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Sitka National Historical Park
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The Indian River is a beautiful, clear stream that’s home to spawning salmon each summer. On the lower reaches of the river, by the intertidal zone and lower floodplain, pink and chum salmon spawn from mid-July through September. Farther up the river, you’ll find coho and chinook salmon, Dolly Varden, char, and steelhead trout.
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This is a fun little treasure hunt for kids. The money tree isn’t marked, but it’s near the start of the Totem Trail. Look for a tree stump, about a foot and half tall, that’s filled with coins. Where the branches have broken off, there are coins in the little holes. People have been putting coins in this tree for over 50 years; if you can find the tree, join the tradition!
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Difficulty: Easy
Distance: 1 mile
Starting at the National Park Service Visitor Center, this trail system takes you through rich coastal forest and along a salmon stream, then opens to views of the shoreline and coastal mountains. It also travels past totem poles and memorial sites, including that of the 1804 Battle of Sitka. The last armed conflict with the Tlingits in Sitka and the beginning of Russian rule, this battle is memorialized with a plaque installed in 2011. Park… ...more
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The Indian river is home to a number of fish: Summer Pink, chum, coho, chinook salmon, along with Dolly Varden, char, and steelhead trout. This arched bridge is the place to see them. Be sure to stop by on your way through Alaska’s oldest designated National Park.