Ketchikan Guided Hiking

Just out­side Ketchikan, the Alas­ka Rain­for­est Sanc­tu­ary promis­es a close-up view of old-growth for­est, salmon habi­tat, an his­toric lum­ber mill, totem carv­ing, rap­tor exhibits, and chances to see black bear and oth­er wildlife – all in under 3 hours! There’s no bet­ter intro­duc­tion to Alaska’s South­east than this show­case of ecol­o­gy, wildlife, his­to­ry and Native culture.

Expe­ri­ence kayak­ing in Alas­ka the way it should be — away from the crowds — with these unique Ketchikan pad­dling tours that make you feel like a true explor­er. Your small group (usu­al­ly just 4 peo­ple) will board the company’s com­fort­able boat and set off from the Ketchikan cruise-ship dock, leav­ing the big ships and the crowds behind. Choose from a 3‑hour tour, or 5‑hour kayak and hike tour.

Bike 5 miles along­side a 100-year-old water flume, sur­round­ed by the gor­geous Ton­gass Nation­al For­est, to a salmon-spawn­ing stream at Ward Creek. After a deli­cious snack, hike about ¾‑mile, fol­low­ing a board­walk up into the for­est. You’ll learn all about the plants that thrive in this unique environment.

Board a rigid-hull inflat­able boat for a 20-minute ride out to a seclud­ed island. Weave through a series of small islands with mas­sive cliffs that rise hun­dreds of feet out of the ocean, check out active bald eagle nests and look for sea lions and seabird rook­eries along the way. Once at the island, you’ll climb out on the beach, break out into small­er groups, and set off on a stun­ning hike on a board­walk that snakes through the rainforest.  ...more

Alas­ka invites con­tem­pla­tion and reflec­tion. Expe­ri­ence the qui­et side of Ketchikan on a guid­ed walk through dense stands of cedar and spruce to a rur­al ocean beach. Here you can con­nect with the land and sea through activ­i­ties such as cre­ative writ­ing, med­i­ta­tion or tai chi.