Last updated: July 9, 2024
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NPS Geodiversity Atlas—Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, Alaska and Washington
Geodiversity refers to the full variety of natural geologic (rocks, minerals, sediments, fossils, landforms, and physical processes) and soil resources and processes that occur in the park. A product of the Geologic Resources Inventory, the NPS Geodiversity Atlas delivers information in support of education, Geoconservation, and integrated management of living (biotic) and non-living (abiotic) components of the ecosystem.
Introduction
Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park (KLGO) is located in coastal Alaska approximately 140 km (87 mi) northwest of Juneau in Skagway Borough, southeastern Alaska. Authorized on June 30, 1976, KLGO preserves 5,259 hectares (12,996 acres) of trails, historical buildings, and exhibits dedicated to the 1898 gold rush. The discovery of gold in Canada’s Yukon Territory in 1896 led to a stampede of gold-seekers venturing north to the towns of Skagway and Dyea with dreams of immediate riches. The National Park Service has restored more than 20 buildings from the Klondike Gold Rush era in downtown Skagway, Alaska, that house a visitor center, a Junior Ranger activity center, an international trail center, several museums, and federal leasing offices (Anderson 2017). Visitors to KLGO can enjoy scenic ocean views, mountain peaks, boreal forests, lakes, waterfalls, and retrace the steps of gold-seekers along the historic Chilkoot and White Pass trails.
Geologic Setting
The geology of Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park is the result of complex plate tectonic processes associated with accretion of terranes to the North American continental crustal plate and subduction of the Pacific oceanic crustal plate. Interactions between the two plates have uplifted the Coast Mountains throughout southeast Alaska, and generated faults and fractures that were later filled by gold-bearing quartz veins. There are several faults in the region of Skagway and Dyea, including a branched, concealed fault that underlies the Taiya Inlet, Taiya River, and part of the Skagway River. The gold of the Klondike region is considered orogenic (associated with mountain-building processes); these processes involved high amounts of heat and pressure that dissolved gold-bearing minerals and re-mobilized the gold in hydrothermal fluids. These gold-bearing fluids precipitated gold and other minerals in quartz veins that filled shear zones, faults, and other fractures. The bedrock of KLGO consists of Paleozoic rocks metamorphosed to gneiss (banded crystalline quartzo-feldspathic rocks) and migmatite (consisting of light-colored igneous material formed by partial melting of metamorphic rocks that contains inclusions of igneous and metamorphic rocks) occurring along the South Klondike Highway. These rocks were metamorphosed during emplacement of Jurassic– Eocene-age granitic igneous rocks of the Coast Mountains batholith. There are some spectacular exposures of gneiss and migmatite in roadcuts along the highway south of the U.S.–Canada border. Quaternary surficial deposits overlie these rocks.
The Geologic Resources Inventory produces digital geologic maps and reports for more than 270 natural resource parks. The products listed below are currently available for this park, check back often for updates as many maps, reports, and posters are still in progress.
- Scoping summaries are records of scoping meetings where NPS staff and local geologists determined the park’s geologic mapping plan and what content should be included in the report.
- Digital geologic maps include files for viewing in GIS software, a guide to using the data, and a document with ancillary map information. Newer products also include data viewable in Google Earth and online map services.
- Reports use the maps to discuss the park’s setting and significance, notable geologic features and processes, geologic resource management issues, and geologic history.
- Posters are a static view of the GIS data in PDF format. Newer posters include aerial imagery or shaded relief and other park information. They are also included with the reports.
- Projects list basic information about the program and all products available for a park.
Source: Data Store Saved Search 2995. To search for additional information, visit the Data Store.
A NPS Soil Resources Inventory project has been completed for Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park and can be found on the NPS Data Store.
Source: Data Store Saved Search 3042. To search for additional information, visit the Data Store.
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National Park Service Geodiversity Atlas
The servicewide Geodiversity Atlas provides information on geoheritage and geodiversity resources and values within the National Park System. This information supports science-based geoconservation and interpretation in the NPS, as well as STEM education in schools, museums, and field camps. The NPS Geologic Resources Division and many parks work with National and International geoconservation communities to ensure that NPS abiotic resources are managed using the highest standards and best practices available.