With a tagline that says “sculpted by nature,” Ketchikan is a region that is famous for its amazing landscape. Located on the southern end of Alaska’s Inner Passage, the area is surrounded by rainforest, not to mention gorgeous beaches on three sides. As such, it has come to be known as the Salmon Capital of the World. Fishing here is actually some of the best in the country. As far as the city life itself, this area is immersed in its cultural past. You can tour the once more “lawless” side of Ketchikan, you can also spend some time getting to know the city’s artistic side. With numerous galleries, studios and the largest totem pole collection in the nation, the region offers plenty of cultural activities.
This is the country’s largest forest. With glaciers, creeks, lakes and wildlife abounding, visitors can spend days here and not even see a fraction of all there is in Tongass. There are five designated bear viewing areas, fjords and miles upon miles of sandy shoreline to explore.
About 40 miles east of Ketchikan, Misty Fjords has been called a living postcard. The views are incredible. Due however, to the difficulty in accessing it, most visit this area via cruise ship or on a floatplane.
If you’re coming to Ketchikan, you have to experience the fishing. There are always experienced anglers available to take you out to where the king salmon, silver salmon and halibut are biting. There are also planes that you can hire to escort you to secret spots.
Ketchikan is one of the southern-most destinations in Alaska. This makes the seasons more moderate. Daily highs in the winter are still around 40 degrees.
Springs are relatively dry, but we emphasize the "relatively". Ketchikan gets a ton of rain throughout the year. May highs are in the mid-50s.
Summers are the busy season, with long days and highs in the mid-60s.
Falls are very rainy. Between September and November, Ketchikan receives about 50 inches of rain.