Chilkoot Trail

The Klondike stampeders' route, the Chilkoot Trail climbs 33 miles from Dyea, Alaska over a 3,759-foot pass to Lake Bennett in British Columbia, retracing the path of tens of thousands who chased gold north in 1897 and 1898.

Hikers take three to five days, ascending through coastal rainforest to the infamous Golden Stairs, a steep boulder scramble to the summit, then descending into the drier alpine lakes of the Canadian interior. Rusting relics of the gold rush still litter the corridor as an open-air museum.

Practical detail: a permit is required from Parks Canada with a daily quota, and the trail crosses an international border, so hikers carry documents and clear customs at the finish. Weather is fickle, with snow possible at the pass even in summer.

July into early September is the only practical season, once the snow softens on the pass and before autumn closes in. Jointly protected as a historic site by the United States and Canada, the Chilkoot blends a demanding wilderness trek with vivid frontier history.