They left behind thousands of artifacts. Today, the trail is an outdoor museum and the artifacts are protected by law. Most visitors prefer to hike it from south to north because it is easier, although it is still a challenging 3-5 day hike. The southern Dyea Trailhead is accessible by road. Then it descends into the boreal forest of British Columbia around Lindeman and Bennett Lakes.
Wildlife includes mountain sheep, black and grizzly bear.
The bears can be a problem especially in the southern half when the salmon are running. A 12-mile trail on the west side of the Maclaren River in the foothills of the Alaska Mountain Range. The trailhead is at the sign on Denali Hwy. 8 at mile 43.5, west of Paxon. It is a moderately difficult, unmarked, linear trail, involving fording of the West Fork of the river after 4 miles.