White Pass Railroad - how far to go
 

I"m about to book a cruise excursion on the White Pass Scenic Railway. There are many options -some just to the White Pass Summit, and other longer trips that go as far as Fraser or as far as Bennett and Carcross. I'm wondering if we should spend the time and go on a trip that stops in Bennett and then again in Carcross, with a short visit in each place. If we do this, if will take most of our time in Skagway, with some time by late afternoon/early evening to be back in time to explore the town a bit. Anyone have experience with this and suggestions on which option to choose?

As you continue to plan, let me just throw out an alternative for you to consider.

Rent a car from Avis (only game in town) for around $150 for a day. Drive up into the Yukon (slightly different route from the train but no less scenic) and visit the Carcross Desert (a small subarctic desert/sand dunes area) then continue up the Klondike Highway past Emerald Lake and to the Robinson Roadhouse ghost town, which you'll probably have to yourselves. Walk around (ignore the protests of many hundreds of ground squirrels and marmots) then drive back to Skagway. This will offer a much wider range of activities, more flexibility and terrific scenery, at a fraction of the per-person cost of the train ride. Note too that it's not uncommon for four or even five ships to be in Skagway on any given date, thus 10,000 - 12,000 people wandering around a town with a population of 900 counting dogs.

Cruise calendar to see who else is there - Attachment 2237
Map for driving excursion - https://goo.gl/maps/DSwueQvEybw

Carcross Desert -

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...afb18be8f7.jpg

Emerald Lake -

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...d9fd21530a.jpg

Robinson Roadhouse -

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...57222cdd7a.jpg

so, basically, don't worry so much about seeing town (crowded and not much to miss) and focus on the surrounding beauty?

Well, it's your call. The town is quite historic and has a number of good buildings, but it's pretty touristy and will likely be fairly crowded. Look at the background scenes in this video -

We arrived in Skagway late one July and had to overnight in order to take the train ride. Even months ahead tickets were sold out because of the cruise ships. Unfortunately, our ride was when it got very foggy so there wasn't much to see. Since driving to the Anchorage area was next, we saw some of what Gardyloo recommends. (son's jeep came with us on the ferry) The town was so much quieter when the cruise ship passengers went back to their ships. No problem or wait for dinner since the restaurants weren't empty then. The lake is such an incredible color and you have a feeling of remoteness.