A visit to Ketchikan, Alaska should be on everyone's itinerary. The small town of Ketchikan is at the foot of the Tongass Rainforest. This picturesque fishing town is five hundred miles north
of Seattle and Alaska's first visit for most cruise ships. As the gateway to Misty Fiords, the salmon fishing capital of the world, and the
Tongass National Forest, it is a very popular cruiseship port. Its historic downtown, wedged between water and forested mountains,
becomes saturated in summer with cruiseship
tourists. Ketchikan is built into steep hills and
partly propped on wooden pilings, with
boardwalks, wooden staircases and totem poles
dotted throughout. By 1886, white settlers had
opened the first of dozens of canneries and
Ketchikan was soon to be the salmon capital of
the world.
Forests of cedar, hemlock and spruce, which had
provided timber for Tlingit and Haida homes and
totems, also fed the town's sawmills. The timber
and fishing industries have declined, and with
the closure of the antiquated pulp mill in 1997,
the Ketchikan economy is in a state of flux. The
state's fourth largest city is a strong contender
for the nation's wettest; annual precipitation
averages 165 inches. The tourist board shrugs it
off as liquid sunshine and, indeed, Ketchikan's
perennial drizzle and sporadic showers won't
spoil your visit to the rainforest.
Cultural Attractions:
Cultural attractions include the Totem Bight
State Historical Park, Saxman Totem Park and
Carving Center, Ketchikan Totem Heritage Center
Museum; Tongass Historical Museum; Creek Street
Historic District and the infamous Dolly's House.
Cultural events and festivals including the
Festival of the North (February); Celebration of
the Sea (April); Fourth of July Timber Carnival
(July); King of Kings Salmon Derby (June); Little
League Salmon Derby (May-June); Blueberry Arts
Festival (August); Winter Arts Fair (Nov); and
the Festival of Lights (December).
Misty Fjords:
Magnificent Misty Fjords National Monument is a
pristine masterpiece. It's fjords were created by
massive glacier action in the ice-rimmed
wilderness. Here is one of the country's greatest
treasures and some of Alaska's most spectactular
scenery. It's 2.3 million acres include soaring
cliffs, saw-tooth ridges shrouded in mists,
sky-blue lakes, hanging valleys, countless
waterfalls, bottomless saltwater fjords, and
miles of glaciers. The monument is also home to a
multitude of wildlife.
Saxman:
Two miles south of Ketchikan, Ak is Saxman
Village and the largest collection of totem poles
in the world. Native art and culture flourishes
here due to the large population of Native
Alaskans. Gaze at the many massive totem poles,
timeless monuments in cedar from the first
Alaskans. Native dance comes alive with regular
performances by skilled groups at the Saxman
Tribal house.
Sportfishing:
Huge runs of salmon migrate from the open ocean,
around Prince of Wales Island, and into the
protected waters of the Inside passage near
Ketchikan. This mass gathering of five species of
salmon is the reason that this area is known as
the "Salmon capitol of the world". This region of
Alaska is particulary noted for its strong runs
of trophy fish. The finest salt water fishing for
giant halibut, red snapper, ling cod, and rock
cod is also available.
Flightseeing:
Depart the Ketchikan
waterfront and immediately enter the lush
wilderness of the Tongass National Forest with an
experienced Alaska bush pilot. Whether you want
to land on a mountain lake, fly over fjords, view
glaciers and wildlife or just enjoy the
phenomenal and breathtaking beauty of the last
frontier. Scheduled services are also available
to Prince of Wales, Metlakatla, and Hyder.
Weather:
Ketchikan lies in the maritime climate zone noted
for its warm winters, cool summers, and heavy
precipitation. Summer temperatures range from 51
to 65; winter temperatures range from 29 to 39.
Ketchikan averages 162 inches (13.5 feet !) of
precipitation annually, including 32 inches of
snowfall.
Location:
On Revillagigedo Island, 1 1/2 hours from
Seattle; 2 1/2 hours from Anchorage.
Transportation:
Ketchikan is the first port of call in Alaska for
cruise ships and Alaska's Marine Highway System
vessels. The Inter-Island Ferry Authority
provides daily, year-round ferry service between
Ketchikan and Hollis on Prince of Wales Island
and twice-a-day service during the Summer.
Ketchikan's community harbor and docking
facilities include a breakwater, a deep draft
dock, five small boat harbors, a dry dock and
ship repair yard, boat launch, and a State ferry
terminal.
Regularly-scheduled commercial jet services offer
northbound and southbound departures daily. The
airport lies on Gravina Island, a 10-minute ferry
ride to the downtown.
Ketchikan has numerous air taxi and sea plane
tour companies with service to surrounding
communities. There are four float plane landing
facilities: Tongass Narrows, Peninsula Point,
Ketchikan Harbor, and Murphy's.
Services:
Ketchikan has many services available for
visitors. Accommodations are available at the
hotels, hostels, bed and breakfasts, Forest
Service cabins, and RV parks. There are car
rentals, taxi cabs, a transit system, outdoor
gear rentals, and emergency/medical services
available as well as grocery stores and many
restaurants and eateries.
