Haines is a small town located on the upper Lynn Canal where the Chilkat River empty’s into the Lynn Canal. It is also home to the largest sanctuary for bald eagles, the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve.
Haines shares the same climate at Skagway but tends to be windier than Skagway if there is any kind of weather front in progress.
The ship docks at the Haines pier, which is approximately 1/4 mile from the foot of Haines’ main street. While there is a shuttle provided, one can easily walk into Haines and its surroundings.
Haines isn’t really known for its shopping especially when compared to the other ports of call on your Alaska cruise. There are a few galleries offering quality Alaskan art in the form of local crafts, wood carvings, gold items, paintings, fabrics and such.
One fun thing to do is to tour the old salmon canning company that offers a tour of its facilities once during the daytime and then again in the evening when your ship will probably be in port. It is a colorful look at Alaska’s past salmon industry.
The rafting trip down the Chilkat River through the preserve is considered an excellent trip by everyone that does it.
Some other tours to consider would be the Trip to the Bald Eagle Preserve, the Wildlife Tour, the 4×4 Tour and the Glacial Fjord Bicycle Tour.