead
Moore Cabin (left) and J. Bernard Moore House In 1887, Captain William Moore and his son Bernard (Ban) began construction of a log cabin and wharf at Skagway Bay and named their site "Moorsville." They cleared... More
Alaska free images - Moore Homestead
Captain William Moore Cabin In addition to the cabin, expansions in and around the historic property included a wharf, a sawmill, a pack trail, and a business office. In 1895, Ben Moore began acting as a guide... More
Historic Dyea Townsite - National Parks Gallery
Pullen Barn ruins Beginning around 1895, Robert Wright kept stock on this property, including cattle, horses, chickens, and several trail dogs. It became part of the Emil Klatt homestead in 1903, and part of t... More
Canyon City Historic Town Site - Public Domain image, National Parks G...
A settlement was established at Canyon City in 1897-98 with the start of the Klondike Gold Rush. A few scattered tents grew into a prosperous village, with 25 businesses and 1,500 inhabitants spanning both side... More
Drainage Feature on Saintly Hill
With the Klondike Gold Rush of 1897-98, as many as 25-30,000 Stampeders crossed into the Yukon by way of the Chilkoot corridor. At first, the trail was little more than a crude footpath along the Taiya River... More
Finnegan's Point Tent Pads - Public Domain image, National Parks Galle...
A small number of settlements sprang up quickly on the trail to serve Stampeders and packers. Aside from Dyea, each of these were nonexistent or only seasonal before 1897. Finnegan's Point, a small resting p... More
Bridge over the Taiya River - Public Domain image, National Parks Gall...
The rugged trail was improved with bridges and sections of corduroy road in 1897, when the Gold Stampede brought tens of thousands of prospectors to the region. Entrepreneurs recouped their development efforts ... More
Historic Dyea Townsite - National Parks Gallery
False Front A 1987 NPS Historic Structures Report identified eleven structural properties of historic significance, including this False Front. The single-story, gabled building served as A.M. Gregg's real est... More
Historic Dyea Townsite - National Parks Gallery
Dyea Long Wharf pilings The wharf pilings consist of twelve-inch round logs, spaced in groups of three and separated by a fifteen-foot gap. They rose sixty feet above the sea floor in deep water, and stood thi... More
Historic Dyea Townsite - National Parks Gallery
Slide Cemetery There were several cemeteries in historic Dyea. Most of the graves in this cemetery belonged to Stampeders who died in a 1898 avalanche on the trail.
Alaska free images - Finnegan's Point
Finnegan's Point, located about five miles north of the Dyea townsite, was the first campsite that served Stampeders and packers. By April 1898, Pat Finnegan constructed a toll road across the Taiya River at th... More
Historic Dyea Townsite - National Parks Gallery
Slide cemetery The Slide Cemetery was built in April 1898 for avalanche victims. On Palm Sunday that year, an avalanche about a half-mile south of the Scales Camp on the Chilkoot Trail let to the creation of t... More
Historic Dyea Townsite - National Parks Gallery
Wharf pilings With the 1899 construction of the White Pass and Yukon Route Railway in nearby Skagway and the demise of the gold rush, parts of the planking disappeared from the wharf. The White Pass railroad p... More
Historic Dyea Townsite - National Parks Gallery
Wharf pilings Although the Arctic Construction Company purchased the wharf in August 1901 with plans to reconstruct it to link with a projected railroad, the venture failed. The wharf burned in 1901, and all t... More
Historic Dyea Townsite - National Parks Gallery
Matthews Cabin In May 1913, William Edward Matthews established a 160-acre homestead in the Dyea Valley. He lived in the cabin until 1922, and his family probably occupied it until 1932.
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Alaska Natives. A woman and two children sit together playing with toys in Ambler, Alaska. Alaska Task Force # 4764-28-4677
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Alaska Natives. Several children perform on a stage in the Alaska Region in traditional costumes.
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Alaska Natives. Former NPS Director Ronald Walker at Eskimo fish camp along Kobuk River. Alaska Task Force # 4482-15-R4146
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Alaska Natives. Athapaskan woman cleaning fish at Tanana Survival School along the Yukon River. Alaska Task Force # 2341-26-R4159
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Alaska Natives. Men putting out fishing nets in the water in the Alaska Region. Alaska Task Force # 2559-35-3324
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Alaska Natives. Eskimo woman with tour group organization in Kotzebue, Alaska greeting visitors at the airport. Alaska Task Force # 4479-34-4728
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Alaska Natives. Two men sitting next to an earthen mound in the Alaska Region holding skulls.
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Alaska Natives. A woman in the Alaska Region works on making something.
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Alaska Natives. "Winged object," an ivory carving of prehistoric Eskimo origin from the Bering Sea region. From the collection at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Alaska Task Force # 2252-23-4730
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Alaska Natives. Eskimo man works on a carving in Nome, Alaska. Alaska Task Force # 2114-27-2646
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Alaska Natives. Man holding part of a jawbone in the Alaska Region.
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Alaska Natives. Two people bundled up in fur clothing in a snowy landscape in the Alaska Region. Alaska Task Force # 4771-27-4869
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Alaska Natives. Eskimo women butchering caribou in Ambler, Alaska along the Kobuk River. Alaska Task Force # 1154-R4156
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Alaska Natives. Eskimo woman teaching techniques for caribou skin preparation and mukluk making as part of bilingual program in Ambler, Alaska. Alaska Task Force # 2663-5-4140
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Alaska Natives. Man holding a long pole stands on the beach next to a boat in the Alaska Region.
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Alaska Natives. Athapaskan youth at Tanama Survival School along the Yukon River. Alaska Task Force # 2347-15-R4163
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Alaska Natives. Young boy laughing in the Alaska Region.
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Alaska Natives. Parts of walrus carcasses in the bottom of a wooden boat. Alaska Task Force # 2116-4-2652
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Alaska Natives. Athapaskan girl at Nuchalawoya ("Where the rivers meet") Festival in Tanana, Alaska. Alaska Task Force # 2343-4-R4151
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Alaska Natives. Elderly woman with elaborate feathered headware in the Alaska Region.
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Alaska Natives. Two people fishing in the Togiak National Wildlife Refuge. Alaska Task Force # 4901-04-4764
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Alaska Natives. Wooden carving of a face in the Alaska Region. Alaska Task Force # 1058-27-1024
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Alaska Natives. High kick athletic competition at Eskimo whaling festival in Point Hope. Alaska Task Force # 2118-18-4301
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Alaska Natives. Man holding a long pole stands on the beach next to a boat in the Alaska Region.
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Alaska Natives. Walrus hunters butcher a walrus on ice floes in the Alaska Region.
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Alaska Natives. Eskimos working for a local tour group greet visitors to Kotzebue. Alaska Task Force # 4479-28-4727
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Alaska Natives. Eskimo man tends seal oil lamp on Diomede Island. Alaska Task Force #2321-21-R4158
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Alaska Natives. Athapaskan woman cleaning fish at Tanana Survival School along the Yukon River. Alaska Task Force # 2341-12-R4162
Hosford's Sawmill Site - National Parks Gallery
In the 1940s, Ed Hosford cut a logging road from Dyea to Finnegan's Point. He established his sawmill there in 1948, where it was in operation until it was abandoned in 1956.
Historic Dyea Townsite - National Parks Gallery
Matthews Cabin The gable of the building still existed in the late 1950s and the porch was intact, but by 1979 the roof caved into the house and the porch had been removed. Wet cli... More
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Alaska Natives. Eskimo hunters slice muktuk, or whale blubber, during annual Whaling Festival in Point Hope, Alaska. Alaska Task Force # 2114-14-2644
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Alaska Natives. Two moose swim through a lake off of the Noatak River in Alaska. Alaska Task Force # 2582-37
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Alaska Natives. Whale hunting skin boats, or "umiaks," at the Whale Festival in Point Hope, Alaska. Alaska Task Force # 2119-13-2662
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Alaska Natives. Young Eskimo boy on whale bone perch during Whale Festival in Point Hope, Alaska. Alaska Task Force # 2119-5-2660
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Alaska Natives. Dog salmon drying on fish racks in Kotzebue, Alaska.
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Alaska Natives. NPS archeologist, Zorro Bradley, inspecting a whale hunting skin boat in Point Hope, Alaska. Alaska Task Force # 2119-33-2669
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Alaska Natives. NPS archeologist, Zorro Bradley, inspects one of the Tigara house pits in Point Hope, Alaska. Alaska Task Force # 2119-27-2667
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Alaska Natives. Harpoon point, archeological artifact from St. Lawrence Island in the Geist Collection at the Univeristy of Alaska Fairbanks. Alaska Task Force # 2252-26-4025
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Alaska Natives. A woman sits on the ground gutting fish in Sheshalik, Alaska.
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Alaska Natives. An Eskimo woman boiling walrus flippers in a large pot in a field in Shishmaref, Alaska. Alaska Task Force # 4467-5-R4169
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Alaska Natives. Shoreline in Shishmaref, Alaska covered in oil drums and other debris, along with a few buildings. Alaska Task Force # 4467-21-R4171
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Alaska Natives. Man holding a carved figurine in Mekoryuk on Nunivak Island. Alaska Task Force # 832-28-4352
Historic Dyea Townsite - National Parks Gallery
Matthews Cabin As rising public interest in the Chikoot Trail spread to Dyea, the National Park Service purchased several homesteads, including the Matthews homestead in 1978.
Historic Dyea Townsite - National Parks Gallery
Pullen Barn ruins Several structures at the site date to the Gold Rush period of significance. The barn, part of the Pullen Homestead, collapsed in the winter of 1982.
Suspension Bridge at Canyon City Historic Area
A suspension bridge to the Canyon City historic area was built in 1982.
Historic Dyea Townsite - National Parks Gallery
Pullen Barn ruins The structure, which dates to the Gold Rush period, collapsed in 1982-83 and is now in a state of deterioration.
Historic Dyea Townsite - National Parks Gallery
Tidal flats The NPS restricted grazing in 1979, particularly on the tidal flats, after the U.S. Forest Service reported that continuing the practice at the same intensity would lead to the destruction of marsh... More
Beaver Pond Boardwalk - National Parks Gallery
In 1999, a boardwalk was constructed to provide passage over an area that had flooded due to a beaver dam.
Crossing the Beaver Pond Boardwalk
Trade between native groups consisted mainly of the exchange of typical coastal products for the furs of the interior. Clams, seaweed, dried fish, and sea otter pelts crossed the trail to the north, heading inl... More
Alaska free images - Beaver Ponds
In 1999, a 1,100 foot boardwalk was added at the lower end of the trail to offer passage over an area that had been flooded by a beaver dam.
Glacial Boulders along the Taiya River
Over the past century, the heavily sedimented Taiya River, which receives its primary runoff from glacial sources and annual snowpack, has eroded portions of the historic route. This sediment causes the continu... More
Taiya River Waterfall along the Trail
The Taiya River bends to meet a steep drop in elevation, resulting in a cascade.
Trail on Saintly Hill - Public Domain image, National Parks Gallery
Saintly Hill rises 50' to 300' near the start of the trail.
Historic Dyea Townsite - National Parks Gallery
Slide Cemetery Large, ornate stone headstones were not common in cemeteries of the region in this time.
Alaska free images - Taiya River
Glacial stones at a beach of the Taiya River.
Alaska free images - Trailhead Plaque
A marker at the trailhead indicates the trail's historic status. The Chilkoot Trail was nominated to the National Register as part of a National Historic Landmark called "Chilkoot Trail and Dyea" on November 4, 1992.
Historic Dyea Townsite - National Parks Gallery
Pullen Barn ruins site Public domain photograph by National Parks Administration, nature conservation, tourism, free to use, no copyright restrictions image - Picryl description
Stone Steps at Saintly Hill - Public Domain image, National Parks Gall...
Stone stairs hug the roots of a tree as the trail ascends Saintly Hill.
Historic Dyea Townsite - National Parks Gallery
Marker near the Pullen Barn ruins The barn lies along the main road going into the Dyea Townsite. It consisted of a wooden, simple gabled structure and stood about twelve to fifteen feet high.
Irene Glacier, from the Trail - Public Domain image, National Parks Ga...
The trail's alignment has always been dictated by natural systems of mountains, glaciers, streams, and the river. The current recreational trail and the historic trail do not follow the exact same route, and ch... More
Historic Dyea Townsite - National Parks Gallery
Slide Cemetery Public domain photograph - grave, cemetery, free to use, no copyright restrictions image - Picryl description
Alaska free images - Taiya River
Much of the trail follows the Taiya River. During the winter months, Stampeders could move relatively easily up the frozen river all the way to Sheep Camp. The river's frequent flooding is a challenge for man... More
Beaver Pond Boardwalk - National Parks Gallery
The boardwalk and surrounding landscape at Beaver Pond. Public domain photograph of wilderness, tourism, National Parks, free to use, no copyright restrictions image - Picryl description
Alaska free images - Irene Glacier
The glaciers and streams have influenced the alignment of the trail.
Historic Dyea Townsite - National Parks Gallery
Slide Cemetery Non-contributing fencing was added (between 1985 and 2001) to reduce damage to the cemetery from horses.
Alaska free images - Saintly Hill
Saintly Hill, with its winding stone steps, is a landmark on the Chilkoot Trail.
Alaska free images - Saintly Hill
The first few miles of the Chilkoot Trail were deceptively easy to the Stampeders coming to Alaska in search of gold.
Historic Dyea Townsite - National Parks Gallery
Slide Cemetery Public domain photograph by National Parks Administration, nature conservation, tourism, free to use, no copyright restrictions image - Picryl description
View Near the Trailhead, Looking Southwest
The Chilkoot Trail begins about eight miles west of the town of Skagway. The trailhead is located on the east bank of the Taiya River.
Historic Dyea Townsite - National Parks Gallery
Fencing protects a grave marker at the Slide Cemetery.
Alaska free images - Taiya River
The rushing river Taiya flows past a lush stand of conifers at the base of forested hills.
Alaska free images - Taiya River
The linear Chilkoot Trail corridor, defined by the Taiya River and surrounding mountains, was the backbone along which trail alignment and associated features were built and utilized. By necessity, the organiza... More
Boardwalk through the Beaver Pond
A visitor walks across the boardwalk to the other side of the pond.
Historic Dyea Townsite - National Parks Gallery
Slide Cemetery Public domain photograph by National Parks Administration, nature conservation, tourism, free to use, no copyright restrictions image - Picryl description
Alaska free images - Taiya River
The river, keeping with its natural character, meanders across the landscape and floods seasonally. This results in bank erosion and silt deposition, impacting both historic resources and trail improvements.
Historic Dyea Townsite - National Parks Gallery
Slide Cemetery Public domain photograph - cemetery, graves, free to use, no copyright restrictions image - Picryl description
Alaska free images - Saintly Hill
The trail ascends to Saintly Hill. Public domain photograph of hiking trail, National Parks tourism, free to use, no copyright restrictions image - Picryl description
Historic Dyea Townsite - National Parks Gallery
Pullen Barn ruins Public domain photograph by National Parks Administration, nature conservation, tourism, free to use, no copyright restrictions image - Picryl description
Alaska free images - Saintly Hill
A rocky incline rises up around Saintly Hill. Public domain photograph of hiking trail, National Parks tourism, free to use, no copyright restrictions image - Picryl description
Alaska free images - Saintly Hill
The trail's primary historic use was as a trade route between the coastal Indians of the Chilkat and Chilkoot tribes, which were subgroups of the Tlingit Indians, and the interior Indians, the Tagish or "Stick"... More