Things To Do In Sitka

Set sail on a private yacht under the supervision of an experienced licensed captain

Set sail on a private yacht under the supervision of an experienced licensed captain

1. Get Out on the Water

With wildlife, islands, and WWII history, the waters around Sitka make for a fascinating exploration by kayak. Paddle out to see it all on a sea kayaking tour you won’t soon forget. If you’d rather explore the area on a ship, you can charter a private yacht for the ultimate multi-day sailing adventure, and if you are short on time you can explore Sitka Sound and beyond on a private 2-4 hr day cruise which can accommodate up to 6.

2. Explore Town

From Alaska Natives to Russians, Sitka boasts a rich history and a fascinating blend of cultures. Explore it by strolling through town and stopping at notable points like the Sitka National Historical Park and St. Michael’s Cathedral. To get even further into the culture, see a Tlingit native dance at the Sheet’ka Kwaan Kahidi Community House.

3. Go for a Hike

Sitka things to do see wildlife alaska raptor center Great Horned Owl Narwhal 2017

Get up close to birds of prey at the Alaska Raptor Center

From waterfall-lined trails to routes that end at the top of scenic mountains, Sitka boasts an extensive trail system and many amazing hikes with captivating features. Lace up your hiking boots and go exploring!

4. See the Wildlife

Look for salmon, bears, birds, and whales at several wildlife viewing points around town and on the water. To see all types of salmon and other fish, head to the Arched Bridge; at the glacially carved inlet of Redoubt Bay you can also spot fish, as well as whales, seals, and sea otters. Or see marine creatures up close at the Sitka Sound Science Center and majestic birds at the Alaska Raptor Center.

Sitka Day Tours & Attractions View All

Season: June 15 – Oct 15 $175+ per person 2-4hrs

Join Sit­ka Expe­di­tions for an inti­mate wildlife cruise. Choose between a 2‑hour trip to Sit­ka Sound or a 4‑hour deep wilder­ness explo­ration for a tru­ly immer­sive Alaskan expe­ri­ence. Spot whales, sea otters, and bears while explor­ing stun­ning Alaskan scenery and active fish­eries. Per­fect for cruise pas­sen­gers and families.

Season: Year Round $7

In the coastal South­east Alaskan town of Sit­ka, marine wildlife typ­i­cal­ly plays out on a big scenic back­drop. At Sitka’s unique Sci­ence Cen­ter, you’ll find a salmon hatch­ery and aquar­i­um. Wildlife fans get an up-close look at the marine crea­tures that make this part of Alas­ka so special.

Season: April to Sept $175+ 2 hrs - 5 Nights

Shim­mer­ing lakes, snow-capped peaks, water­falls, old-growth rain­for­est, and stun­ning views: Ton­gass Nation­al For­est is filled with gor­geous, remote spots that are icon­i­cal­ly Alaskan. And the best way to see them is on foot, dur­ing a pri­vate, per­son­al­ized hike with Ton­gass Treks, on the trails around Sit­ka. It’s an inti­mate, authen­tic expe­ri­ence with lots of amaz­ing pho­to ops! 

Season: May 1 - September 1 Custom Trips, Call for Quote 3 - 21 Days

Dis­cov­er South­east Alaska’s nat­ur­al won­ders aboard a char­tered sail­boat with Sail­ing Alas­ka. Cus­tomize your pri­vate expe­di­tion with expe­ri­enced cap­tain John Joeright and enjoy all-inclu­sive meals, com­fort­able accom­mo­da­tions, and end­less adven­tures on the 46-foot S/V Sham­rock. Watch whales, hike, fish, vis­it local com­mu­ni­ties, and more — all at your own pace.

Season: April through September $425 per person 6 hours

Sit­ka Expe­di­tions offers 6‑hour out­ings, but can cus­tomize the tour to your cruise sched­ule. Fish, take in the moun­tain views, and look for wildlife. The unique ecosys­tem of the Sit­ka area attracts tons of fish. And, the company’s own­ers were both born and raised in Sit­ka and have been fish­ing these waters their whole lives. They have inside scoop on the best spots to cast your line!

Season: Late April-early October $209 per person 3 hrs

Begin in down­town Sit­ka, where you’ll take a motor­ized, rigid-hull inflat­able on a 15- to 20-minute ride across beau­ti­ful Sit­ka Sound, with the mas­sive vol­cano Mt. Edge­cumbe pro­vid­ing a dra­mat­ic back­drop. Look for marine wildlife on your way to a unique float house in a small, pro­tect­ed bay where you’ll kayak across shim­mer­ing water.

Season: May to mid-September 7 days / 6 nights

Explore Alas­ka by char­ter­ing the 90-foot yacht Alaskan Sto­ry, out of Juneau. It’s the per­fect way to see some of the state’s most stun­ning­ly beau­ti­ful areas, like Glac­i­er Bay Nation­al Park, and enjoy lots of oppor­tu­ni­ties for fish­ing, kayak­ing, hik­ing, and wildlife view­ing along the way.

Season: June - Sept $16,000+ 2+ Nights 4-5 hr & 2+ Nights

Bear Paw Char­ters offers pri­vate, all-inclu­sive day trips and longer tours on its lux­u­ry yacht — per­fect for whale watch­ing, bear view­ing, and expe­ri­enc­ing Alaska’s scenic majesty.

Season: Year Round $15

You’ll look eagles in the eye at this rap­tor rehab and edu­ca­tion cen­ter on the edge of Ton­gass Nation­al For­est. You’ll get a close-up look at a snowy owl, Amer­i­can kestrel, pere­grine fal­con, great-horned owl, red-tailed hawk, and even the tiny north­ern saw-whet owl. 

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Sitka Parks & Trails View All

Difficulty: Easy Distance: 5 miles

Close to town on mod­er­ate ter­rain, this trail is a pop­u­lar des­ti­na­tion for locals and trav­el­ers and is used for every­thing from fam­i­ly walks to trail runs. The trail fol­lows the turquoise blue Indi­an Riv­er up through the val­ley to a water­fall. This river­side ter­rain makes it a good place to look for birds and oth­er wildlife like deer. In late sum­mer, the riv­er fills with salmon (though fish­ing is pro­hib­it­ed). The bears have their own trail on  ...more

Sit­ka was Alaska’s first offi­cial Bike-Friend­ly Com­mu­ni­ty, and it shows. Bike lanes and racks abound. Besides 14 miles of paved roads, there are many moun­tain bik­ing trails, and even a new, sin­gle-track route of the inti­mate expe­ri­ence of rid­ing through old-growth forest.

Difficulty: Moderate Distance: 6 miles

This is a beau­ti­ful hike in June and July, when the alpine wild­flow­ers are at their peak. But it’s a beau­ti­ful hike any­time, because the views from up top — fac­ing Mount Edge­cumbe and over­look­ing Sit­ka Sound — are awe­some. There are two ways up this moun­tain: a big climb or a big drive.

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