Taiya Inlet is part of the upper

Lynn Canal Lynn Canal is an inlet (not an artificial canal) into the mainland of southeast Alaska. Lynn Canal runs about from the inlets of the Chilkat River south to Chatham Strait and Stephens Passage. At over in depth, Lynn Canal is the deepest fjor ...

located in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

Alaska Alaska ( ) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the north ...

. Taiya Inlet is an

estuary An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime enviro ...

which lies in a deep valley, with

Skagway, Alaska The Municipality and Borough of Skagway is a borough in Alaska on the Alaska Panhandle. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,240, up from 968 in 2010. The population doubles in the summer tourist season in order to deal with the large ...

at its north end and the remainder of the Lynn Canal at its south end.

History

Taiya Inlet received its name in 1868. ''Taiya'' was derived from the

Tlingit The Tlingit or Lingít ( ) are Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast of North America. , they constitute two of the 231 federally recognized List of Alaska Native tribal entities, Tribes of Alaska. Most Tlingit are Alaska Natives; ...

term ', which means ''beneath'' or ''underneath''., at pp. 1-43 (''tayee''), 2-6 (''beneath''), 2-62 (''underneath''). It was also called Dayday Inlet and Dejah Inlet but the latter two names fell out of favor. Taiya Inlet was an important waterway during the Klondike Gold Rush offering passage to the deep-water port of Skagway and, by smaller boat (due to sediment from the

Taiya River The Taiya River (also Dyea RiverTaiya River
, Donald J. Orth, ''Dictionary of Alaska Place ...

), the now-

ghost town A ghost town, deserted city, extinct town, or abandoned city is an abandoned settlement, usually one that contains substantial visible remaining buildings and infrastructure such as roads. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economi ...

of Dyea. These two boom towns were gateways to the respective White Pass and Chilkoot trails.

Current status

Currently Taiya Inlet is used for marine transportation (such as the

Alaska Marine Highway The Alaska Marine Highway (AMH) or the Alaska Marine Highway System (AMHS) is a ferry service operated by the U.S. state of Alaska. It has its headquarters in Ketchikan, Alaska. The Alaska Marine Highway System operates along the south-central ...

) and recreation such as fishing. The ''Taiya Inlet Watershed Council'' is also dedicating to its preservation.Taiya Inlet Watershed Council
/ref>

References

Bodies of water of Haines Borough, Alaska Klondike Gold Rush Inlets of Alaska Bodies of water of the Municipality of Skagway Borough, Alaska {{SkagwayAK-geo-stub