Gateway to Alaska: Ketchikan, Colorful Southern Port
Ketchikan is Alaska’s southern gateway - most southern cruise port known for its rich Indigenous culture, abundant wildlife, and picturesque landscapes. Surrounded by lush rainforests and stunning waterways, here is a gateway to outdoor adventures. Embark on a captivating journey with Haswell Travelled's Ketchikan YouTube video, and learn about its largest collection of standing totem poles and colorful Creek Street with roots as a red-light district.
Ketchikan is near the southern tip of the Alaska Panhandle – making it is the first or last stop in Alaska when sailing the inside passage. Being on a large wilderness island, it has no roads to the mainland, so visitors arrive by sea or air. Most come by cruise ship, and in the summer, there can be up to 5 ships a day bringing more than 10,000 visitors.
Ketchikan is surrounded by rainforest, deep-water channels, secluded bays and hundreds of small islands, best enjoyed by boat or floatplane tours. It has a thriving fishing industry and calls itself “The Salmon Capital of the World”. Fishing tours for salmon or halibut are popular, as well as whale-watching tours for humpbacks, orcas and other marine life.
The indigenous Tlingit (Kling-Kit) people with numerous coastal tribes, occupied much of the entire Alaska Panhandle for thousands of years, and used the Ketchikan location as a summer fish camp. Their craftsmanship included intricate wood carving, and are renowned for their totem poles. Today Ketchikan has the world’s largest collection of standing totem poles.
A must-see spot in town is Creek Street which I enjoyed for its scenic boardwalk above Ketchikan Creek. It had its roots as a red-light district from 1903 to 1954, along with illegal liquor-selling speakeasies during prohibition. Today it is colorful, picturesque, and fun to stroll along its boardwalk. Beyond the colorful buildings, the boardwalk continues as Married Man’s Trail, historically used by patrons of the brothels as a back-door to the district.
Immerse yourself in the captivating episode of Alaska’s Ketchikan on the Haswell Travelled YouTube channel. The video is also easily accessible via the website’s USA web page, allowing viewers to explore this enchanting content alongside other fabulous destinations.
