Crossing of Gold Creek
This is “Alaska’s First Road,” and was a critical link between Juneau and the mining communities that popped up in the Silver Bow Basin in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. There were at least five gold-mining operations along the Gold Creek Valley.
The Juneau Mining Record wrote in 1889:
This is the first road of any great extent and cost we know of in Alaska … The Canyon to the Basin is steep and confined by precipitous bluffs, in many places requiring considerable skill and practical knowledge to overcome the difficulties met with its construction. This is the longest and best road and will ever stand as a monument to the enterprise of the company.
Today, the mining in the Silver Bow Basin that put Juneau on the map is gone but the route to the Silver Bow Basin is popular with Juneauites for its hiking opportunities due to its proximity to downtown—granted, the ascent is more than 1,000 feet, so it's not necessarily an easy stroll.
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