Haines--A history

Here's a little history on the town...

Haines is located on the shores of the Lynn Canal on the Chilkat Peninsula between the Chilkoot and Chilkat Rivers. The town is bordered by the spectacular Chilkat Mountain Range on the west and the Coast Range on the east. The historic routes to the Klondike gold fields - the Chilkat, Chilkoot and White Pass - are to the north of the community.

Haines is 85 air miles north of the capital city of Juneau and about 600 air miles southeast of Anchorage and Fairbanks. It is connected by road to the interior of Alaska and the continental United States by the Alaska Canada (Alcan) Highway.

The Tlingit Indians were the original inhabitants of the Chilkat Valley. These Natives controlled the trade routes (trails) between the coast and the interior, which became some of today's roads. The village of Klukwan, 22 miles from Haines, is still the mother village for the Tlingit nation. Their culture and totemic art is seen throughout the community of Haines.

Haines enjoys a mild climate and some of the sunniest weather in Southeast Alaska due to the influence of interior weather patterns. Temperatures range from +50 to 70 degrees F in the summer and +10 to +35 degrees F in winter. Average annual precipitation is 52" and average annual snowfall is 133".