Where To Stay in Haines

Portage Cove State Rec Site pro­vides a small, tent-only camp­ing area less than a mile south of Haines’ cruise ship dock, per­fect for foot or bicy­cle trav­el­ers explor­ing Alaska’s South­east. Nes­tled along Beach Road with no vehi­cle access, this site fea­tures a hand­ful of sites near the water, plus a scenic over­look trail through the for­est offer­ing views of Portage Cove and the Chilkat Mountains. 

The park has a few camp­sites, but no out­hous­es. The dock at the park pro­vides pub­lic access to Mos­qui­to Lake, which offers great fish­ing, espe­cial­ly for cut­throat trout and Dol­ly Var­den char. The lake fills with migrat­ing ducks in the spring and fall, and trum­peter swans use the lake as a stopover on their migra­tions. Up to 80 swans have been seen at one time on the lake. In the win­ter, locals like to ice fish and cross-coun­try ski on the lake  ...more

Chilkat State Park, sev­en miles south of Haines, is less vis­it­ed than Chilkoot Lake, prob­a­bly because it’s fur­ther from town and the road is grav­el. But don’t let that stop you. The park is qui­et, it’s one of the best local areas to look for moose, and the view of the Rain­bow Glac­i­er — a hang­ing glac­i­er with a huge water­fall drop­ping from its face — is world-class. 

Chilkat State Park Land­ing, 7 miles south of Haines, offers 35 wood­ed camp­sites with views of the Chilkat Moun­tains and David­son Glac­i­er. Set in a spruce for­est with beach access and a boat launch, it fea­tures vault toi­lets and drink­ing water. Campers can fish, kayak, and view wildlife like bears and eagles, all near the small-town charm of Haines, Alaska.