10 Best Things to Do in Haines Alaska (A Complete Guide)

Haines is a small town in Alaska that generally has about 2,000 year round residents. Famous for their Bald Eagle Festival and incredible surrounding views, the town is located in Southeast Alaska and is a popular cruise port as well. If you're planning a visit, you might be wondering what the best things to do in the area are. From visiting the local raptor center, observing the Bald Eagles, and exploring the unique local Hammer Museum, there's plenty to do for everyone.

My Essential Alaska Travel Resources :
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For flights, I recommend using Hopper to compare the cheapest dates to travel to Alaska.

Car rentals, arguably the best way to see Alaska, are best through Discover Cars!

I always use Expedia's easy-to-use platform to compare the best rates.
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To keep cell service if you're traveling internationally, I use Airalo’s easy to purchase eSIM’s (no installation required), and NordVPN to stay safe while connecting to different wifi.

For fun things to do, I recommend Viator or Get Your Guide to find the best tours in the area.

Just in case, Safetywing is the insurance I always use for travel insurance.

Lastly, my Alaska packing list for your travels to the Last Frontier.

Getting to Haines and Where to Stay

Getting to Haines can be a bit tricky, only because it's so remote and in the Southeast of Alaska where not everything is connected by the road system. To get to Haines, you can either drive (about 14 hours from Anchorage in good weather), take the ferry (about 5 hours from Juneau) or fly in (the fastest but most expensive option).

The number of places to stay also depends on what season you're visiting in, with a few places shutting down in the winter. You'll also find that many restaurants also close down in the winter, but when I visited in November there were still a number of places to eat in town. If you're visiting on a cruise or in the summer, you shouldn't have any of these issues.

When my husband and I visited in November, we stayed at the Captain's Choice Motel. The views overlooking the harbor and channel were incredible (ask for a room on the 2nd floor if possible), they included breakfast, and they were only 1 block from Main Street - meaning you're within walking distance to pretty much everything in town. If you're looking for more options, try checking out the Haines Visitor Center while you're in town!

Book My Favorite Hotel in Haines

My Favorite Tours Near Haines :
- Chilkoot Lake Kayaking
- Half Day Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve Float

10 Best Things to Do in Haines

1. Haines Hammer Museum
The local Haines Hammer Museum was one of my personal favorite stops while in Haines. It was cheap at $7 per person for admission, and inside you could find every kind of hammer that you never knew existed. From teeny tiny lego hammers, to glass hammers, to hammers donated by Tim Allen - my husband and I were truly surprised.

2. Chilkoot State Recreation Area
If you're wanting to explore the outdoors around Haines, the Chilkoot State Recreation Area is a great place to start. Fees are $5 per car for parking and $20 per campsite, which needs to be reserved in advance. In the summer months it can get extremely busy, however when I visited in November it was empty and there was only 1 other person there. This is a great spot to go wildlife viewing, try your hand at fishing, and go boating on the beautiful Chilkoot Lake.

3. Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve
Located about 20 miles outside of town, the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve is the perfect place to view the bald eagles up close. During the winter months, thousands of bald eagles flock to the area, and this is one of the main areas visitors head towards during the annual Bald Eagle Festival. Exploring by car is best, as there's multiple pull-offs you can park on to enjoy the various views. During our visit, we even spotted a brown bear! If you want a guided tour, this half day float is perfect!

4. American Bald Eagle Foundation & Raptor Center
Here, you can learn more about Bald Eagles and how the foundation is continuing to preserve bald eagle habitats through education and stewardship. They also house injured birds (including eagles) and you can see a few of them up close in their enclosures.

5. Grab a Bite to Eat (Or A Drink)
Considering I visited in the "off season" I was pleasantly surprised how many places were still open in November. Of course if you visit in the summer you'll have a few more options, but I personally recommend : 

• Bamboo Room - for their delicious halibut fish & chips
• Alpenglow Pizza - tasty wood fired pizza
• Rusty Compass Coffeehouse - for coffee and one of the best reubens & french dip sandwiches I've ever had
• Mountain Market - for great paninis and fresh baked goods
• Port Chilkoot Distillery - handcrafted spirits and fun cocktails

6. Chilkat Center of the Arts
We stopped here for their monthly "River Talks" they host during the winter season. It's $7 per adult, and you get to hear 7 stories (each night is themed), roughly 7 minutes each, and it starts at 7pm. It's a great way to see Haines culture, chat with some of the locals, and listen to some really fun stories!

7. Haines Sheldon Museum
If you're wanting to learn more about the Chilkat Valley's history & culture, then the Sheldon Museum is the best place to go! For $10 per adult, you can explore their rotating exhibits, see artifacts & memorabilia up close, and even have fun pretending to be an eagle in their new virtual game.

8. Walk Downtown
Downtown Haines is adorable, especially under a fresh coating of snow. We were lucky to visit during one of their "First Friday" events, where there's different stores and exhibits open for visitors to walk around and explore. There's plenty of unique stores to go shopping in, and it's a great way to support local artists while collecting your Alaska souvenirs. My personal favorite was Ampersand Art!

9. Jilkaat Kwaan Heritage Center
For $15 a person, you can explore the Jilkaat Kwaan Heritage Center - a unique non-profit that aims to protect & preserve the Klukwan Alaskan Native Village. It's right past the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve if you're heading out of town, and they currently have the Whale Collection on display.

10. Fort William H Seward
Located just a 10 minute walk from downtown Haines, this military post was built in 1904, and now a days you can explore the remaining preserved structures. You can walk around on a self guided tour to explore the buildings, and stop by the local distillery while you're here!

Watch my Haines Adventures here!

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Other Alaska blog posts you might be interested in : 
-> Port Day in Juneau
-> Best Things to Do in Sitka
-> Best Things to Do in Ketchikan

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