Ketchikan

The southern gateway to Alaska's Inside Passage and the "Salmon Capital of the World," with totem parks, the boardwalks of Creek Street and floatplanes to Misty Fjords.

Ketchikan sits on the west shore of Revillagigedo Island at the southeastern tip of Alaska. It's the first stop for cruises heading north through the Inside Passage. The town calls itself the "Salmon Capital of the World" and has the largest collection of Native totem poles in the U.S. Ketchikan stretches in a long, narrow strip along the Tongass Narrows. Downtown, Creek Street, the museums and the waterfront are easy to explore on foot. Saxman Native Village to the south and Totem Bight State Historical Park to the north can be reached by bus or on a guided tour, while Misty Fjords and Neets Bay require a floatplane or boat.

Climate: Ketchikan has a temperate rainforest climate with nearly 4 m of rain a year, so expect rain in any season. Summer temperatures run about 12–18°C. Cruise season is May–Sep. Salmon runs and black bear sightings peak in July–Aug. In winter, many shops and tours close.

Getting there: Ketchikan International Airport is across the water on Gravina Island, and a ferry of about 5 minutes takes you into town. Alaska Airlines flies to Seattle, Juneau and other cities, and Alaska Marine Highway ferries also call here. Most visitors arrive by cruise ship and stay from half a day to a full day.

Tips: On a cruise port day, pick either a floatplane trip or a totem pole cultural tour, then wander Creek Street and downtown. Independent travelers should plan on 2–3 nights to allow for weather. A waterproof jacket and waterproof shoes are essential, and keep a safe distance when watching bears.

Top sights

• Creek Street – A colorful wooden boardwalk street built on stilts over Ketchikan Creek. It was once a red-light district and is now the most photogenic sp…
• Misty Fjords National Monument – Glacier-carved fjords, granite cliffs nearly 1,000 meters high and waterfalls. Flying over them by seaplane is Ketchikan’s signature experi…
• Dolly's House Museum – A preserved former brothel on Creek Street, telling the story of the town's red-light district in the days of gold mining and fishing.
• Totem Bight State Historical Park – A totem pole park on a rainforest bay, with more than a dozen Tlingit and Haida totem poles and a traditional clan house.
• Saxman Native Village – A Tlingit village south of Ketchikan, with a large group of standing totem poles and carving workshops.
• Totem Heritage Center – A museum preserving original 19th-century totem poles salvaged from abandoned Tlingit and Haida villages.
• Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show – A lumberjack competition show on an outdoor stand in the city centre, with axe chopping, pole climbing, log rolling and more.
• Herring Cove – A river mouth south of town where black bears often come to the stream to fish during the salmon run, next to a rainforest preserve.
• Southeast Alaska Discovery Center – A U.S. Forest Service visitor centre that introduces the Tongass forest through life-size rainforest displays, Indigenous culture and wildl…
• Tongass Historical Museum – A city museum on the banks of Ketchikan Creek, tracing the town's history from Indigenous fishing grounds to the 'Salmon Capital of the Wor…
• Deer Mountain Trail – A hiking trail starting right from town, climbing through rainforest to a lookout over the town and Tongass Narrows.
• Ward Lake Recreation Area – A rainforest lake north of the city, with a flat, easy 2 km loop trail past moss-draped giant trees and salmon streams.
• Neets Bay Bear Viewing – A remote bay reachable only by seaplane, where visitors watch black bears feeding on salmon from a viewing platform.
• Downtown Ketchikan Waterfront – The historic old town in front of the cruise terminal, with the 'World Salmon Capital' arch, Thomas Basin fishing harbour and a seaplane do…
• Potlatch Totem Park – A free totem pole park beside Totem Bight, with tribal houses, carving workshops and a vintage car display, often visited together with Tot…

Where to eat

• Alaska Fish House – A cannery-style seafood spot overlooking Thomas Basin's fishing boats, known for its smoked salmon chowder and three-fi…
• New York Cafe – An old-school café on the ground floor of a century-old hotel near Creek Street, loved by locals for breakfast and seaf…
• Annabelle's Keg Chowder House – An old-school seafood restaurant in the 1927 Gilmore Hotel, where the chowder sampler offers clam, seafood and smoked s…

Itineraries

• Southeast Alaska Inside Passage Independent Tour – Skip the cruise ships and use regional flights and ferries to explore Ketchikan, Sitka, Juneau, Glacier Bay, and Skagwa…