Ketchikan, Alaska is beautiful… which is no surprise because everywhere we visited during our Alaskan cruise was beautiful. We visited via a Carnival Cruise in August 2022 and were absolutely in awe the entire trip. The best time to visit Alaska is during the summer months as temperatures are still mild and there is less rain. In August, you will notice fewer crowds and daylight will still last about 14 to 17 hours.
We’ve been on four cruises and this one is our favorite. Do yourself a favor when you book your Alaskan Cruise and get a room with a balcony. I promise you won’t be disappointed. We love enjoying our morning coffee from a balcony… but a balcony with a continuously different view is something entirely different! We spent most of our time on our balcony. From your own room, you will get to see so many amazing things! We saw nearly 50 whales from our cruise balcony alone.
When we arrived in Ketchikan, I instantly noticed how beautiful the city was. Each of the buildings in the town was colorful and inviting. If you looked behind the city, you could see small cabins perched on top of the towering bright green mountains.
Ketchikan is Alaska’s first and most southeastern city. Known for its salmon fishing and beautiful scenery, it did not disappoint! During our visit, the weather was surprisingly sunny as the city is also one of the rainiest in Alaska with 153 inches a year! Intriguingly, Ketchikan is home to the highest zip code in the US:99950.
There are so many amazing things to do and see in Ketchikan that don’t require you to book a tour. You can visit these things without spending more than $15.00. So, let’s get started!
The Welcome Center
Ketchikan is relatively small but there are so many things to see and do so you’re going to need a map. Stop at the Welcome Center and grab a map to start your day. You can also have a map downloaded and printed, like we did, before you take a step off your ship. Taking an obligatory pic at the Ketchikan Welcome Arch and The Rock is a must!
Hiking the Rainbird Trail
If you are anything like us, you are a sucker for a good hike. Hiking not only provides gorgeous views but it also provides some amazing chances to see wildlife. The Tongass National Rain Forest was the most dreamy and whimsical scenery for a hike.
The Rainbird Trail is only 1.3 miles from start to finish and offers beautiful views of a rainforest with towering trees, moss, and ferns. You also get some breathtaking views of the mountains!
If you look closely on the trees, you’ll see a rare moss nicknamed “old man’s beard” hanging from the trees. This moss only grows in environments that aren’t polluted (i.e., clean air).
The trail is considered to be moderately difficult. There are some uphill and downhill portions that make this hike a little more difficult.
This hike is conveniently close to the cruise ship terminals as it only takes 4 minutes to access the beginning of the trail by taxi. The drive itself will cost you less than $10. Finding a taxi is easy as they are literally everywhere as soon as you step off the ship. Flag one down and ask them to take you to the University of Alaska parking lot to start the Rainbird Trail. The trailhead is easy to spot as it is marked by a trailhead sign. Don’t hike back to the parking lot once you finish! You will come out close to the cruise terminal and it is a relatively short walk back down the road to the city. However, if you wanted, you could make arrangements with the taxi company to pick you back up at the end of the trail.
Considering taking time for pictures, enjoying the views, and the walk back to town, we would say to allow yourself around 1 and a half hours to hike the trail. Don’t worry, you will still have time to check out the city once you return!
Creek Street
Creek Street is a must when visiting Ketchikan. Not only is there so much history to this place, but this is where you will get to view so many Salmon! We spent some time watching the hordes of salmon as they make their way up the stream. We even got to see a cute little seal visit the area.
Creek Streets’ history is almost as colorful as the boardwalk buildings! Want a very brief history of Creek Street? Between 1903 and 1953 Ketchikan’s number one industry wasn’t salmon but rather prostitution! In addition to prostitution, there were also bootleggers who would supply smuggled whiskey to the houses. Creek street was home to over 30 brothels!
So, it’s no surprise that a must-do trail at Creek Street is named the Married Man’s Trail! This trail is exactly as it sounds, a path that men could use for discretion to not be caught visiting the houses. This trail will take you to the Salmon Ladder… and this is an experience to not be missed! The salmon can be viewed attempting to go upstream against a waterfall to spawn. We watched the salmon for quite sometime before moving on to our next stop… shopping and food!
Alaska Crepe Company, Alaska King Crab Company, Totem Poles, and Shopping
We walked around town to visit all our stops and so we were famished! Alaska Crepe Company was unique and really hit the spot before we began our walk back to the cruise ship. We weren’t done as we stopped in many of the shops along the way. There are so many unique gift options available in these shops!
There are also two totem poles that are worth stopping at on your way back from Creek Street. This includes the Chief Johnson Totem Pole and another one right down from it. You can also view a large sculpture of an eagle in Eagle Park which is on your way back from your morning hike.
Right before we got back on the cruise ship, we enjoyed some small plates from Alaska King Crab Company. If you want to try fresh Alaskan crab without dropping serious cash… we highly recommend the small plates which were delicious. Here, we had a great view of our cruise ship to end our day.
Ketchikan was such a cute and fun stop along our cruise. We truly enjoyed our entire day and were wishing we had just a bit more time to check out more of the city! Alas, all good things must come to an end. We hope this helped you plan your excursion to Ketchikan! Please, reach out on Instagram or drop a comment below if you have any follow-up questions about our trip here. We would be happy to answer any questions you have. Safe travels y’all- Justin & Caitlin