Pleasant Camp

About

Pleasant Camp is a backcountry campground located at mile 10.7 on the historic Chilkoot Trail, just after a significant elevation gain from Canyon City. Sitting at 750 feet elevation near the Taiya River, it serves hikers traversing the 33-mile Chilkoot National Historic Trail that follows Indigenous trade routes and Gold Rush-era paths through Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park. As the trail's least-used campground, Pleasant Camp offers a remarkably quiet wilderness experience. The site features 11 designated bare ground campsites, a canvas-walled warming shelter equipped with a wood-burning stove, a pit-style outhouse, and bear boxes for food storage. Water from the Taiya River is available but must be filtered due to sediment and potential bacterial contamination. Backpacking stoves are permitted both inside and outside the warming shelter. Experienced hikers who choose Pleasant Camp should be prepared for long hiking days, as continuing to Chilkoot Pass from here makes for a demanding trek. As of 2026, the international border at Chilkoot Pass remains closed to through travel, so hikers must turn around at the border.

Directions

Pleasant Camp is accessible only by hiking the Chilkoot Trail from the Dyea trailhead near Skagway, Alaska. The campground is located 10.7 miles (17.3 km) from the trailhead, past Finnegan's Point, Canyon City, and a substantial elevation gain.