Page 330 - Vacation Country Travel Guide

and local bush planes (most on floats) operating
between Ketchikan and outlying communities
provide air transportation for visitors.
Fishing is serious business in Ketchikan. Home
to the largest charter fleet in the state, the area is
known as Alaska’s sport fishing capital. Anglers
can test their skills against several species of
salmon, as well as halibut, cod and bottom fish,
or try their luck fishing for Dungeness crab and
spotted prawns. Freshwater fishing is also popular:
Dolly Varden, rainbow, cutthroat, brook and
steelhead trout are all within easy access. Some
charters offer a two-for-one experience, which
provide a narrated city tour by motor coach as well
as a fishing experience. Ketchikan’s King Salmon
Derby is held in May.
Wildlife sightings are an every day experience
around Ketchikan. Black bear are common
throughout the region, along with brown bears in
mainland areas. Bald eagles are everywhere. These
majestic birds are easy to spot, perched in shoreline
trees, near salmon spawning streams and around
their many nesting areas. Sitka black-tailed deer
and mountain goats are plentiful, wolves may be
sighted and moose range the mainland. Sightings
of orca and humpback whales, seas lions, seals, sea
otters and porpoise may be enjoyed on excursion
cruises and ferries. A large variety of sea birds are
always present. Marten, mink, river otter, beaver,
herons and ravens can be seen along beaches and
streams, including downtown Ketchikan Creek.
Situated within the 17 million acre Tongass
National Forest, Ketchikan provides outstanding
recreational opportunities. There are several
camping facilities in the area. The Forest Service
operates Ward Lake Recreational Area, located 8
miles north of town. Signal Creek, Last Chance
and Three C’s Campgrounds provide a total of
about 50 sites. Operated by the Alaska State Park
system, Settler’s Cove Campground provides
14 campsites situated on salt water. Private RV
facilities are also available on a limited basis
but fill up quickly during peak summer months.
Contact the Ketchikan Visitors Bureau for more
information.
Misty Fjords National Monument is a pristine
masterpiece of nature sculpted by glacial action
over the centuries. Soaring cliffs, lush hanging
valleys and bottomless saltwater fjords are some
of the features of this remote treasure. Ketchikan
provides daily access to lesser-known but equally
outstanding visitor destinations. Prince of
Wales Island is a great place for RV travelers to
explore and is home to an extensive karst (eroded
limestone) network, carved over 4 million years
into a series of caves and subterranean streams.

Early Ketchikan’s waterfront was the economic
Ketchikan Harbor
and social center of the community. Almost
everything arrived and departed by way of the
docks. Streets, stairways and boardwalks began at
the harbor and navigated up the hillside and along
the shoreline into Newtown. As the dream of
gold brought settlers and adventurers to Southeast
Alaska in the early 1900s, Creek Street’s boardwalk
began 50 years of notoriety as the most infamous
red-light district in the Territory, with 30 brothels
and 50 ‘sporting women.’ During prohibition and
later, the historic area became Ketchikan’s #1
attraction with Colorful Characters interpretive
signs.
Stretching 1.3 miles along the Tongass Narrows,
from Berth Four on the north to the end of the
Thomas Basin breakwater on the south, Ketchikan’s

328