Haines is a town rich in history and natural beauty. Located near the northern end of the Inside Passage, it’s surrounded on all sides by soaring mountains, deepwater inlets, and miles and miles of rugged forests and massive glaciers. In 1898, the Klondike Gold Rush flooded the town with prospectors heading up the nearby Dalton Trail on their way north. Soon after the rush ended, the US Army decided to build its first permanent army post in Alaska on the outskirts of town. In 1972, the fort was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and in 1978 it was designated a National Historic Landmark. To this day, it remains a fascinating visual link to Haines’s storied past. Visitors interested in learning more about the area can visit the Sheldon Museum, home to a fascinating mix of pioneer and Gold Rush memorabilia as well as an extensive collection of Chilkat Tlingit art and artifacts.

One of the highlights of Haines’s event calendar is its annual Alaska Bald Eagle Festival. Held during the middle of November, the festival celebrates the thousands of bald eagles that congregate in the area to feed on late spawning salmon in the Chilkat River. Photographers and birdwatchers can enjoy the spectacle from any number of highway pullouts adjacent to the 48,000 acre Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve northwest of town.