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.

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, they are the oldest operating full-service bicycle business in Alaska. They take pride in the high quality sales, service, rentals and tours that they provide in the communities of Haines and Skagway, and throughout the North. Their staff is always welcoming and ready to help visitors with all of their cycling needs.

Sockeye Cycle considers cycling itself to be a sustainable practice. They’ve been cycling-focused since day one and actively encourage travelers to see new places via bicycle. Their business helps locals get bikes on the road by offering service and bicycle sales. They value their business operations that work to provide quality products to visitors and locals alike.

To tourism businesses considering implementing sustainable practices, Sockeye Cycle recommends investing where your values lie. If your business values the environment, invest in lower-impact infrastructure and products from the very beginning. They emphasize the need of sustainable practices as much of tourism in Alaska is rooted in nature, and tourism businesses must protect the product that they are selling.

Sockeye Cycle had a unique approach to the task of reducing single-use plastic waste from water bottles handed out during tours. Their tours are active and require them to provide water for all of their guests. They 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 guests would like to keep them as a souvenir, they sell the bottles for a $3 donation. Donations are collected throughout the season and proceeds benefit the Tlingit Native Language revitalization efforts in local areas as well as various conservation efforts in Southeast Alaska. Sockeye Cycle matches all guest donations and is able to donate about $20,000 each year to these initiatives.

Sockeye Cycle focuses on environmental preservation as the core of their sustainable values. They believe that more people riding bikes both leisurely and as a form of transportation has tangible benefits to the environment. They also align with the Alaska Culture and History pillar of the Adventure Green Alaska program, by providing a rigorous training program to their guides covering the Klondike Gold Rush, which is near and dear to Skagway, as well as local Alaska Native Tlingit history and culture. 

Through their actions and advice, Sockeye Cycle Co. shows that investing in your values from the very beginning can create a stronger business, healthier communities, and a more sustainable tourism industry.

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