Dyea, Alaska
Encyclopedia
Dyea is a former town in the U.S. state
of Alaska
. A few people live on individual small homesteads in the valley; however, it is largely abandoned. It is located at the convergence of the Taiya River
and Taiya Inlet
on the south side of the Chilkoot Pass
within the limits of the Municipality of Skagway Borough, Alaska. During the Klondike Gold Rush
prospectors disembarked at its port and used the Chilkoot Trail
, a Tlingit trade route over the Coast Mountains
, to begin their journey to the gold fields around Dawson City
, Yukon
, about 800 km (497.1 mi) away.
The port at Dyea had shallow water, while neighboring Skagway
had deep water. Dyea was abandoned when the White Pass and Yukon Route
railroad chose the White Pass Trail
(instead of the alternative Chilkoot Trail
), which began at Skagway, for its route.
Chilkoot Trail and Dyea Site
is a U.S. National Historic Landmark
.
Dyea is now within the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park
. All that remains are a number of foundations surrounded by scraps of lumber and metal, 3 cemeteries, including one where almost every person buried died on the same date in an avalanche on the gold rush trail, and the ruins of the wharf. Visitors can usually spot brown bear
s, black bears
, caribou, and eagles. Brown bears tend to use the Dyea inlets to feed during salmon spawning season (July–August).
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
. A few people live on individual small homesteads in the valley; however, it is largely abandoned. It is located at the convergence of the Taiya River
Taiya River
The Taiya River is a 17-mile-long river in the U.S. state of Alaska running from the border with British Columbia, Canada, to the Taiya Inlet of upper Lynn Canal.-Geography:...
and Taiya Inlet
Taiya Inlet
The Taiya Inlet is part of the upper Lynn Canal located in the U.S. state of Alaska. The Taiya Inlet is an estuary which lies in a deep valley, with Skagway, Alaska at its north end and the remainder of the Lynn Canal at its south end.-History:...
on the south side of the Chilkoot Pass
Chilkoot Pass
Chilkoot Pass is a high mountain pass through the Boundary Ranges of the Coast Mountains in the U.S. state of Alaska and British Columbia, Canada. It is the highest point along the Chilkoot Trail that leads from Dyea, Alaska to Bennett Lake, British Columbia...
within the limits of the Municipality of Skagway Borough, Alaska. During the Klondike Gold Rush
Klondike Gold Rush
The Klondike Gold Rush, also called the Yukon Gold Rush, the Alaska Gold Rush and the Last Great Gold Rush, was an attempt by an estimated 100,000 people to travel to the Klondike region the Yukon in north-western Canada between 1897 and 1899 in the hope of successfully prospecting for gold...
prospectors disembarked at its port and used the Chilkoot Trail
Chilkoot Trail
The Chilkoot Trail is a 33 miles trail through the Coast Mountains that leads from Dyea, Alaska in the United States, to Bennett, British Columbia in Canada....
, a Tlingit trade route over the Coast Mountains
Coast Mountains
The Coast Mountains are a major mountain range, in the Pacific Coast Ranges, of western North America, extending from southwestern Yukon through the Alaska Panhandle and virtually all of the Coast of British Columbia. They are so-named because of their proximity to the sea coast, and are often...
, to begin their journey to the gold fields around Dawson City
Dawson City, Yukon
The Town of the City of Dawson or Dawson City is a town in the Yukon, Canada.The population was 1,327 at the 2006 census. The area draws some 60,000 visitors each year...
, Yukon
Yukon
Yukon is the westernmost and smallest of Canada's three federal territories. It was named after the Yukon River. The word Yukon means "Great River" in Gwich’in....
, about 800 km (497.1 mi) away.
The port at Dyea had shallow water, while neighboring Skagway
Skagway, Alaska
Skagway is a first-class borough in Alaska, on the Alaska Panhandle. It was formerly a city first incorporated in 1900 that was re-incorporated as a borough on June 25, 2007. As of the 2000 census, the population of the city was 862...
had deep water. Dyea was abandoned when the White Pass and Yukon Route
White Pass and Yukon Route
The White Pass and Yukon Route is a Canadian and U.S. Class II narrow gauge railroad linking the port of Skagway, Alaska, with Whitehorse, the capital of Yukon. An isolated system, it has no direct connection to any other railroad. Equipment, freight and passengers are ferried by ship through the...
railroad chose the White Pass Trail
White Pass
White Pass is a mountain pass through the Boundary Ranges of the Coast Mountains on the border of the U.S. state of Alaska and the province of British Columbia, Canada...
(instead of the alternative Chilkoot Trail
Chilkoot Trail
The Chilkoot Trail is a 33 miles trail through the Coast Mountains that leads from Dyea, Alaska in the United States, to Bennett, British Columbia in Canada....
), which began at Skagway, for its route.
Chilkoot Trail and Dyea Site
Chilkoot Trail and Dyea Site
The Chilkoot Trail and Dyea Site is a National Historic Landmark district comprising the Chilkoot Trail and the former town of Dyea, Alaska. They are contained in the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park which preserves the historic buildings and locations connected to the Klondike Gold...
is a U.S. National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
.
Dyea is now within the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park
Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park
Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park is a United States National Historical Park commemorating the Klondike Gold Rush of the late 1890s. The gold rush was in the Yukon Territory, and this park comprises staging areas for the trek there, and routes leading in its direction...
. All that remains are a number of foundations surrounded by scraps of lumber and metal, 3 cemeteries, including one where almost every person buried died on the same date in an avalanche on the gold rush trail, and the ruins of the wharf. Visitors can usually spot brown bear
Brown Bear
The brown bear is a large bear distributed across much of northern Eurasia and North America. It can weigh from and its largest subspecies, the Kodiak Bear, rivals the polar bear as the largest member of the bear family and as the largest land-based predator.There are several recognized...
s, black bears
American black bear
The American black bear is a medium-sized bear native to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most common bear species. Black bears are omnivores, with their diets varying greatly depending on season and location. They typically live in largely forested areas, but do leave forests in...
, caribou, and eagles. Brown bears tend to use the Dyea inlets to feed during salmon spawning season (July–August).