Tongass Nat’l Forest Sights & Attractions

TLC Management LLC, or Tenakee Logging Company provides selective and sustainably cut high quality timber for builders, luthiers, shipwrights and artists in SE Alaska. And, they cut timber to mill for building projects in Tenakee Springs. 

Just a short, mostly uphill, walk from downtown sits this estate that was built in 1913 for $40,000 and now houses Alaska Governor Bill Walker. Along with a totem pole outside, the 26-room building has eight fireplaces to keep the wet, cold winter at bay. There aren’t tours of the mansion, but local bus tours made it a destination during Sarah Palin’s time in  More...

This 1255-foot-long bridge has reserved its place in history by being America's first cable-stayed girder spanned bridge. Today, it connects Sitka, on Baranof Island, to the town's airport, which is on Japonski Island. Finished in 1972, it was named after a former mayor of Sitka.

Take a walking tour through the historic district in Marine Park. Pick up a free map at the kiosk and just go! South Franklin Street is the main tourism district and one of the best shopping areas to find everything Alaskan, from cute and furry faux creatures (like iceworms) to handmade native crafts and expensive fine art. To ensure authenticity, look for the polar bear symbol for  More...

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.

Built in 1959 as the National Guard Armory, the building was taken off-line in 2004.  It was empty for years, until the City and Borough of Juneau Assembly handed it off to the Juneau Arts & Humanities Council to manage as the Juneau Arts & Culture Center.  Today it provides space for artists to work and show their creations.

The highlight of this big downtown building is not the exterior, but rather the large atrium, which has great views of Douglas Island and a 1920’s pipe organ that was used in movie theaters before being moved here in 1976. Today it’s played every Friday at noon. Off the lobby, you’ll find historic photos and displays from the state library, which is located on the  More...

With almost 30 years under its belt, the Ketchikan Wearable Arts Show is an event you don’t want to miss. Described as the “original runway performance,” this show has inspired imitations in neighboring communities and around the world. If you’d like to see a show that most clearly represents pure artistic talent, this is it.

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 kestrels, a peregrine falcon, a Swainson’s hawk, a Western screech owl, and other birds of prey. 

Overlooking the Eastern Channel, this park is designed for whale watching, with 3 covered viewing shelters, public-use binoculars, and 11 interpretive signs. Learn about whales’ feeding habits, migrations, and biology while walking the boardwalk.

Alaskans love to get together. And since they’re hunkered down all winter and working all summer, festivals give them an excuse to socialize. So they’ve created parties for fish, for music, for light, for dark, for plants…you name it, there’s probably a festival for it up north. And Sitka, a historic town on the outer coast with lots of artists, has festivals  More...

This stout structure is a re-creation of the guard tower that once stood here, part of the fortress enclosing the Russians during their time in Sitka, from 1804 to 1867. Fearful of the wilderness around them, and of Tlingit Natives, the Russians’ enclosed fort was open to outsiders only in the daytime. A massive fence, with three guard towers like this block tower, separated the  More...

Built in 1843, during the “Golden Age” of Russian North America, this spacious, two-story building was home to Bishop Innocent of the Russian Orthodox Church. It was the center of Russian North America’s cultural, educational, and business ventures, complete with a formal reception hall, dining room, chapel, school, and seminary.

Although it was a church  More...

If you want a chance to sit back and enjoy an iconic view of Alaska, catch up on your work, or peruse a large collection of Alaskana, there’s no more perfect place than the new Ketchikan library.

This bridge, connecting downtown Juneau with Douglas Island, was built in 1981, though the original bridge dates to 1935. Today you can walk, bike, or drive across this bridge for a very scenic view.

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.

Overgrown and unmarked, this 200-year-old Russian cemetery is still used for Russian Orthodox parishioners of St. Michael’s. You’ll find stone and wood headstones, some of which are made from the ballasts of old Russian ships. But unless you’re a history/cemetery buff, you’ll mainly find an overgrown plot. Caretakers clean up the site each Alaska Day, but the  More...

You won’t find any old buildings here, but there are great interpretive signs and numerous hiking trails at this state park. And it’s an important place—the site of the first Russian settlement on Baranof Island. The Russians built a small fort in 1799, but Tlingits, unhappy with the Russian traders, attacked it in 1802. Nearly 100 Aleuts and 20 Russians were  More...

Held in a modern traditional Tlingit clan house, these dances are powerful performances that kids love. The booming echo of a drum, the smell of burning cedar, the lively chanting, and the energetic dance moves make for a memorable experience. The 30-minute performances include a story and five traditional songs. The dance troupe includes performers of all ages, dressed in colorful  More...

After four years of worshiping in the Presbyterian Chapel, Episcopalians finally had their own church in 1899, with the construction of St. Peters-by-the-Sea. Complete with stained glass windows, modified flying buttresses, and wooden pews, this small chapel is open to the public 24/7. The church and the adjacent See House (1905) are both on the National Register of Historical Places,  More...

The Shamrock Building is a must-see spot in Tenakee Springs. Built in 1902, it is listed on the National Register of Historic places and has been everything from a jail, pool hall, dance hall, and senior center. These days it’s home to a local bakery that serves breakfast and lunch items. You can also browse a fine selection of local and regionally-made art.

Visiting Pelican sometimes seems like you’ve stepped back in time: even more so if you get a chance to check out the community’s still-functioning 1952 fire truck. The 500-gallon-per-minute pump is ready for action on this rig, which has seen only boardwalk miles.

Ketchikan Arts & Humanities Council (KAAHC) is the powerhouse of Ketchikan’s arts community; if there’s an arts event in Ketchikan, this organization is on it! Located at the Main Street Gallery, KAAHC produces dozens of art events annually, such as summer’s Blueberry Arts Festival and February’s famous Wearable Arts Show.

Tsimshian master carver Stan Marsden led the community of Pelican in designing, carving and raising totem poles to symbolize the spirit of Pelican – an independent, close-knit fishing community. You can see their handiwork in the Unity pole in front of City Hall and in the raven and bear poles in front of Pelican High School.

Clan houses line Beaver Trail Road in Angoon, an area that hasn’t changed much in the last 100 years. The weather-beaten, wood-framed buildings are outward signs of a culture that has been maintained through generations.

No visit to Tenakee would be complete without a long soak in the hot springs, whose healing properties drew the Tlingit people to this area long ago. The springs, which include a beautifully-restored bathhouse and changing room, are right in the middle of town, across from Tenakee Springs Market.

Once the administrative headquarters for an empire stretching from Asia to California and Hawaii, Castle Hill today is little more than a grassy hill with a few interpretive signs, a modest stonewall, several old cannons, and a few flagpoles. But when you visit the top of this hill, you’re standing on rich historic grounds. Archeological excavations have unearthed over 300,000  More...

Skagway's unique history as a vital transportation corridor and gateway to interior Alaska and the Yukon is portrayed in the artifacts, photographs and historical records of the past century. The Museum is located in the town's magnificent City Hall, this is the first stone building in Alaska, built with granite from Canada that was transported on the WP&YR  More...

Settle in with a book and a view of the harbor, or check your email at Pelican’s Public Library.

Summers are busy in Ketchikan, with up to five cruise ships making port every day, but the locals also know how to play hard—especially at the huge Blueberry Arts Festival, hosted every August by the Ketchikan Arts and Humanities Council. In a town of 14,000, you’re likely to see as many as 8,000 people come out to this family-friendly event that celebrates the Southeast Alaskan blueberry.

Pelican Creek Bridge is just a few minutes from Pelican’s harbor. This is a great place for viewing salmon that are headed upstream to spawning sites. Check it out in July and August for the best viewing opportunities.