During the last days of September, the tourist season in Skagway begins to wind down. Finally, a day with no ships in the harbor gives us seasonal workers a time to rest, to start cleaning and packing, and a chance to go on one last adventure. This year, I used two of those rest days to drive the infamous “Golden Circle”, a route that loops around the adjoining corners of Alaska, British Columbia and the Yukon Territories of Canada. This route, beautiful at all times of the year, is especially spectacular in the fall when the birch, aspen and willows set the mountainsides on fire.

I chose to take the route in a counter-clockwise fashion driving north from Skagway along the South Klondike Highway toward Whitehorse, Yukon. The yellows were so vibrant in the setting sun of my first evening out.

After car camping in Whitehorse, I headed west on the iconic Alaska-Canadian Highway (known as the “Alcan”). I had no idea the mountain views would be so stunning!

It turns out that just to the west of the little loop I was driving, four immense National Parks join together to preserve a vast wilderness of rock and ice; Yukon’s Kluane National Park, British Columbia’s Tatshenshini-Alsek National Park and the United State’s Wrangell-St.Elias and Glacier Bay National Parks. I had no idea. I drove with my mouth agape, dreaming about backpacking trips I definitely need to plan for my future!

At Haines Junction, I turned south and paralleled the mountain range all the way back to Haines. I only had a little time to stop and explore Kathleen Lake and Rock Glacier, but it was the views along the highway that made the trip worthwhile.

After camping another night along the route, I arrived in Haines the next morning to board the car ferry for the hour ride back to Skagway. The final few days of work were yet to be done.

It was a great last hurrah of the 2026 season!

So what’s next until I return to Skagway for 2027?

Another big adventure of course!

Stay tuned for missives from the land down under: five months of fun in Australia, Tasmania and New Zealand!