Our Sustainability Spotlight series is aimed at broadening the conversation surrounding sustainable tourism for visitors and businesses by sharing the stories of our Adventure Green Alaska certified businesses. To learn more about Adventure Green Alaska certification please visit our about page.

About Sockeye Cycle Co.

In 1987 company founder Thom Ely moved to Haines full-time and bought an existing bike shop and Sockeye Cycle was born. In 1988 the first tours were offered in Haines, then expanded to the neighboring Northern Lynn Canal community of Skagway in 1992. Since that time, Sockeye Cycle has continued to develop daily tour and bike rental operations out of two retail bike shops in Haines and Skagway along with extended tours around the region. In 2019, the business was sold to long time General Manager Dustin Craney who continues Sockeye Cycle’s mission to share the joy of experiencing nature on a bike. Today, we are the oldest operating full-service bicycle business in Alaska. We take pride in the high quality sales, service, rentals and tours that we provide in the communities of Haines and Skagway, and throughout the North. Our staff is always welcoming and ready to help you with all your cycling needs.

How long has your business been implementing sustainable practices?

We consider cycling itself a sustainable practice and have been cycling focused since day one. Our business encourages travelers to see a new place by bicycle and helps locals get bikes on the road by offering service and bicycle sales. 

What advice do you have for businesses that are beginning their sustainable journey?

Put your money where your values are and invest in sustainable alternatives from the beginning. Tourism in Alaska is rooted in nature. You won’t have a business for long if sustainable practices aren’t in place to protect the product we’re selling.

What sustainable practice is your business most proud of?

Our tours are active and require us to provide water for all of our guests. We offer a compostable water bottle to each guest on tour that features a formline design of a Sockeye salmon drawn by a local Tlingit Alaska Native. Water bottles are free to use, but if our guests would like to keep them as a souvenir, we sell the bottles for a $3 donation. Donations are collected throughout the season and proceeds benefit the Tlingit Native Language revitalization efforts in our local areas as well as various conservation efforts in Southeast. Sockeye Cycle matches all guest donations and is able to donate about $20,000 each year to these initiatives.

Which pillar of the Adventure Green Alaska program aligns most with your business?

Our business aligns with all of the program pillars of Adventure Green Alaska but certainly most closely with the environment. We believe that more people riding bikes both leisurely and as a form of transportation has tangible value on the environment. A close second would be Alaska history and culture. We provide a rigorous training program to our guides that covers the Klondike Gold Rush which is near and dear to Skagway as well as local Alaska Native Tlingit history and culture. 

Collaboration with the Adventure Green Alaska program

We’re proud of our effort to promote sustainable tourism and are grateful to belong to a network of tour operators that hold the same values. We appreciate that Adventure Green Alaska connects like-minded businesses to each other.

To learn more about Sockeye Cycle Co., visit their Green Business profile and their website.