The Calver Family | The Dyea Flats

There’s a bounty of beautiful places in Skagway, but one of my favorites is the Dyea Flats. When Kelly suggested we head over on a sunny afternoon, I was thrilled.

During the Gold Rush, Dyea was a boom town full of merchants, prostitutes and fellas looking to get rich quick. Its harbor welcomed boatfuls of stampeders and adventure seekers heading deep into the Last Frontier searching for gold. However, their search was short-lived, and a town once blossoming with opportunity, became nothing but a grassy field sandwiched between two mountains.

Today, the Dyea Flats are a beloved spot for campers, hikers and all the dogs of Skagway. Eagles flock to its driftwood, Grizzlies can be seen in the fall, and in the summer salmon swim up its shallow streams. On this sunny spring afternoon, we flocked to its natural beauty.

Though little of the Gold Rush town remains, reminders of what once was still peak out from beneath the waters and between the trees. The skeleton of a dock greets you when the tide is low, and broken boards mark spots where buildings once stood. It’s a ghost town if you use your imagination and a beautiful park if you don’t. However you enjoy the landscape, it’s a piece of Alaskan beauty that you’ll keep close to your heart.

Enjoy looking through our time spent in the glorious Alaskan sun.