After disembarking from your ferry ride from Skagway, meet your naturalist guide and enjoy a pleasant (although challenging at times) hike up to Mt. Riley’s 1,760-foot summit. On the trail, you’ll first wind your way through the rainforested and open meadows of this area where you may see skunk cabbage, false huckleberry, blueberry, devils club, and other plants. In the late summer and fall, you may also see mushrooms and other fungi. Your private, naturalist guide will provide commentary along your route sharing with you their many insights about wildlife, botany, geology and the history and cultural heritage of this area of Alaska.
As you get closer to the summit of Mt. Riley, the trail breaks out into a series of flowery meadows. From the summit’s granite outcrop, panoramic views surround you including the snowcapped Chilkat Mountains to the west, the Coast Range to the east, and the Takshanuk Mountains to the north, leading into Canada. Return to Skagway via ferry at the conclusion of your active hiking tour near Haines.