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Ketchikan is famous for its colorful totem poles, rainy skies, steep-as-San Francisco streets, and lush island setting. Some 13,500 people call the town home, and, in the summer, cruise ships crowd the shoreline, floatplanes depart noisily for Misty Fiords National Monument, and salmon-laden commercial fishing boats motor through Tongass Narrows. In the last decade Ketchikan’s rowdy, blue-collar heritage of logging and fishing has been softened by the loss of many timber-industry jobs and the dramatic rise of cruise-ship tourism. With some effort, though, visitors can still glimpse the rugged frontier spirit that once permeated this hardscrabble cannery town. Art lovers should make a beeline for Ketchikan: the arts community here is very active. Travelers in search of the perfect piece of Alaska art will find an incredible range of pieces to choose from.

The town is at the foot of 3,000-foot Deer Mountain, near the southeastern corner of Revillagigedo (locals shorten it to Revilla) Island. Prior to the arrival of white miners and fishermen in 1885, the Tlingit used the site at the mouth of Ketchikan Creek as a summer fish camp. Gold discoveries just before the turn of the 20th century brought more immigrants, and valuable timber and commercial fishing resources spurred new industries. By the 1930s the town bragged that it was the “salmon-canning capital of the world.” You will still find some of Southeast’s best salmon fishing around here.

Ketchikan is the first bite of Alaska that many travelers taste. Despite its imposing backdrop, hillside homes, and many staircases, the town is relatively easy to walk through. Favorite downtown stops include the Spruce Mill Development shops and Creek Street. A bit farther away you’ll find the Totem Heritage Center and Deer Mountain Tribal Hatchery. Out of town (but included on most bus tours) are two longtime favorites: Totem Bight State Historical Park to the north and Saxman Totem Park to the south.

Getting Here and Around

Ketchikan is a regular cruise-ship and ferry stop, and Alaska Airlines serves the town from Seattle and other Pacific Northwest locations. A three-minute ride on the Gateway Borough Ferry ($5) will get you from the airport to town, and there’s a water taxi (cost varies) that serves waterfront marinas and piers.

If you’re traveling out of town on the highway in either direction, you won’t go far before you run out of road. The North Tongass Highway ends about 18 miles from downtown, at Settler’s Cove Campground. The South Tongass Highway terminates about 13 miles from town. Side roads soon end at campgrounds and at trailheads, viewing points, lakes, boat-launching ramps, and private property.

Buses serve Ketchikan and outlying areas, and during the cruise-ship season (from May to September) a free shuttle bus travels a circular route from Berth 4. Stops include Eagle Park, the Southeast Discovery Center, Creek Street, the Totem Heritage Center, Deer Mountain Tribal Hatchery, and Ketchikan Historic Museum.

Cruise Travel

Most ships dock or tender passengers ashore directly across from the Ketchikan Visitors Bureau on Front and Mission streets, in the center of downtown. A new dock, several blocks north on the other side of the tunnel, is still within easy walking distance of most of the town’s sights. Walking-tour signs lead you around the city. For panoramic vistas of the surrounding area—and a wee bit of exercise—climb the stairs leading up several steep hillsides.

To reach sights farther from downtown, rent a car, hire a cab, or ride the local buses. Metered taxis meet the ships right on the docks and also wait across the street. Rates are $3.70 for pickup and $3.50 per mile. Up to six passengers can hire a taxi to tour for $75 per hour. Local buses run along the main route through town and south to Saxman. The fare is $1.

Visitor Information

The helpful Ketchikan Visitors Bureau ( | 907/225–6166, 800/770–3300 | www.visit-ketchikan.com) is right next to the cruise-ship docks. Half the space is occupied by day-tour, flightseeing, and tour-boat operators.

The Aquaculture Debate

Life Cycle of an Alaskan Salmon

Five species of wild Pacific salmon are found in Alaska waters. All are anadromous (they spend part or all of their adult lives in salt water but depart to freshwater streams and rivers to spawn), and all five species have at least two common names: pink (humpback) salmon, chum (dog) salmon, coho (silver) salmon, sockeye (red) salmon, and Chinook (king) salmon. The smallest of these five, the pink salmon, has an average weight of only about 3 or 4 pounds, while king salmon can often tip the scales at more than 25 pounds. King salmon is generally considered the most flavorful, but sockeye and coho are also very highly regarded. Pink and chum salmon are the mainstay of canneries.

After spending a year or more in the ocean (the length of time varies among the species), Pacific salmon return to their native streams to spawn and die. The annual summertime return of adult salmon is a major event in Alaska, both for the animals (including bears) that depend on this bounty, and for thousands of commercial fishers and sport anglers.

Farmed or Wild?

Alaska has long been famous for its seafood, and one of the first acts following statehood in 1959 was to protect fisheries from overharvesting. Today the stocks of salmon and other fish remain healthy, and careful management ensures that they will remain so in the future. In the 1980s and 1990s, aquaculture—fish farming—grew into an enormous international business, particularly in Norway, Chile, the United Kingdom, and British Columbia. Leery of the consequences to wild salmon, Alaska has never allowed any salmon aquaculture.

Pen-raised fish are affordable, available year-round, and of a consistent quality, but controversy surrounds the practice of fish farming. Many people believe it has a disastrous impact on the environment, citing such issues as disease; pollution from the waste of huge concentrations of fish; and the harvesting of non-native species, such as Atlantic salmon.

The Employment Question

On the other side of the debate, there are those who believe that fish farming is helping to protect the earth’s valuable—and decreasing—populations of salmon. Proponents of fish farms point out that the practice also offers revenue and more jobs. Offshore fish farming in the United States is a highly incendiary topic of debate; those supporting it believe that if the farms are placed in deep ocean pockets, the pollution from and medication given to the pen-raised fish will be scattered better by strong currents. Many environmentalists beg to differ, hoping to establish stringent guidelines before opening the ocean to fish-farming corporations.

One Alaska bumper sticker says: “Friends don’t let friends eat farmed salmon.” Just across the border, in British Columbia, many people find employment as fish-farm workers. No matter which side you agree with in the aquaculture debate, be sure to enjoy a plate of delicious wild salmon during your visit to Alaska—perhaps one you’ve hooked yourself!

—Don Pitcher

Essentials

Medical Assistance
PeaceHealth Ketchikan Medical Center. | 3100 Tongass Ave. | 907/225–5171 | www.peacehealth.org/ketchikan.

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Exploring

Top Attractions

Creek Street.
This was once Ketchikan’s red-light district. During Prohibition, Creek Street was home to numerous speakeasies, and in the early 1900s more than 30 houses of prostitution operated here. Today the small, colorful houses, built on stilts over the creek waters, have been restored as interesting shops. | www.creekstreetketchikan.com.

Salmon ladder.
Get out your camera and set it for high speed at the fish ladder, a series of pools arranged like steps that allow fish to travel upstream around a dam or falls. When the salmon start running, from June onward, thousands of fish leap the falls or take the easier fish-ladder route. They spawn in Ketchikan Creek’s waters farther upstream. Many can also be seen in the creek’s eddies above and below the falls. The falls, fish ladder, and a large carving of a jumping salmon are just off Park Avenue on Married Man’s Trail. The trail was once used by married men for discreet access to the red-light district on Creek Street. | Married Man’s Trail, off Park Ave.

Saxman Totem Park.
A 2½-mile paved walking path–bike trail parallels the road from Ketchikan to Saxman Native Village, named for a missionary who helped Native Alaskans settle here before 1900. A totem park dominates the center of Saxman, with poles representing human and animal-inspired figures, including bears, ravens, whales, and eagles.

Saxman’s Beaver Clan tribal house is said to be the largest in Alaska. Carvers create totem poles and totemic art objects in the adjacent carver’s shed. You can get to the park on foot or by taxi, bicycle, or city bus. You can visit the totem park on your own, but to visit the tribal house and theater you must take a tour. TIP If on a cruise, you can book a tour through the shore excursion office; otherwise, contact the park via email (info@capefoxtours.com). | S. Tongass Hwy., 2 miles south of town | 907/225–4421 | www.capefoxtours.com/saxman.html | $5.

FAMILY | Southeast Alaska Discovery Center.
This impressive public lands interpretive center contains exhibits—including one on the rain forest—that focus on the resources, Native cultures, and ecosystems of Southeast. The U.S. Forest Service and other federal agencies provide information on Alaska’s public lands, and a large gift shop sells natural-history books, maps, and videos about the region’s sights. America the Beautiful–National Park and Federal Recreational Land Passes are accepted and sold. | 50 Main St. | 907/228–6220 | www.alaskacenters.gov/ketchikan.cfm | $5 (free Oct.–Apr.) | May–Sept., daily 8:30–4; Oct.–Apr., Fri. noon–8.

Fodor’s Choice | Totem Bight State Historical Park.
About a quarter of the Ketchikan bus tours include this park that contains many totem poles and has a hand-hewn Native clan house. Totem Bight sits on a scenic spit of land facing the waters of Tongass Narrows. Master Native carvers crafted the first replica poles here as part of a U.S. Forest Services program that began in the late 1930s. The tools the carvers used were handmade in the Native style, and modern paints were used to re-create colors originally made using natural substances from clamshells to lichen. The clan house, open daily in summer, was built to resemble a type that might have held several related families. Note the raven painting on the front: each eye contains a small face. TIP Try to save time for a stop at nearby Potlatch Totem Park as well. | N. Tongass Hwy., about 10 miles north of town | 907/247–8574 | dnr.alaska.gov/parks/units/totembgh.htm | Free | Daily dawn–dusk.

Totem Heritage Center.
Gathered from uninhabited Tlingit and Haida village sites, many of the Native totems in the center’s collection are well over a century old—a rare age for cedar carvings, which are frequently lost to decay in Southeast’s exceedingly wet climate. Crafts of the Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian cultures are also on display inside the facility, and outside stand several more poles carved in the three decades since it opened. The center offers guided tours and hosts classes, workshops, and seminars related to Northwest Coast Native art and culture. | 601 Deermount St. | 907/225–5900 | www.city.ketchikan.ak.us/departments/museums/totem.html | $5 | May–Sept., daily 8–5; Oct.–Apr., weekdays 1–5.

Worth Noting

Cape Fox Lodge.
For the town’s best harbor views and a gander at one of Southeast’s most luxurious lobbies, walk to the top of steep Venetia Avenue or take the funicular ($2) up from Creek Street. Don’t miss the totems and other artwork created by master carvers Nathan Jackson and Lee Wallace. | 800 Venetia Way | 907/225–8001, 866/225–8001 | www.capefoxlodge.com.

City Park.
East of the Deer Mountain Tribal Hatchery, this small but charming park has picnic tables, a fountain, and paved paths. Ketchikan Creek runs through it. | Park and Fair sts.

Creek Street Footbridge.
Stand over Ketchikan Creek for good salmon viewing when the fish are running. In summer you can see impressive runs of coho, king, pink, and chum salmon, along with smaller numbers of steelhead and rainbow trout heading upstream to spawn. TIP Keep your eyes peeled for sea lions snacking on the incoming fish.

FAMILY | Deer Mountain Tribal Hatchery.
Tens of thousands of king and coho salmon are raised at this hatchery on Ketchikan Creek owned by the Ketchikan Indian Community. Midsummer visitors can view natural spawning by pink salmon and steelhead trout, as well as workers collecting and fertilizing the salmon eggs for the hatchery. | 1158 Salmon Rd. | 907/228–5530, 800/252–5158 | www.kictribe.org/businesses/index.html | Hatchery May–Sept., daily 8–4:30.

Dolly’s House Museum & Gift Shop.
Formerly owned by the inimitable Dolly Arthur, this steep-roofed home once housed Creek Street’s most famous brothel. The house has been preserved as a museum, complete with furnishings, beds, and a short history of the life and times of Ketchikan’s best-known madam. | 24 Creek St. | 907/225–6329 (summer only) | www.dollyshouse.com | $10 | Daily 8–4 when cruise ships are in port; closed in winter.

Grant Street Trestle.
At one time virtually all of Ketchikan’s walkways and streets were made from wooden trestles, but now only one of these handsome wooden streets remains, constructed in 1908.

The Rock.
Ketchikan is known for its public art, and this bronze monument by local artist Dave Rubin provides a striking introduction. The Rock (2010) depicts seven life-size figures representative of Ketchikan’s history: a Tinglit elder, a logger, a miner, a fisherman, an aviator, a Native woman, and an elegant lady. The sculpture is located on the waterfront next to the Ketchikan Visitors Bureau. For a complete listing of Ketchikan’s public art, galleries, museums, and cultural organizations, pick up a copy of Art Lives Here, the bureau’s free guide. | Front and Mill sts., on the boardwalk | www.ketchikanartliveshere.org/artists/daverubin.

St. John’s Episcopal Church.
Completed in 1904 and Ketchikan’s oldest house of worship, St. John’s has an interior constructed of red cedar cut in the Native-operated sawmill in nearby Saxman. When cruise ships are in town, a docent is on hand to answer questions. | 503 Mission St. | 907/225–3680 | www.stjohnsketchikan.com.

Thomas Street and Marina.
From this street you can see Thomas Basin, the most accessible of Ketchikan’s four harbors and home port to pleasure and commercial fishing boats. Old buildings, including the maroon-fronted Potlatch Bar, sit atop pilings, and you can walk out to the breakwater for a better view of busy Tongass Narrows. | Thomas St.

Tongass Historical Museum.
Native artifacts and pioneer relics revisit the mining and fishing eras at this museum in the same building as the library. Exhibits include a big, brilliantly polished lens from Tree Point Lighthouse, well-presented Native tools and artwork, and photography collections. Other exhibits are temporary, but always include Tlingit items. | 629 Dock St. | 907/225–5600 | www.city.ketchikan.ak.us/departments/museums/tongass.html | $3 | May–Sept., daily 8–5; Oct.–Apr., Tues.–Fri. 1–5, Sat. 10–4.

Whale Park.
This small park on a traffic island across from St. John’s church is the site of the Chief Kyan Totem Pole, now in its third incarnation. The current replica was erected in 1993, and was restored and re-raised in 2005. The original was carved in the 1890s, but over the decades it deteriorated and it was replaced in the 1960s. The 1960s edition is housed in the Totem Heritage Center. | Mission and Bawden sts.

Outdoor Activities and Guided Tours

Canopy Tours

Alaska Canopy Adventures.
Featuring a series of zip-lines, aerial boardwalks, and suspension bridges, canopy tours provide an up-close view of the coastal forests. At Alaska Canopy Adventures—a course at the Alaska Rainforest Sanctuary, 8.4 miles south of town—the longest of the tour’s eight zip-lines stretches more than 800 feet, and whisks you along some 130 feet off the ground. Ketchikan’s version of this fast-growing outdoor activity often includes Alaskan wildlife viewing—black bears and eagles are frequently spotted from on high. TIP Book online (discounts available) or through your cruise line. | 116 Wood Rd. | 907/225–5503 | www.alaskacanopy.com | From $189.

Southeast Exposure.
A rain forest zip-line and ropes course is offered through Southeast Exposure, a well-known kayaking outfit in the area. | 37 Potter Rd. | 907/225–8829 | www.southeastexposure.com | From $90 (kayaking) and $125 (zip-lining).

Driving Tours

FAMILY | Adventure Kart Expedition.
There’s no faster route to feeling like a kid on a first go-kart outing than spending a few hours in one of Adventure Kart Expedition’s cool little off-road vehicles. After choosing a helmet, you’ll get a quick lesson in the how-tos of driving one of the vehicles. Then you, and the people in the lineup of ATVs you’ll race along with, will put pedal to metal (literally) as you zip down old backcountry timber trails. Wear old clothes: there’s no way you’re coming back from this one clean. Depending on the weather, the trails will either be dusty or mud-filled; but they’re always fun. Kids can ride along if they meet the height and weight requirements (50” and 40 lbs.) and have an adult participating with them. | Whipple Creek | 907/225–8400 | info@adventurekarts.com | www.adventurekarts.com | From $209.

Fishing

Ketchikan Visitors Bureau.
Sportfishing for salmon and trout is excellent in the Ketchikan area, in both saltwater and freshwater lakes and streams. The visitors bureau has information about the many local boat owners who offer charter and guide services. | 50 Front St. | 907/225–6166, 800/770–3300 | www.visit-ketchikan.com.

Harbor and Air Tours

Alaska Travel Adventures.
This company’s backcountry Jeep trips are fun, as are the 20-person canoe outings perfect for people just dipping their toes into (very) soft adventure travel. | 907/247–5295, 800/323–5757 | www.bestofalaskatravel.com | $99 (canoe outings), $159 (Jeep trips).

Allen Marine Tours.
One of Southeast’s best-known tour operators, Allen Marine conducts Misty Fiords National Monument catamaran tours throughout the summer. The company also offers a half-day trip to the Tsimshian village of Metlakatla. | 5 Salmon Landing | 907/225–8100, 877/686–8100 | www.allenmarinetours.com | Book tours through your cruise line or email ketchikaninfo@allenmarine.com for rates and times.

Southeast Aviation.
Head out on a floatplane to tour the glaciers and mountains of Misty Fiords National Monument. Charters are available. | 1249 Tongass Ave. | 907/225–2900, 888/359–6478 | www.southeastaviation.com | From $239.

Hiking

Get details on hiking around Ketchikan from the Southeast Alaska Discovery Center and Ketchikan Visitors Bureau.

Deer Mountain.
The 3-mile trail from downtown to the 3,000-foot summit of Deer Mountain will repay your efforts with a spectacular panorama of the city below and the wilderness behind. The trail officially begins at the corner of Nordstrom Drive and Ketchikan Lake Road, but consider starting on the paved, 1½-mile scenic walk on the corner of Fair and Deermount streets. Pass through dense forests before emerging into the alpine country. A shelter cabin near the summit provides a place to warm up. | Fair and Deermount sts. | www.seatrails.org/com_ketchikan/trl-deermountain.htm.

Ward Lake Recreation Area.
About 6 miles north of town, the recreation area has hikes next to lakes and streams and beneath towering spruce and hemlock trees; it also has several covered picnic spots and a pleasant campground. An easy 1.3-mile nature trail circles the lake, which is popular for steelhead and salmon fishing. Ward Creek Trail begins from the lake and follows the creek 2½ miles, with shoreside paths to creekside platforms. The trail is hard-packed gravel and is wide and gentle enough for wheelchairs. More ambitious hikers head up the 2-mile Perseverance Trail, challenging steps and boardwalk that take hikers through the open muskeg (peat bog) to a small lake. | Ward Lake | 907/225–2148 for Ketchikan Ranger District.

Local Interest

Cape Fox Tours.
A Native-owned company, Cape Fox Tours leads tours of Saxman Totem Park. Visitors can also book a Saxman Native Village and Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show combination tour. Book tours in advance or at the Ketchikan Visitors Bureau. | 300 Spruce Mill Way | 907/225–4846 | www.capefoxtours.com.

FAMILY | Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show.
The show consists of a 60-minute lumberjack competition providing a Disneyesque taste of old-time woodsman skills, including ax throwing, bucksawing, springboard chopping, log-rolling duels, and a 50-foot speed climb. It’s a little hokey, but it’s good fun (and kids will love it). Shows take place in a covered, heated grandstand directly behind the Salmon Landing Marketplace and are presented rain or shine all summer. | 420 Spruce Mill Way | 907/225–9050, 888/320–9049 | www.lumberjacksports.com | $35 | May–Sept., 2–4 shows daily (hrs vary).

Sea Kayaking

Southeast Exposure.
This outfit conducts a 3½-hour guided Eagle Islands sea-kayak tour and a 4½-hour Tatoosh Islands sea-kayak tour in Behm Canal. | 37 Potter Rd. | 907/225–8829 | www.southeastexposure.com | From $90.

Fodor’s Choice | Southeast Sea Kayaks.
Paddle across the Tongass Narrows in this company’s 2½-hour introductory tour or venture farther afield on one of its guided multinight trips to Misty Fiords. Travelers with just one day to spend on a Ketchikan adventure should consider the combination tour of kayaking through Orcas Cove and flightseeing Misty Fiords National Monument. It’s hard to beat a day that includes a transfer from a boat to a floatplane. | 3 Salmon Landing | 907/225–1258, 800/287–1607 | www.kayakketchikan.com | From $89.

Snorkeling

Fodor’s Choice | Snorkel Alaska.
While signing up to go snorkeling in Alaska may seem like little more than a novelty, it takes just a few seconds in the waters off Ketchikan to understand that you’re about to have an incredibly special experience. (Don’t worry: you’ll be given a wet suit to keep you warm.) Experienced guides provide both novice and experienced snorkelers the necessary information to quickly become comfortable and begin underwater gazing at giant sunflower stars, bright blood stars, sea cucumbers, and more. | S. Tongass Hwy. and Roosevelt Dr. | 907/247–7782 | www.snorkelalaska.com | $110.

Walking Around Ketchikan

The Ketchikan Visitors Bureau, on the docks that parallel Front Street, is a good starting point for a stroll through town. Next to the bureau you can’t miss local artist Dave Rubin’s The Rock, a bronze sculpture depicting seven figures associated with Ketchikan’s past. With the water on your right, walk down Front Street and pass through the Salmon Landing Marketplace; at the Southeast Alaska Discovery Center here you can learn about the region’s wild places. Up Mill Street is minuscule Whale Park, whose centerpiece, Israel Shotridge’s Chief Kyan totem pole, commemorates the Tlinglit leader who sold the land that evolved into Ketchikan. From here you can follow Stedman Street across the bridge to Thomas Street, which overlooks one of Ketchikan’s four harbors. Following Deermount Street uphill for several blocks, you’ll come across the Totem Heritage Center and its collection of ancient totem poles. A footbridge takes you to Deer Mountain Tribal Hatchery, where you can view young salmon, and City Park. From here, Park Avenue runs parallel to Ketchikan Creek, heading downhill to the fish ladder and the salmon carving next to the Falls at Salmon Falls Resort. Glance uphill from the falls to see historic Grant Street Trestle, where the road becomes a steep plank bridge supported by pilings. It’s about a 10-minute walk down Park Avenue from the hatchery.

From the fish ladder, a boardwalk path follows Ketchikan Creek and leads to trendy Creek Street. For a good side trip, take the short funicular ($2) to Cape Fox Lodge to get a great view of the harbor. Back on the Creek Street boardwalk is Dolly’s House, a brothel in days gone by. Retrace your steps up the boardwalk and cross the Creek Street Footbridge; you may see salmon during summertime runs. Just in front of you is the Chief Johnson Totem Pole (Johnson, the chief depicted in The Rock, was a Tlinglit leader). Nearby is the Tongass Historical Museum, with relics of the early days of mining and fishing. A left turn onto Bawden Street will take you past St. John’s Church.

Where to Eat

Annabelle’s Famous Keg and Chowder House.
SEAFOOD | An unpretentious Victorian-style restaurant on the Gilmore Hotel’s ground floor, Annabelle’s serves pastas, steamer clams and other seafood dishes, and several kinds of chowder. Prime rib on Friday and Saturday evenings is a favorite, and the lounge, which has a jukebox, has a friendly vibe. | Average main: $20 | 326 Front St. | 907/225–6009 | www.gilmorehotel.com/annabelles.cfm.

Bar Harbor Restaurant.
SEAFOOD | Martin Smith, one of Southeast’s, if not Alaska’s, most inventive chefs, owns this restaurant in a tiny, blue-and-white waterfront house about 1½ miles outside town. Even Southeast standards such as fried halibut and chips taste a notch better here. TIP The interior is a cozy spot to dine, but try to get a seat on the back deck. Inside or out, be sure to order the Gorgonzola fries. | Average main: $24 | 2813 Tongass Ave. | 907/225–2813 | www.barharborrestaurantketchikan.com | Reservations essential | Closed Sun. and Mon. No lunch.

Diaz Café.
ASIAN | Take a break from salmon saturation at this Old Town Ketchikan spot. On historic Stedman Street, the café serves hearty Filipino cuisine beloved both of locals and cruise ship staffers hungry for a taste of home. Budget-wary travelers, take heart: you don’t have to spend much at Diaz for a really filling meal. The place is a wonderful time warp; it’s straight back to the linoleum-and-tile 1950s inside. | Average main: $8 | 335 Stedman St. | 907/225–2257.

New York Café.
AMERICAN | New owners transformed the former O’Brien’s Pub, reclaiming the 1920s-era roots of this space adjacent to the New York Hotel. Care was taken to restore the antique bar and fixtures and create a sense of old-fashioned charm. This is a relaxing, slightly elegant place to enjoy a casual meal while staring out the plate-glass windows at life on busy Stedman Street or admiring the mural by local artist Ray Troll that spans one wall. The menu includes reasonably priced seafood, salads, and burgers, along with Mediterranean-influenced fare. The café serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and on weekends sometimes hosts acoustic music. | Average main: $15 | 211 Stedman St. | 907/224–0246 | www.nycafeak.com.

Ocean View Restaurante.
MEXICAN | A favorite with locals, the Ocean View serves decent burgers, steaks, pasta, pizzas, and seafood, but the main draws are the authentic and very filling Mexican dishes. Three tables in the back have nice views of the Tongass Narrows. TIP If coming from downtown, consider taking a cab; the restaurant is an unscenic mile-long walk along a busy road. | Average main: $15 | 1831 Tongass Ave. | 907/225–7566.

The Point Art Cafe.
CAFÉ | Part art gallery, part restaurant, the Point overlooks Tongass Narrows—window seats include binoculars for boat or wildlife viewing. But there’s also plenty on view inside. Paintings by local artists fill the walls, and shelves hold small sculptural pieces and ceramic bowls and other functional items. Near the front are craft materials, including yarn and beads for sale, and a long table where creative locals often work on a project. Primarily a lunch spot, the café serves quiches, soups, and hearty sandwiches on homemade bread. TIP The Point provides free shuttle service from and to ships and hotels. | Average main: $12 | 25 Jefferson Way, Ste. 102 | 907/225–2858 | www.alaskanart.net | Closed Sun. No dinner.

Sweet Mermaids.
BAKERY | A tiny coffee shop and bakery with a sunny, enthusiastic staff, Sweet Mermaids is a great choice for breakfast. Options include decadent homemade cinnamon rolls and scones, as well as more substantial items such as breakfast burritos. If you’re here for lunch, try the salmon chowder or one of the other soups—the perfect antidotes for a rainy afternoon. | Average main: $8 | 340 Front St. | 907/225–3287 | No dinner.

Where to Stay

Black Bear Inn.
B&B/INN | It’s hard to imagine a more relaxing spot than the Black Bear Inn. Its waterfront backyard has plenty of seating, so guests can enjoy hours (and hours) watching ships go by, and the hot tub and the outdoor cooking area with multiple grills provide the perfect way to decompress from a day of exploring. The views of the Tongass Narrows from inside this bed-and-breakfast are equally fine, and the four rooms all have plush furniture, comfortable beds, and porches or balconies. In lieu of group breakfasts the kitchen is stocked with fruit, baked goods, and other items, and guests can eat at their leisure. The easygoing owners, Nicole and Jim Church, offer up as much (or as little) conversation as you’re comfortable with. Ask about the old photos in the rooms; if you’re lucky, you’ll hear tales of Jim’s great-grandparents, who moved to Ketchikan in 1900. The Black Bear also has a top-floor one-bedroom apartment for rent, as well as a two-bedroom cabin. Pros: kitchen fully stocked for breakfast and all-day snacks; a phenomenal backyard space. Cons: outside downtown. | Rooms from: $170 | 5528 N. Tongass Hwy. | 907/225–4343 | www.stayinalaska.com | 4 rooms, 1 apartment, 1 cabin | Breakfast.

Cape Fox Lodge.
HOTEL | With scenic views of the town and Thomas Basin from 135 feet above Creek Street, Cape Fox Lodge is cozy yet luxurious. A towering, log-framed lobby has Tlingit and Haida artwork and an interesting collection of museum-quality artifacts, and there’s often a roaring fire. The spacious rooms are attractively decorated with traditional tribal colors and watercolors of Alaska birds. All have views of either Tongass Narrows or Deer Mountain. Numshee Jitters (that’s “Crazy” Jitters in Tlingit) is the lobby’s coffee shop, and the busy Heen Kahidi Dining Room serves three meals a day, with seafood, pasta, chicken, and steaks highlighting the dinner menu. Be sure to reserve one of the window tables that overlook Ketchikan. Pros: complimentary Wi-Fi; on-site artwork by master carvers. Cons: rooms are rather plain; hotel has a bit of a conference-property feel. | Rooms from: $195 | 800 Venetia Way | 907/225–8001, 866/225–8001 for reservations | www.capefoxlodge.com | 72 rooms, 2 suites | No meals.

Inn at Creek Street & New York Hotel.
HOTEL | More than a century old, this quaint hotel is adjacent to a newly renovated eatery, the New York Café, that serves three meals a day. The delightfully old-school hotel rooms are on the small side, but they have character in spades: one-of-a-kind antique furnishings, cozy quilts on the queen beds, and tile floors with pedestal sinks in the bathrooms. The three loft suites along Creek Street include kitchenettes, jetted tubs, loft bedrooms with spiral staircases, and decks overlooking the water. Suite amenities at other locations vary, so check with the hotel. Pros: loft suites have jetted tubs; rooms have Wi-Fi; standard rooms are reasonably priced. Cons: fills up quickly; small rooms. | Rooms from: $149 | 207 Stedman St. | 907/225–0246, 866/225–0246 outside Alaska | www.thenewyorkhotel.com | 8 rooms, 8 suites | No meals.

The Landing.
HOTEL | Named for the state ferry landing directly across the road, this Best Western property has large, comfortable rooms decorated with Mission-style furniture. Although the hotel is more than a mile from downtown, there’s no need for a car; a free shuttle provides transport around town. The Landing Restaurant is usually packed with families, and its colorful breakfast clientele consists of locals and ferry passengers. Upstairs, Jeremiah’s Pub offers dining in cozy digs and a relaxing no-smoking lounge built around a stone fireplace. Some suites have private balconies. Pros: professional service; underground parking; free shuttle around town; near airport. Cons: overpriced given the location and amenities; bland room décor. | Rooms from: $172 | 3434 Tongass Ave. | 907/225–5166, 800/428–8304 | www.landinghotel.com | 107 rooms, 21 suites | No meals.

The Narrows Inn.
HOTEL | A modern lodge, the Narrows is 3 miles from the center of town and ¼ mile north of the airport parking lot. Waterside rooms, including three spacious suites, are decorated with simple furniture and have balconies overlooking Tongass Narrows—a good place to watch seals, otters, and eagles. Ask for a room with a view unobstructed by the restaurant. The inn provides courtesy van service to anywhere within the city limits, but if you don’t feel like riding into town for dinner, the property has a fine steak-and-seafood restaurant. Pros: great views of Tongass in selected rooms; complimentary Continental breakfast; freezer available for fish storage. Cons: inconvenient location; not all rooms have good views. | Rooms from: $145 | 4871 N. Tongass Hwy. | 907/247–2600, 888/686–2600 | www.narrowsinn.com | 44 rooms, 3 suites | Breakfast.

Nightlife

Bars

Ketchikan is a bit of a party town, especially when crews stumble off fishing boats with cash in hand. You won’t have trouble finding something going on at several downtown bars.

Arctic Bar.
On the docks not far from the visitor center, the Arctic serves many beers, including Alaskan ones, and has a big deck out back. | 509 Water St. | 907/225–4709 | www.arcticbar.com.

Fat Stan’s Lounge.
Young locals pack into lively, informal Fat Stan’s, a cute spot with a decent selection of beers, wines, and spirits. You can snack on pizza as you sip. | Salmon Landing Marketplace,5 Salmon Landing | 907/247–9463.

Shopping

Art Galleries

Crazy Wolf Studio.
Authentic Northwest Coast art is the specialty of this crowded gallery run by a local Tsimshian artist and his wife. Well-known Southeast artists such as Haida basket weaver Holly Churchill and Tlingit carver Gene Chilton exhibit their work here. | 633 Mission St. | 907/225–9653 | www.crazywolfstudio.com.

Main Street Gallery.
The gallery, a light and cheery space run by the Ketchikan Area Arts and Humanities Council, showcases established artists and rising stars. It’s well worth a visit. | 330 Main St. | 907/225–2211 | www.ketchikanarts.org/main-street-gallery | Weekdays 9–5, Sat. 11–3. Closed last Sat. of each month.

Scanlon Gallery.
In business since 1972, Scanlon carries the prints of well-known Alaska artists, including Byron Birdsall, John Fehringer, Barbara Lavallee, Rie Muñoz, and Jon Van Zyle. The gallery also exhibits jewelry, glasswork, and pottery. | 318 Mission St. | 907/247–4730, 888/228–4730 | www.scanlongallery.com.

Soho Coho Art Gallery.
Design, art, clothing, and collectibles can all be found at stylish Soho Coho. Also here are T-shirts featuring the work of owner Ray Troll—best known for his wacky fish art—and works by other Southeast artists. | 5 Creek St. | 907/225–5954, 800/888–4070 | www.trollart.com.

Books

Parnassus Books.
A book lover’s bookstore with creaky floors and cozy quarters, Parnassus stocks many Alaskan titles. | 105 Stedman St. | 907/225–7690 | www.ketchikanbooks.com | Closed Mon.

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