Things To Do In Kake
Kake Day Tours & Attractions View All
Drive out north of Kake a few miles to find a local hot spot for picnicking and watching for humpbacks in Keku Strait. This is the best place near Kake to view whales. You can see their spouts in the waters pretty close to the Point.
More than 120 miles of logging roads wind through Kupreanof Island, offering access to trailheads and other remote parts of the island. You can drive on the frequently used roads, and explore others by bike or by foot.
Coming to Kake in the summer? Time your visit to late July/early August so you can participate in the Dog Salmon Festival, a community celebration with great food, crazy games, music, and dancing. It’s the biggest event of the year, and a time when the entire community comes together to celebrate the bounty of the land and sea.
When Kake’s totem pole was raised on the bluff overlooking the city in 1971, it was celebrated as the tallest sanctioned totem pole in the world. It is now faded, and cracked at the top, but remains a symbol of Kake’s history and honors many traditions.
Long Beach is a stretch of beach along Keku Strait a few miles north of Kake. This is a good spot for spotting whale activity offshore, as there are a few rocks out in the water that the whale like to rub against. Generally you would see humpback in this area, but once in awhile you might see a pod of orca.
The Community Hall/Gymnasium, located in downtown Kake, is the most used facility in town. Here’s where you could find a community gathering complete with Tlingit dancing. Or you may get a chance to watch residents in a spirited game of basketball, the city’s favorite sport. (Kake has a few state championships in its history!).
Kake’s modest public library, located at the high school, offers public wi-fi, computers, and limited programming such as story time and yoga. When open, it’s a great place to stop and check your email or chat with Kake’s residents.
Arriving in Kake, you’ll see a large light-green warehouse built on pilings over the water. This is Kake’s historic salmon-packing cannery, which locals are working to restore as both a usable space for local businesses and an historic attraction for visitors.
Kake Parks & Trails View All
Of all the accessible hiking trails near Kake, the Portage Bay Trail is the closest to town (just over a mile south). It’s a short, one-mile stroll along the beach, where you might see eagles, black bear, salmon and trout.
The trail down to Cathedral Falls isn’t very long, but involves a steep 100-foot descent (and ascent when it’s time to go back!). Down at the creek, you can explore behind the falls, fish for trout and salmon, or watch black bear, which are likely to be fishing as well.
The trail along Hamilton Creek is busiest around 5 in the morning, as savvy anglers know that’s when the fish are biting! The trail is about 2 miles round-trip, but you can follow the creek for miles, fishing and picnicking along the way. You will be sharing the experience with bears, so secure your snacks, and any fish you catch.
Goose Lake Trail is a 1.5 mile round-trip, flat and easy hike that ends at Goose Lake, where you’ll find a picnic area and rowboat handy for further exploration or some trout fishing.
More than 120 miles of logging roads wind through Kupreanof Island, offering access to trailheads and other remote parts of the island. You can drive on the frequently used roads, and explore others by bike or by foot.
Big John Bay trail is the furthest hike out from Kake, in a remote area right on tidal and saltwater flats. After a drive of 16 miles and a hike of about 2.1 miles, you’ll come to Big John Bay cabin, which can be reserved for the night through the U.S. Forest Service. Getting there requires strict attention to tide tables, as the 15-foot variation in tide restricts trail and cabin access. ...more