Half a mile away, grassy Fort William H. Seward was established in 1903 to contain general Gold Rush lawlessness, and territorial disputes with Canada. It is now the site of the Chilkat Center for the Arts (mid-May to mid-Sept Mon-Thurs at 7.30pm; $10; tel 907/766-2160), where Chilkat Dancers do a forty-minute performance in traditional costumes.

Nearby, the stuffed birds of the American Bald Eagle Foundation , Second Avenue and Haines Highway (summer daily 9am-5pm; $2.50), make a poor substitute for seeing the world's largest gathering of bald eagles , which flock to the banks of the Chilkat River each fall. They arrive to feed on an unusually late chum salmon run (delayed by an upwelling of groundwater that keeps the river from freezing), and by November over three thousand of these once-endangered rare birds - as many as two dozen to a tree - are gathered along a five-mile sand bar at the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve , nine miles north of town on the Haines Highway.

Two great, wild state parks - Chilkoot Lake and Chilkat - are a mere half-hour cycle ride to the north and south of town respectively. Chilkat in particu-lar has some good trails and vistas, while well-tramped treks lead from town to the summits of Mount Riley and the much more difficult Mount Ripinsky. Haines is also a popular starting point for rafting trips : Chilkat Guides on Beach Road (tel 907/766-2491, ) is one of many operators to offer four-hour float trips ($82) down the Chilkat River, ideal for viewing eagles and other wildlife.