In southeastern Alaska, a historic 33-mile trail is ready to welcome visitors. The Chilkoot Trail is shared by Canada and the United States, and while both the American and Canadian sides are open for the season, hikers will not be able to cross the U.S.-Canada border.
The National Park Service and Parks Canada have warned visitors that crossing the international boundary is illegal and therefore they “must turn around at the border.”
The trail and the border crossing have been closed for nearly half a decade because of COVID-19 restrictions and later severe flood damages on the U.S. side.
Either section is operational now, but visitors who wish to complete the entire trail must present themselves at a port of entry. The route does not have a designated port of entry and the nearest border crossing station is in Skagway, a town some 11 miles from the trailhead on the American side.
Challenges monitoring crossings was cited by the Canada Border Services Agency as a reason for maintaining the pandemic-era rule.
“The CBSA is working with its partners to further strengthen border security and for this reason the CBSA is continuing to prohibit entry to Canada along the Chilkoot Trail, as there is not an effective way to monitor who is crossing the border and what they are bringing with them at this remote location,” the agency told CBS News in a statement.
CBSA said its decision “aligns with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection decision to not allow travelers to enter the U.S. from Canada on the trail.”
Prior to 2020, hikers could register before starting the trail and could cross the border with proper documentation.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In the National Park Service’s May announcement about the reopening of the trail, park superintendent Angela Wetz said, “After five years of closures, Klondike Gold Rush Historical Park is once again proudly welcoming hikers to 16.5 miles of this awe-inspiring trail.”
The trail spans from Dyea, Alaska, to Bennett, British Columbia. It is only accessible during the summer season, and before the pandemic, it hosted over 15,000 hikers and campers each year, according to the National Park Service.
Cross-border hiking experiences are becoming more challenging for enthusiasts. In January, the Canada Border Services Agency announced that hikers on the Pacific Crest Trail would no longer be issued permits to enter Canada without presenting themselves at a port of entry.
“Hikers from the U.S. without a permit who wish to complete the Canadian portion of the trail will from now on be required to first enter Canada via a designated port of entry,” the agency said.
President Trump’s comments about annexation and tariff threats have strained U.S.-Canada relations since his second inauguration in January. During a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in the Oval Office last month, Mr. Trump said the U.S. wants to be “friends with Canada,” but he also expressed his desire to unify Canada into the U.S.
“When you look at that beautiful formation, when it’s together, I’m a very artistic person, but when I looked at that … I said, ‘That’s the way it was meant to be,’” Mr. Trump said in the meeting.
Carney responded by telling Mr. Trump Canada is not for sale. “It’s not for sale, it won’t be for sale, ever,” he said.
As part of his justification for tariffs — now, mostly paused — on Canada, Mr. Trump claimed that large amounts of fentanyl come into the U.S. from its northern neighbor. He accused the country of “failing to devote sufficient attention and resources or meaningfully coordinate with United States law enforcement partners to effectively stem the tide of illicit drugs.”
But there is little evidence that Canada provides a safe haven to drug traffickers. In fiscal year 2024, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized 43 pounds of fentanyl on the northern border, compared to 21,100 pounds that were seized on the southern border.
Then-Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau responded to Mr. Trump’s claims at the time, saying Canada implemented a $1.3 billion plan to deploy more helicopters and more boots on the ground, as well as appoint a “Fentanyl Czar.” He said seizures of fentanyl from Canada by U.S. authorities dropped 97%, to just 0.03 pounds, between December 2024 and January 2025.
Unauthorized entries into the U.S. also remain low compared to the encounters at the U.S.-Mexico border. In fiscal year 2024, over 11,000 encounters were reported on the U.S.-Canada border, CBP reported. Meanwhile, more than a quarter million people attempted to cross into the U.S. through the southern border.
Ibrahim Aksoy is a news associate for “CBS Mornings” based in Washington, D.C. He covers global news, U.S. politics and foreign policy. Before joining CBS News, he contributed to The Washington Post and the Middle East Institute.
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