About Ketchikan
Ketchikan is the first Alaskan port on northbound sailings and the last on southbound — a colorful, rain-soaked fishing town that has embraced its dual identity as the salmon capital of the world and the totem pole capital of Alaska. Creek Street, the historic red-light district built over Ketchikan Creek, is the most photographed street in Alaska. Expect rain — Ketchikan averages 162 inches per year.
What to Do
Totem Bight State Park
World's largest collection of standing totem poles in their original or replica form, set in a traditional Tlingit clan house setting. Taxi from downtown. A genuinely moving cultural experience.
Misty Fjords National Monument
Spectacular floatplane or boat excursion into the wilderness of granite cliffs and waterfalls. One of Alaska's most dramatic landscapes and often considered the best excursion in Ketchikan.
Creek Street
Ketchikan's famous historic boardwalk district built over Ketchikan Creek. In salmon season (July-August), you can watch salmon returning to spawn in the creek below your feet.
Bear Watching
Excursions to see Alaskan brown bears in the wild — particularly excellent from Ketchikan as bears come to streams to catch salmon in season.
Totem Heritage Center
Museum housing original 19th-century totem poles rescued from abandoned Tlingit villages. The most historically significant totem collection in Alaska.
Food & Drink
Fresh Alaskan salmon, halibut, and Dungeness crab at multiple restaurants near the pier.
Classic Alaskan clam chowder and seafood in a historic building near Creek Street.