A DIY day trip from an Alaska cruise — through mountain passes, tiny towns and some of the most beautiful scenery of our entire journey.
There are certain places where I want someone else to handle the details. And then there are places that make me want a set of car keys and an open road.
Skagway was the latter.
The famous White Pass & Yukon Route railway is one of the most popular excursions from an Alaska cruise, and for good reason. But I wanted something different — the freedom to stop when a view caught our attention, linger when we wanted to, and see what waited beyond the next bend.
So instead of booking another organized excursion, I rented a car.
And it became one of my favorite adventures of our Alaska journey.
Arriving in Skagway
Our ship couldn’t dock normally because of a rockslide area near the pier, so we tendered into Skagway instead.
After getting off the tender, we had a fairly long walk through the dock area toward town. The morning was chilly, but in that wonderful Alaska way — crisp enough for a jacket and absolutely perfect for a road trip.
Skagway almost feels like a movie set at first glance, with its colorful buildings, wooden storefronts and Gold Rush history tucked beneath enormous mountains.
But we weren’t staying in town for long.
We had somewhere else to go.
The Yukon.
Renting a Car in Skagway
I had reserved an SUV through Avis for the day.
At approximately $415, it was certainly not the inexpensive option. There were cheaper alternatives available, including Turo, but because I was traveling with my mom, I didn’t want to take chances with our transportation.
Comfort and reliability mattered more to me than finding the absolute lowest price.
The Avis office itself made me smile. It wasn’t a slick airport rental counter — it was essentially a little hut with a walk-up window.
The local agent handed us a big white binder filled with laminated paper maps and information about the drive.
No elaborate tour guide. No motorcoach.
Just our SUV, our maps and the road ahead.
Sometimes that’s exactly the kind of travel I love.
Making New Friends Along the Way
We had met another couple from Australia who were adventurous travelers and avid cyclists. When we told them what we were planning, we invited them to come along.
They wanted to see the Yukon too, so the four of us headed north together.
One thing I’ve learned through traveling is that some of the most memorable days aren’t necessarily the ones you plan months in advance. Sometimes they’re created by saying, Why don’t you come with us?
And suddenly strangers become part of the story.
Driving the Klondike Highway Into Canada
Once Skagway began disappearing behind us, the landscape seemed to change constantly.
Mountains rose around the highway. Lakes appeared between the trees. Snow still covered the higher peaks, even as the landscape below us became greener.
And because we were driving ourselves, we could stop.
That was the magic of this day for me.
There was no tour guide telling us we had seven minutes before we needed to get back on a bus. If something was beautiful, we pulled over.
If we wanted another photograph, we took one.
If we simply wanted to stand there for a moment and look around, we could.
Crossing from Alaska into Canada also gave the day that wonderful feeling of going somewhere — not simply taking an excursion and returning to the ship.
A practical note: If you’re considering this drive, remember that you’re crossing an international border. Bring the proper identification and verify current Canadian entry requirements before your trip.
Carcross Desert — Yes, a Desert in the Yukon
One of our more unexpected stops was Carcross Desert.
Seeing a sign for a desert surrounded by mountains in the Yukon is enough to make anyone stop.
The sandy landscape is tiny compared with the great deserts of the world, but that’s part of its charm. It’s another example of how dramatically the scenery changes along this route.
It wasn’t somewhere I had dreamed about seeing before the trip.
Those unexpected places often become the ones you remember.
AND THEN THERE WAS A MOOSE
Somewhere along the way, with Google Maps guiding me as I drove, we somehow passed Emerald Lake without realizing it.
And then, about thirty yards ahead of us, something enormous emerged from the dense thicket on the right side of the road.
A bull moose.
For a few seconds, none of us did much of anything. We were too surprised — and far too excited.
He walked slowly into the road, enormous antlers above his head, then stopped almost in the middle and looked toward us.
Mom tried to snap a photo. Our Australian friends scrambled for one from the back seat. But the moment happened faster than any of us could react.
And then he simply disappeared into the forest.
We drove closer and searched the trees with our binoculars, certain that an animal that large had to be visible somewhere.
Nothing.
The forest was so dense that this enormous moose had vanished without a trace.
No photograph. Just one of those completely unexpected travel moments none of us will forget.
And somewhere in all that excitement, we realized we’d missed Emerald Lake.
So we turned around.
And there it was.
Emerald Lake
This is the kind of place where photographs struggle to capture what your eyes are actually seeing.
The water shifts through shades of turquoise, emerald and blue, surrounded by forest and mountains. We stopped at the overlook and simply took it in.
Mom and I have traveled to many beautiful places together, but moments like this are the ones I increasingly appreciate.
Not rushing.
Not checking something off a list.
Just standing beside someone you love, very far from home, looking at something extraordinary.
Lunch, a Local Beer and No Schedule
Eventually we stopped for lunch.
Our Australian friends generously bought lunch and a cold local beer — a pretty good trade considering I had supplied the wheels for our adventure.
We talked, laughed and enjoyed being exactly where we were.
And that’s another advantage of exploring independently: lunch doesn’t have to happen when an itinerary says it’s lunchtime.
You can stop when you’re hungry.
Stay when you’re enjoying yourself.
Then get back on the road.
Was Renting a Car in Skagway Worth It?
For me, absolutely.
It wasn’t cheap. At roughly $415 for the SUV, this wasn’t a budget excursion.
But divided among several travelers, the economics can make more sense — and what we gained was something I value tremendously when traveling:
Freedom.
Freedom to stop.
Freedom to change our minds.
Freedom to spend longer somewhere beautiful.
And freedom to experience the landscape without watching the clock every few minutes.
For travelers who prefer having everything arranged for them, the train or an organized Yukon excursion may be the better choice.
But if you’re comfortable driving, enjoy road trips and like discovering places at your own pace, renting a car in Skagway can turn a cruise-port day into a genuine little adventure.
What I’d Know Before Driving From Skagway to the Yukon
- Reserve your rental car well in advance during Alaska cruise season.
- Expect rental prices in Skagway to be higher than you may be accustomed to.
- Bring the identification required to cross into Canada.
- Download maps before leaving in case cell service becomes unreliable.
- Check road, border and weather conditions before departing.
- Allow plenty of time to return to Skagway before your ship’s all-aboard time.
- Bring layers — conditions can change considerably during the drive.
- Don’t rush the route. The stops along the way are the point.
And if you’re traveling with an older parent or someone with mobility considerations, think about comfort when choosing your vehicle and how frequently you’ll want to stop.
The Road Trip I Would Choose Again
I’ve taken beautiful trains. I’ve taken organized excursions. I’ve sat on motorcoaches while someone else handled every detail.
There is absolutely a time and place for all of them.
But looking back at this day, what I remember isn’t an itinerary.
I remember driving toward mountains.
I remember that slightly quirky rental office and its enormous binder of maps.
I remember pulling over simply because somewhere was beautiful.
I remember lunch with two people from the other side of the world who hadn’t been part of our plans when the journey began.
And I remember standing beside my mom in the Yukon, surrounded by a landscape that made us feel very small.
Maybe that’s why I still love a road trip.
Sometimes the best part of traveling isn’t arriving at the place you planned to see.
It’s having enough freedom to discover everything in between.
Come wander with me.
Travel feels different when we give ourselves permission to slow down, take the unexpected road and experience a place in our own way.