Ketchikan Cruise Port: Ketchikan Alaska Walking Tour
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With its rich Native heritage, colorful local legends, and pedestrian-friendly streets, Ketchikan Alaska is fun to explore on foot. The downtown area can become busy when cruise ships are in port, though. Our Ketchikan Alaska walking tour offers a chance to escape the crowds and experience Alaska’s “First City” at your own pace.
My favorite things to do in Ketchikan include delving into the town’s salmon cuisine, totem poles, Native crafts, and Creek Street – a prohibition-era Red Light District built upon a boardwalk. Our route from the Ketchikan cruise port hits all these highlights. And, along the way, we’ll point you towards the best places to eat and shop.
KETCHIKAN ADVENTURE TOURS
WHERE IS THE KETCHIKAN CRUISE PORT
Bordered by the North Pacific Ocean, Ketchikan sits on Revillagigedo Island in Southeast Alaska. Accessible only by air or water, the town is known as the state’s “First City.” Thusly named, as it serves as the first major stop for northbound vessels from the lower forty-eight states and Canada.
Ketchikan is a popular cruise port on Alaska’s Inside Passage. The Ketchikan cruise port has four downtown berths, and a fifth in Ward Cove (about 6 miles from downtown) for Norwegian Cruise Lines.
ROUTE DETAILS OF KETCHIKAN WALKING TOUR
Walk Distance: 2.3 miles (3.7 km)
Walk Duration: Without stopping this walk would take around 54 minutes. With time built in for shopping, a meal, and museum stops – plan for a 4 hour outing.
Directions: There is good street signage in downtown Ketchikan and the GPS signal is generally strong. In this free walking tour, we use a combination of street names and visual landmarks. If you get lost, GPS the next stop on your phone, and follow the directions to get back on track.
Dress: Sturdy, comfortable shoes. Sun protection. Rain gear.
Time of Day: This walk is the most fun when downtown businesses are open. As a general rule of thumb: museums, shops, and restaurants are open from 9am to 5pm in the summer.
TIP: Some businesses adjust their hours to the cruise ship schedule, and may close early after the ships depart.
KETCHIKAN ALASKA EXCURSIONS
Pair our half-day Ketchikan Alaska walking tour with an eco-excursion in the surrounding Tongass National Forest. Most excursions depart from the Ketchikan cruise port.
If cruising, plan your rainforest adventure for the morning. Then, complete our free walk in the afternoon when businesses are open (and you are close to the cruise port). Here, we have listed a few popular Ketchikan Alaska excursions:
KETCHIKAN ALASKA HOTELS
Although Ketchikan is Alaska’s fifth largest town, the downtown area is small and strollable. Many restaurants, pubs, galleries, and shops are centered in this area. If staying overnight, consider one of these well-reviewed Ketchikan Alaska hotels:
Cape Fox Lodge - Resort with restaurant and lounge. In hills above town; short walk to Creek Street.
Inn at Creek Street - Restored historic rooms in the heart of downtown Ketchikan.
Black Bear Inn - Elegant waterfront lodge with B&B suites outside of town.
KETCHIKAN ALASKA WEATHER & BEST TIME TO GO
A lush rain forest surrounds Ketchikan. Temperatures average around 55-60’ F in summer (June, July, and August). In winter (November to February), temperatures average around 35-45’F with a mix of snow and rain.
To take advantage of Ketchikan’s amazing marine and rainforest environments, the best time to visit is May to August. During these months the weather is warm, there is less precipitation, most businesses are open, and wildlife viewing is good.
Note: Ketchikan is also the most crowded in these months.
BEST THINGS TO DO IN KETCHIKAN ALASKA
Our Ketchikan walking tour focuses on the best things to do close to the Ketchikan cruise port. The route begins at the iconic Ketchikan sign. Next, see the Tongass Historical Museum, and the Chief Johnson Totem Pole.
Then, move on to the Creek Street boardwalk to see the Salmon Ladder, Yeltazie Statue, Married Man’s Trail, and Dolly’s House. Finally, the trek takes in Ketchikan’s waterfront and Front Street, before circling back to the cruise docks.
TRIP ESSENTIALS
For almost every travel destination, I find myself reaching for my Eddie Bauer Rainfoil Jacket, Frogg Toggs Hat, Merrell Hiking Boots, and Crocs Strappy Sandals (wear to dinner or the pool).
Other items I rely on include my Huk Sunglasses and Contigo Autoseal Water Bottle (no spills in the backpack).
But by far, my number one can’t-do-without essential is my Sony RX100 Compact Camera. It fits perfectly into a pocket. Or, mounted on a Mini-Tripod it slips into my Travelon Sling Bag.
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KETCHIKAN WALKING TOUR MAP
ROUTE: KETCHIKAN ALASKA WALKING TOUR
Stop 1: Ketchikan Visitor Center, The Rock, & Ketchikan Sign
Address: 131 Front Street, Ketchikan AK
In the Ketchikan cruise port locate the Ketchikan Visitors Bureau (by Berth 2). Pick up some free maps and guides. There are free public restrooms. Open daily 6:30am to 5:00pm.
Walk to “The Rock” monument next to the Visitors Bureau. The seven bronze figures depicted represent pioneers of the city including a fisherman, miner, logger, bush pilot, Native drummer, frontierswoman, and Tlingit Chief Johnson.
In front of The Rock, get your first views of the iconic Ketchikan sign. The sign was installed in 1950 to help boost tourism. It proclaims Ketchikan to be “Alaska’s 1st City” and “The Salmon Capitol of the World.” At night, the sign illuminates to neon red.
Stop 2: Tongass Historical Museum
Address: 629 Dock Street, Ketchikan
Proceed down Mission Street. Along this avenue pass fur, jewelry, and curio shops. Walk straight through the intersection of Mission and Main by the Alaska Trading Company and the Salmon Market.
At the next intersection: turn left onto Bawden; then right at Dock Street to reach the Tongass Historical Museum. Pay the small admission fee, and stop for a spell.
At the museum learn how the town transformed from a Tlingit fish camp to a mining, logging, and salmon canning boomtown. There are displays on Native Heritage, regional handicrafts, the gold rush era, life in the logging camps, and working in a commercial salmon cannery.
Stop 3: Chief Johnson Totem Pole
Address: Totem Way, Ketchikan
From the museum, continue 300’ down Dock Street until you see the Chief Johnson Totem Pole (aka the Kadjuk Pole). In 1901, the 55’ totem was commissioned by Chief George Johnson to honor his mother. The monument tells the tale of the Fog Women as depicted by a raven, two slaves, the fog woman, and a jumping sockeye salmon.
TIP: This totem pole is a replica (the original is housed at the nearby Totem Heritage Center).
THINGS TO DO IN KETCHIKAN AK
Stop 4: Creek Street Ketchikan
Address: 4 Creek Street, Ketchikan
When you are ready, retrace your steps about 150’ up Dock Street. Look to your left (through a parking lot) and identify a walking bridge with a “Creek Street” sign. Take the bridge to the car-free Creek Street.
Once on Creek Street, turn left. You will be strolling on a wooden boardwalk that is built on stilts over the salmon-spawning waters of the Ketchikan Creek. Before making your way toward the Salmon Ladder, check out the historic Star Building (1903).
At one time, the Star Building was the rowdiest dance hall and brothel in Ketchikan’s Red Light District. Today, it houses the Star Gallery, a contemporary art gallery featuring the works of Alaskan artists. Stop in to peruse textiles, jewelry, woven baskets, fish-themed souvenirs, and handmade books.
Stop 5: Yeltatzi Salmon
Address: Creek Street, Ketchikan (North End)
As you continue along the Creek Street boardwalk, it turns into “The Married Man’s Trail.” Walk until you see a sign for the Yeltatzi Salmon. Follow the sign down to a scenic overlook of Ketchikan Creek and the Yeltatzi Salmon.
The 10’ long, 400-pound mosaic of a king salmon is made out of 14,000 iridescent glass tiles. The sculpture memorializes the importance of salmon to the Ketchikan community.
Stop 6: Ketchikan Salmon Ladder Observation Platform
Address: 661 Park Avenue, Ketchikan
From the Yeltatzi Salmon, trek to the end of the boardwalk to the Ketchikan Salmon Ladder Observation Point. From late June through August, visitors can watch thousands of salmon leaping upstream on their way to spawning grounds.
The 1930s fish ladder was designed to help salmon bypass a natural waterfall on Ketchikan Creek. At the height of the salmon run, the creek turns black with thousands of salmon jumping vertically upwards.
PACKING ESSENTIALS
We rely on a combination of bags: Our Level-8 28” and Level-8 20” spinners are fun and stylish. Our Delsey Helium 28” hardshell is a workhorse. Our Tomtoc Backpack is great for short trips.
Randy doesn’t use them, but I swear by segregating items into Compression Packing Cubes and Wet Bags.
For security, we place an Apple Air Tag in each bag, and keep a supply of RFID Blocking Sleeves on hand.
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Stop 7: Cape Fox Lodge
Address: 800 Venetia Avenue, Ketchikan
From the Salmon Ladder, follow Park Avenue through a residential Ketchikan neighborhood. Take a right at Venetia Avenue. Walk up a hill until you reach the totem poles of the Cape Fox Lodge.
Admire the totems, then step inside the Cape Fox lobby. The Alaskan-themed interior is decorated with Tlingit cultural artifacts. Locate the Heen Kahidi dining room and adjacent 108 Tap House. The mountaintop eatery and bar overlook downtown Ketchikan and the harbor. Stop for a drink, and some amazing views.
Stop 8: Married Man’s Trail
Address: Access the trail from the Cape Fox Parking Lot
Exiting the Cape Fox Lodge, locate the entrance to the Married Man’s Trail. The route earned its name in the early 1900s when Ketchikan was a frontier town with a rollicking red light district. To avoid being spotted leaving the front doors of the local brothels, married men used a muddy, hillside path to slip away through the woods.
Today, a wooden boardwalk winds downhill from the hotel down to Creek Street through a lush rainforest canopy. The trail takes about 10 minutes to walk. It has several scenic lookouts.
TIP: The steep wooden stairs are not ADA accessible, and can get slippery when wet. We recommend that anyone with a mobility impairment take the Cape Fox funicular from the hotel back down to Creek Street.
Stop 9: Creek Street (South End)
At the bottom of the Married Man’s Trail, retrace your steps past the Yeltatzie Salmon and Star Building to explore the southern end of Creek Street. As you stroll, keep an eye out for these points of interest:
Simply Salmon: Seafood store specializing in wild-caught salmon. Ships to home.
Fish Creek Company: Gift shop offering Alaskan Native art by local artists such as silver and gold jewelry, ivory carvings, traditional knives and tools, and artisan soaps.
Sam McGee’s: Fun souvenir and specialty gift shop with many “Made in Alaska” goods including Ulu knives, jam and salmon products, wooden bowls, and wellness products.
Polar Creek Gold: Large selection of gold nuggets, quartz jewelry, silver, minerals, and fossils.
Dolly’s House Museum: Historic former brothel and home of famous madam, Dolly Arthur. Exhibits and memorabilia offer a glimpse into the life of frontier women. Admission charge.
TRUSTED TRAVEL RESOURCES
Stop 10: Potlatch Bar
Address: 126 Thomas Street, Ketchikan
At the end of Creek Street, look for the 125 year old Stedman Street Bridge. Walk in the opposite direction of the historic red structure. Tread down Stedman Street past several cafes. Take a right onto Thomas Street and walk to the Potlatch Bar.
The Potlatch has been operating since the 1930s, and is considered Ketchikan’s oldest neighborhood bar. Across the street from the watering hole is the entrance to a municipal marina on Thomas Basin.
Walk the stairs down to the piers of the small boat harbor. Stroll past charter boats, pleasure boats, sea planes, boats in the local fishing fleet.
Stop 11: Southeast Alaska Discovery Center
Address: 648 Mission Street, Ketchikan
From the waterfront promenade, walk back to Stedman Street and cross the Stedman Bridge. (You may need to sidestep the local fishermen who congregate on the overpass.) Turn left onto Bawden Street and stroll past the Ketchikan Fire Department.
Walk to the Southeast Alaska Discovery Center. Stop in if you have an interest in natural history, native cultures, and the Tongass National Forest. The museum has exhibits on native wildlife, totem poles, and the area’s fishing, mining, and timber traditions.
Past the Discovery Center, head south to Spruce Mill Way. After a 1 minute walk, arrive at The Great Alaska Lumberjack Show (fun gift shop onsite). Next door, is the Ketchikan Crab & Go restaurant. The seasonal eatery specializes in king crab and casual outdoor dining.
Stop 12: Soaring Eagle Native Arts
Address: 53 Main Street, Ketchikan
From the Crab & Go, trek down Main Street (about 1 minute) until hitting the Soaring Eagle Native Arts gift shop. You are now about one block from the cruise port. Take a few minutes to wander this gallery selling Native American art and unique Alaskan sculptures.
Shop the store. Then, end your walk by wandering the other shops and outlets in the waterfront area.
Goodbye from Alaska’s first city. Hope you enjoy our Ketchikan walking tour, Laura and Randy
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