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place in Southeastern Alaska that supports mountain
Haines was originally settled by the Tlingit Native
tribes of the Chilkat and Chilkoot clans. They chose
this area because of its mild climate and the abundance
of fish and game. Near the end of the 18th century fort was constructed. Fully garrisoned by 1905, its
when the first Caucasians came, the Chilkats were well
established as a powerful trading tribe. They became
quite rich by trading rendered fish oil for furs and skins
produced in the interior. as a city in 1910.
As an Anglo settlement, Haines was established in Outdoor recreation of all kinds is enjoyed year- largest gathering of bald eagles in the world, with as
1880 as a Presbyterian mission. The mission included
a school, church, and meeting hall and was named after
Mrs. F. E. Haines, the secretary of the Presbyterian
Home Mission. Commerce, farming, fishing, and however, catches are regulated by the State of Alaska. free, providing access to fish when food supplies are
government followed the establishment of the mission
and contributed to the area’s growth. mountain goats. The region around Haines is the only
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goats and moose, and it is thought that these two
species migrated into the area following the opening
of the Haines Highway.
Located a 15 minute drive from Haines, Chilkoot
Lake State Recreation Site is very popular for salmon
fishing and bear viewing. With four salmon runs
from mid-June to mid-October, the area is considered
something of a “bear highway.” Mother and cub brown
bears start showing up in July, and can often be seen
right on the road. The area can get a little cozy with
fishermen, buses and bears converging along the
mile-long Chilkoot River, which connects the lake
with saltwater fjords.
Sight-seeing tour companies offer a variety of tours
for travelers who are interested in natural history and
bird watching. A local tour boat operator offers trips
on Chilkoot Lake, and three air services are available
for flightseeing trips to Glacier Bay, which is only a
short distance by air from Haines.
The Native people of the Haines area are impressive
artisans and craftsmen whose artwork often takes the
form of wood and totem pole carving, metalwork, and
their famous Chilkat blanket weaving. The Alaska
Indian Arts Center features native arts and crafts.
Several notable totem poles are displayed in Haines:
Friendship Pole in front of the Elementary School;
Haines, Alaska Thunderbird Pole at Chilkat Center for the Arts; Twin
photo by: Headed Poles at Waterfront Park on Beach Road;
VC Travel Guide
Welcome Totems at the town’s entrance on Haines
Highway and in Totem Village.
Haines served as an important supply base for the Located in the center of downtown just off Main
Porcupine mining district as well as the beginning of Street, the Haines Sheldon Museum has attractive
the Dalton Trail to the gold fields. In 1903, an Army displays of Native artifacts and early memorabilia of
Haines’ past. Additional attractions of special interest
purpose was to keep peace and maintain law and order in Haines include Fort William H. Seward, Chilkat
in this remote part of the new territory of Alaska in State Park and Klukwan Native Village.
the wake of the gold rush. Haines was incorporated Located about 15 miles northeast of Haines, the
Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve is the site of the
round. Fishing for king, chum, pink and sockeye many as 3,500 gathering along a four-mile stretch
salmon as well as halibut is excellent in Lynn Canal. of the Chilkat River for a late salmon run. Warm
Shellfish such as crab and shrimp are also caught; water upwellings in the river keep this stretch ice-
Wildlife includes black and brown bear, moose, and exhausted elsewhere. Eagles flock from as far away
as Washington State for the abundant feast. Starting
in late October, eagles by the hundreds can be seen
along the sand bars and in cottonwood trees on the
49,000-acre Preserve. which was created in 1982 to
protect critical habitat.
One of the best ways to experience the Bald Eagle
Preserve is to explore by jet boat or float through it on
a raft trip, departing daily from Haines. The Chilkat
River is an unusual system, whose slow moving
muddy brown water gets its color from silt caused by
melting glaciers. These glaciers slowly move over the
landscape and gather rock from surrounding terrain,
which is ground into fine “rock flour.” The silt creates
sandbars, making the Chilkat the shallowest navigable
river in Alaska. Jet boats are designed specifically to
maneuver easily among the narrow channels, taking
visitors deep into the heart of the Preserve that is
otherwise inaccessible.
Bald Eagle nests are plentiful along the river and
usually have nesting pairs in them. Trumpeter swans
are abundant from mid-May until mid-June and again
from late July to mid-September. Visitors may also
encounter moose with their young alongside the river’s
edge or even catch them swimming the river channels
as they cross over to other feeding grounds.
Located just two blocks from the center of town,
the American Bald Eagle Foundation is a natural
history museum and live raptor center, which conducts
fascinating and educational live bird presentations,
aviary and natural history tours. Their unique wildlife