Dyea, Alaska

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Taiya River estuary and site of Dyea at the beginning of the Chilkoot Trail (October 2005)

The Dyea waterfront during the Klondike Gold Rush.

Brown Bear on Dyea Waterfront (August 2007)

Dyea (pronounced /ˈdаɪ.iː/) is a former town in the U.S. state of Alaska. There are a few hardy souls living on individual small homesteads in the valley however, it is largely abandoned. It is located at the convergence of the Taiya River and Taiya Inlet on the south side of the Chilkoot Pass, at 59°30′16″N, 135°21′36″W. During the Klondike Gold Rush prospectors disembarked at its port and used the Chilkoot Trail, a Tlingit trade route over the Coast Mountains, to begin their journey to the gold fields around Dawson City, Yukon, about 800 km (500 miles) away.

The port at Dyea had shallow water, while neighboring Skagway had deep water. Dyea was abandoned when the White Pass and Yukon Route railroad chose the White Pass Trail (instead of the alternative Chilkoot Trail), which began at Skagway, for its route.

Dyea is now within the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park. This ghost town is home to vast Alaskan wildlife. Respectful visitors can usually spot brown bears, black bears, caribou, and eagles. Brown bears tend to use the Dyea inlets to feed during salmon spawning season (July-August).

1 Taiya Flood
2 See also
3 References
4 External links

[edit] Taiya Flood

During the Summer of 2002 the Taiya River overflowed its banks. The flood was caused by an ice dam collapsing causing a wave of water to rush down the valley wiping out the grass, shrubs, and dirt.

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