Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park Overview

The Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park is divided into two units: Seattle and Skagway.

The Seattle unit commemorates the important role that Seattle played as the staging area for the 1890s gold rush. It was from here that news of the gold strike in Canada's Yukon Territory spread across the country, and from here most prospectors left for the gold fields. Today the park has a visitor center in the Pioneer Square Historic District, the center of Gold Rush activity. This story of the Gold Rush is depicted in exhibits and audio-visual presentations.

The Skagway unit tells the story of thousands of gold hungry stampeders brought to Skagway and Dyea, Alaska, by news of the gold strike. The White Pass Trail from Skagway and the Chilkoot Trail from Dyea were the most popular overland routes to the gold fields. Today the park has a visitor center in Skagway, and administers the Chilkoot Trail and White Pass Trail units.