Skagway: Electric Bike Tour, Gold Panning & Cemetery

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.91 (107 reviews) 94% rated it 5 stars

Free cancellationExcellent quality

1/10

Duration3h

GroupUp to 10

LanguagesEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

Electric bikes through Skagway’s wild past gold panning stories

You’ll ride an electric bike through Skagway’s historic streets with a local guide who knows all the best stories, visit the Gold Rush Cemetery and hear about Soapy Smith’s wild days, hike up to Lower Reid Falls for fresh mountain air, and try your hand at real gold panning—muddy fingers included. Expect laughter, fresh pine smells, and moments that stick with you long after.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Skagway and Gold Rush sites

Visit Gold Rush Cemetery and learn history
See Lower Reid Falls and take photos
Ride E-bikes through Downtown Skagway
Learn gold panning and try it
Hike to 50-foot waterfall viewpoint
Visit hillside overlook for town views

The Experience

I didn’t expect to laugh so much trying to figure out the e-bike — I wobbled right out of the parking lot, but our guide, Sarah, just grinned and told me everyone does that. The first thing you notice is how quiet it gets once you leave downtown Skagway. There’s this salty smell from the sea mixed with pine needles crushed under your tires, and suddenly you’re rolling past these old wooden storefronts that look like they haven’t changed since 1898. Sarah pointed at a faded sign and started telling us about Soapy Smith — apparently he was some sort of con man who tried to run the whole town. Never heard of him before, but now I kind of want to read more.

We stopped at the Gold Rush Cemetery, which is tucked into this mossy patch of forest. It’s weirdly peaceful there. I remember touching one of the headstones — cold and a little rough — while Sarah explained how Soapy met his end (it involved a shootout; Alaska doesn’t mess around). There were ravens making this low croaking sound up in the trees. Then we hiked up a short trail to Lower Reid Falls, which was louder than I expected — you can feel the spray on your face if you get close enough. I still think about that view sometimes; it felt like we’d stumbled into someone else’s memory.

Gold panning was next. They handed us these metal pans and showed us how to swirl them in a trough — I got more water on myself than anything else. The guy running it (I think his name was Mike?) joked that if I found enough gold flakes, lunch was on me. Didn’t happen, but it was fun getting my hands muddy and realizing how patient those old prospectors must’ve been. My jeans still had some dust on them hours later.

At some point we rode up to the Skagway Overlook. You can see everything from up there: cruise ships lined up like toy boats, mountains sharp against the clouds, even tiny people walking below. We just stood there for a while not saying much — sometimes you don’t need words for those kinds of views. The ride back felt easier somehow, maybe because I finally figured out how to work the e-bike gears without looking down every two seconds.

What’s included

Your day includes use of an electric bicycle throughout Skagway with all necessary gear provided, hands-on gold panning instruction by local partners (and whatever flakes you find), plus guided visits to both Gold Rush Cemetery and Lower Reid Falls before heading back into town together.

Good to know

Moderate physical levelInfant seats availablePublic transport nearbyNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by Klondike Electric Bicycles