Hostel

The delightful Skagway Home Hostel (3rd Ave. and Main St., 907/983-2131, www.skagwayhostel.com) is right in town. Built more than a century ago, the home was once owned by the marshal who arrested the Soapy Smith gang after the shoot-out. An 11 p.m. curfew may put a crimp in your social life, but the owners are very friendly, and the hostel is open year-round.

There’s only space for 12, so reserve ahead. Registration is 5–9 p.m., but late ferry arrivals are accommodated. The hostel has a kitchen, common area, showers, laundry, bag storage, and a free guest computer. Bunks are $15 in mixed dorms or $20 for gender-specific dorms. The owners also offer occasional vegetarian dinners ($5). Reservations are highly advised; you can make them on their website.

Hotels

Sgt. Preston’s Lodge (6th Ave. and State St., 907/983-2521 or 866/983-2521, www.sgt-prestonslodgeskagway.com) is a tidy 35-room motel right in town, with nicely remodeled rooms and Wi-Fi. Standard units are $80–100 s or $90–110 d; families appreciate the two-bedroom units for $125 d or $145 for four.

Budget travelers can check out new but basic guest rooms at Morning Wood Hotel (444 4th St., 907/983-3200, www.skagwaypizzastation.com, $75 d), located over the Pizza Station Restaurant. The are no TVs or phones, and the bath is down the hall.

Skagway’s largest lodging place is the seasonal Westmark Inn (3rd Ave. and Broadway, 907/983-2291 or 800/544-0970, www.westmarkhotels.com, $135 d), with all the charm of a retirement home. Westmark is grossly overpriced, and you’ll even need to pay $10 for Wi-Fi.

Bed-and-Breakfasts

Hosted by longtime Alaskan Tara Mallory, Mile Zero B&B (9th Ave. at Main St., 907/983-3045, www.mile-zero.com, $135 d) is an attractive B&B with six large guest rooms, private entrances and baths, covered porches, a cozy parlor, continental breakfast, and Wi-Fi. Kids are welcome.

Housed within one of the town’s oldest buildings, Skagway Inn B&B (7th Ave. and Broadway, 907/983-2289 or 888/752-4929, www.skagwayinn.com, mid-Mar.–Sept.) served through the years as a bordello, a residence, a boarding house, and now as a delightful inn. Six guest rooms ($149–199 d) have private baths, and the others ($119 d) share three baths. A full hot breakfast is served downstairs. The inn also has Wi-Fi and an evening guest lounge.

Built in 1902 and completely rebuilt after a fire, The White House Inn (8th Ave. and Main St., 907/983-9000, www.atthewhitehouse.com, $125–155 d) is a large plantation-style home with 10 guest rooms, one of which is wheelchair accessible. All rooms feature a country Victorian decor, with private baths, Wi-Fi, fridges, and continental breakfasts.

Eight miles out Dyea Road, Chilkoot Trail Outpost (907/983-3799, www.chilkoottrailoutpost.com) is a modern lodge with eight cabins, all containing private baths and with Wi-Fi access. Rates are $145 d in duplex cabins or $175 d for deluxe units with two queen beds, a fridge, and a microwave; add $25 for each additional guest. A full buffet breakfast is included, along with evening campfires and bikes. Guests can use the screened-in gazebo cooking area for other meals, or pay $25 for a steak-and-seafood dinner. Because of its location, this lodge is popular with hikers setting out for the Chilkoot Trail; the trailhead is just a half-mile away.

Cabins

Two miles from downtown Skagway, Cindy’s Place (907/983-2674 or 800/831-8095, www.alaska.net/~croland, mid-May–early Sept.) includes two modern cabins with private baths, a microwave, and a mini-fridge for $125 d with a two-night minimum. Also available is a tiny cabin with twin beds and a toilet (but no shower) for $50 s or $65 d; it’ll look like luxury if you just stumbled off the Chilkoot Trail. Breakfast fixins are provided (including hot baked goods for the larger cabins), along with a courtesy shuttle to town, and (sometimes) access to the hot tub.

Another place with cabins on the way to Dyea is Skagway Bungalows (907/983-2986, www.aptalaska.net/~saldi, Mar.–Oct., $125 d). It’s a mile from town, and the two in-the-woods cabins have private baths, fridges, and microwaves.

© Don Pitcher from Moon Alaska, 10th Edition