A few things to check out while you are in Haines:
Haines Highway
The drive up the Haines Highway is truly beautiful! You will be awed by the alpine vistas and views of the Chilkat River that follows alongside most of the highway. There are great views of the Cathedral Peaks at 13 to 16 mile, and 3 mile on the way back to Haines.
Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve:
http://dnr.alaska.gov/parks/units/eagleprv.htm
There is a pull out for parking at mile 19.7 and 20.7 to view the eagles and check out the Chilkat River.
Lutak Road
Chilkoot State Park:
This is a great bear viewing area- located at 10 Mile Lutak Rd. When the salmon are in the river the bears are out in force! Please be mindful that these are wild animals, and they need their distance- they do bite …
Watch for whales, eagles, seals and sea lions in the Lynn Canal on the way to the park and back.
At about 1 mile Lutak Rd there are two pull outs- there is an awesome “Welcome to Haines” sign and a stunning view of the cruise ships with the Chilkat Mountains and Fort Seward as a backdrop- probably the best picture you’ll get of the cruise ships!
Mud Bay Road
The drive Mud Bay Rd is very stunning indeed!! You will pass by waterfalls and hanging glaciers, and have a chance at seeing sea lions, eagles, whales and multitudes of sea birds.
Haines Packing Co.
Visit one of the oldest cannery sites in SE Alaska, located at 5.5 Mile Mud Bay Road, Letnikof Cove. Their state-of-the-art facility processes all 5 species of Wild Alaska Salmon delivered by our local fleet. Their custom products, smoked salmon, caviar, fresh/frozen sockeye salmon fillets, salmon jerky and halibut, are available at the gift store, along with other handmade items.
Chilkat State Park
Located at mile 7 Mud Bay Rd- on the right- this park is home to some of the best vistas in Haines! The park offers incredible views of Chilkat Inlet, Rainbow and Davidson glaciers. It also has wildlife spotting scopes so you can spot the inlet wildlife, such as seals, porpoises, and whales. Visitors have even been able to spy on bears and mountain goats on the other side of the inlet.
Hiking Trails
Battery Point Trail:
For a short but sweet hike, Battery Point Trail is perfect at just 2 miles one way. It’s the quintessential “deep dark woods” of Southeast Alaska with huge Sitka Spruce and Hemlock trees towering above you. At the end of the trail you come out on a large pebble beach with a view looking back to Haines. The trail is maintained and is rated at “easy”.
To get there drive to the end of Beach Rd. – you’ll see a sign for the trail head. Bear activity here is nearly nonexistent, so enjoy your walk without worry!
For more activities and points of interest, please visit: http://www.visithaines.com