Ketchikan is located in the state of Alaska and has a lot of culture to offer as well as great sights and interesting destinations. So if you’re planning a trip to Ketchikan, you’ve come to the right place!
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Vacation in Ketchikan
Ketchikan is a rainforest town in Alaska’s Inside Passage. With Totem Heritage Center and many other totem poles around town, it is a popular spot for cruise ship passengers. Ketchikan is also home to Misty Fiords National Monument, accessible via boat or floatplane. Vacationers can fish for salmon, hike through the temperate rainforest and enjoy the town’s unique shopping and dining.
Ketchikan is the rainiest city in the US, so pack your rain gear! The town is small and walkable, with most attractions located downtown. Ketchikan’s main street, Creek Street, is a historic boardwalk built on pilings over a salmon creek. The views of the creek and nearby mountains are stunning, and there are several shops and restaurants along the boardwalk.
Misty Fiords National Monument is a mustsee for nature lovers. The monument is only accessible by boat or floatplane, and tours leave from Ketchikan daily. Visitors can see waterfalls, glaciers, and wildlife including bears, eagles, and seals.
If you’re looking for a more active vacation, Ketchikan is a great place to fish for salmon. There are several charter companies in town that can take you out on a boat for a day of fishing. Hiking is also popular in Ketchikan, with several trails leading into the rainforest.
Ketchikan is known for its arts and crafts, and there are several shops downtown where you can find handcarved totem poles and other Native American art. The town also has several good restaurants, serving everything from seafood to Mexican food.
No matter what kind of vacation you’re looking for, Ketchikan is sure to have something for you. The stunning scenery, abundant wildlife, and unique shops and restaurants make it a truly unforgettable destination.
Sights in Ketchikan
Ketchikan, Alaska is known as the “Salmon Capital of the World.” With a stunning location on the Inside Passage at the southern tip of the state, this Southeast Alaska city is a popular cruise destination for visitors from all over the world.
The history of Ketchikan dates back to the early 1800s when Russian and British explorers first arrived in the area. The town was officially founded in 1885, and grew quickly as a result of the booming gold mining industry in the region.
Today, Ketchikan is home to just over 8,000 people. But despite its small size, there’s plenty to see and do in this unique Alaskan town.
One of the most popular attractions in Ketchikan is the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. This facility is dedicated to rescuing and rehabilitating injured and orphaned animals. Visitors can see everything from bears and eagles, to moose and lynx up close.
For those interested in the area’s rich Native American heritage, the Totem Heritage Center is a mustsee. Here, you’ll find one of the largest collections of totem poles in the world, as well as a variety of other traditional art and artifacts.
Ketchikan is also known for its amazing seafood. Salmon is, of course, the star of the show. But you’ll also find crab, halibut, and shrimp on menus throughout the city. For the best views (and freshest seafood) head to dockside restaurants like the Crab Pot or Annie’s Crab Shack.
No visit to Ketchikan would be complete without a ride on the iconic Creek Street streetcar. This historic street car takes passengers on a leisurely ride through the heart of downtown, past some of the city’s most popular shops and restaurants.
Whether you’re looking for wildlife encounters, native culture, fresh seafood, or simply beautiful scenery, Ketchikan has it all. This Southeast Alaska gem is well worth a visit.
History of Ketchikan
The Native American ancestors of the present day Native inhabitants of Ketchikan, Alaska had the area now known as Ketchikan long before any recorded history. The earliest evidence comes from a 9,000 B.C. site on Annette Island. However, the first people to live in the area were probably the Tlingit, who comprise the vast majority of the current Native population in the area.
The Tlingit are thought to have migrated to the area between 4,000 and 10,000 years ago. Their name for the area was “Kachada”, meaning “Thundering Echoes”, referring to the loud sound made by the eagles that nest in nearby cliffs.
The first Europeans to visit Alaska were the Russians, who came in the late 1700s in search of furs. They established a trading post in Ketchikan in 1803, which quickly became the center of the fur trade in the area.
The United States purchased Alaska from the Russians in 1867, and one of the first things the Americans did was to build a military presence in Ketchikan, which they used as a base to explore and map the Territory. In 1869, a Presbyterian minister named Sheldon Jackson arrived in Ketchikan with the intention of converting the Native population to Christianity.
Jackson was successful in persuading the Tlingit people to send their children to his schools, and by 1885, there were so many Tlingit children attending the schools that a new school had to be built. In the early 1900s, the growing mining industry in Alaska brought more people to Ketchikan, and by 1914 the town had a population of around 1,000.
During World War II, Ketchikan was again used as a military base, this time by the United States Army, and the population once again grew. After the war, commercial fishing became the dominant industry in Ketchikan, and it remains so to this day.
In recent years, tourism has also become a major contributor to the economy of Ketchikan, with over a million visitors each year coming to experience the town’s picturesque setting and rich history.
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