HAINES ROADRelax and enjoy this modern road that leads from the highest mountains in Canada to the ocean port of Haines, Alaska on the Lynn Canal.
The Haines Road route follows a traditional First Nation overland trail from Klukshu Village to Goat Creek, British Columbia. The Tatshenshini and Alsek rivers were traditional travel routes for the interior Southern Tutchone and coastal Tlingit people but a system of trails also connected the villages along the rivers. North of Klukshu, a major First Nation trail veered to the east of Dezadeash Lake and followed the Dezadeash River.
Jack Dalton used and improved traditional First Nation routes in the 1890s as part of his pack train trail into the interior. During the Klondike Gold Rush, cattle were driven along this trail that ended at the Yukon River near present day Carmacks.
The Haines Road was constructed during World War II as a project associated with the construction of the Alaska Highway. The narrow gauge White Pass & Yukon Route railway was working full time and another supply line was needed. United States Army Engineers started to build the road south from Haines Junction in March 1943 and they linked up with the Public Roads Administration contractors on August 1st near the Chilkat Pass.
The Shakwak Agreement (1977) with the United States has provided Canada with funding to complete a reconstruction of the Haines Road (1980s) and the Alaska Highway north of Haines Junction (ongoing).
11
8
10
9
8A
hik
ing
trai
l at k
m 1
07 le
ads
to
the
spec
tacu
lar S
amue
l Gla
cier
. Th
e tr
ail f
ollo
ws
an o
ld m
inin
g ro
ad s
uita
ble
for m
ount
ain
bike
s.
9 10
Easy
wal
king
on
open
mea
dow
s ne
ar T
hree
Gua
rdsm
en P
ass,
Ta
tshe
nshi
ni-A
lsek
Par
k, le
ads
to d
ry a
lpin
e te
rrai
n.
Gla
ve P
eak
is th
e hi
ghes
t poi
nt
of th
e Th
ree
Gua
rdsm
en m
assi
f at
192
8 m
etre
s (6
,325
feet
).
YG Photo - Cathie Archbould YG Photo - Cathie Archbould
11In
the
late
fall,
Bal
d ea
gles
ar
e dr
awn
to th
e C
hilk
at
Valle
y by
war
m o
pen
wat
er
and
a pl
entif
ul s
uppl
y of
m
igra
ting
salm
on.
LEGEN
D
Visitor Inform
ation Centre
Point of Interest
Camping
Historic Site
Gravel R
oad
Hiking Trail
Un-m
aintained Trail
Non-m
otorized Boats
Motorized Boat A
ccess
HA
INE
S RO
AD
7
6
5
2
1
123
A w
heelchair accessible boardw
alk skirts the water’s
edge at Kathleen Lake cam
pground.
Hike the R
ock Glacier Trail for
an excellent view of D
ezadeash Lake and the m
ountains to the east.
7In 1894, Jack D
alton set up a trading post at the traditional First N
ation settlement of
Shäwshe. The road to D
alton Post is narrow
and slippery w
hen wet.
4The cam
pground on the west
shore of Dezadeash Lake has
boat launch access to this w
arm, shallow
lake.
5B
etween June and
September, C
hampagne
and Aishihik First N
ations’ fam
ilies gather at Klukshu to gaff m
igrating salmon or
catch them in fish-traps.
6M
illion Dollar Falls. You
can camp at this little
canyon waterfall.
4
3
Paint Mountain behind H
aines Junction. The D
ezadeash River
walking trail starts at the H
aines Junction day-use area near thesouth edge of tow
n.