When the salmon are running, you have to stop by for even a few minutes to oogle the salmon jumping…read moreup the rapids or taking the easier fish ladder parallel to the stream. This is a quintessential Ketchikan bucket list item. It's inspiring to see the salmon, filled with determination, rushing the rapids to achieve their life's goal: finding a perfect spot to spawn. The viewing platform is decently sized, however the crowds will swell as the cruise ships dock and schools of tourists descend to the area, spilling out into the road. Hopefully there are no casualties! There are informational panels explaining the salmon lifecycle and their importance to the ecosystem, as their decaying bodies provide important nutrition to the plants and animals.

If you are visiting Ketchikan during the salmon run (late July is prime time) visiting this salmon…read moreladder is a must. Observing the salmon climbing the ladder on their journey upstream is a unique experience. There are informational signs here that describe the life cycle of salmon. Their journey is truly incredible. The Salmon Ladder Vista can be accessed from the boardwalk (many stairs) or from the street side with no steps.

Upon hearing about the history of this short trail, I definitely wanted to visit it during our stop…read morein Ketchikan. Married Man's Trail is a wooden boardwalk with steps. It isn't long, and it connects Creek Street with Park Avenue. Back in the day, this trail provided married men with a way to sneak away from Creek Street's brothels without being seen. Well, today it is just a nice little trail and we enjoyed our walk on it after viewing the nearby salmon ladder. It only was a few minutes out of our way and I'd recommend it as a quick detour while you are in Ketchikan.

Married Man's Trail, Creek Street, Salmon Ladder are all connected to each other. The views were…read morereally amazing. I saw wildlife & could spend a longer time there. I had a great time.

Rainbird Trail is a 1.3 mile pathway "taking you into the lush undergrowth of the Tongass National…read moreForest. The top of the trail overlooks the city of Ketchikan, the Tongass Narrows and Beyond" according to a signpost at the start of the hike. In my opinion, it's along this Rainbird Trail that offers the only suitable panoramic perspective peering down on the city of Ketchikan. Venturing among a dense forest landscape, I began pondering if such a lookout could even exist!? Although there was nothing mentioning where exactly the viewpoint was, eventually walking up an incline to the top of a ridge, the tall surroundings suddenly subsided and next glance all of Ketchikan was sitting below the horizon. This observation spot is located roughly 2/3rd's of the way into the hike, though depending upon which section of the trail you begin from... I started at the University of Southeast Alaska Parking Lot. You can leave your car at the college free of charge. Alternative starting points are the South Access and North Access according to a sign I stumbled upon, but I'm unaware where exactly those initiated from. I relied on Google Maps which took me straight to the UAS Campus Lot. One other note...the trailhead mentions that "the hike is steep and rocky in spots requiring sure footing and may not be suitable for all fitness levels". I disagree with this. I believe the path is relatively easy for everyone. It's casual without much elevation. For hiking in the morning time, the quiet setting transports you away from hectic downtown cruise ship arrivals. Ultimately, you're rewarded by a pleasant hike through nature without having to leave far from the port if you're just visiting for the day.

Came to this port on a cruise ship, got off the ship early in the morning and walked the couple…read moremiles through town to this trail - there are 3 places to enter this trail - one at the University, the other at the far end of town, and the other in the middle of the trail - the part of the trail starting at the University is the not maintained portioned, making it a little tougher and less easy to follow the part (I did get a tiny bit lost ~ 3 times but very quickly found my way back - my advice = stick to the rocks, if you see rocks below you, you're likely still on the path, if not, you've probably gone off it). The part of the trail starting at the far end of town to the middle part is the maintained part, easy/moderate, very pretty views. If you're fit and want to step up the adventure, definitely do the whole trail! You're near the highway most of the way, so hard to get all that lost, but it's not a busy road so you can't hear the highway most of the way. And I didn't feel unsafe, and saw a few hikers sparsely on the trail throughout. And I did hear some rainbird sounds!

Tongass Teague was great. Our tour guide, Teague, was a FANTASTIC guide. We did the SUV tour…read morethrough some of the lesser traveled roads in the Tongass National Forest in Ketchikan, Alaska. Teague was knowledgable, fun, and easy-going. 10/10 would recommend to anyone looking for a good few hours to spend in Ketchikan!

Tai Chi at your own pace! Stunning view, great atmosphere, nice hike. Highly recomended!read more

This destination was combined with the lumberjack show booked through Celebrity shore excursion…read moreonline. It's on private property where a Tlingit fishing camp used to sit. Everything is recreated including the tribal house and clan houses. There are various cedar totem poles, and a carving workshop. There's a private car collection on property and a gun museum next to the gift shop. Our driver/tour guide walked us through. He gave us a narrative on the houses, and explained the raven's role in Tlingit's culture. I'm not sure I would make a point of coming on my own although we learned a lot. We were dropped back off at the pier.

This park was covered as part of the tour we purchased onshore, I assume it's included as part of…read morethe cruise ship offered tours as well but it's always cheaper to buy a tour directly off the ship. Park is decent sized with several totem poles, a totem pole carving workshop, native clan houses, some vintage cars and a gift shop. Due to the abundant rain Ketchikan is blessed with, this park is covered in lush greenery. You definitely need a guide to help explain the history behind the totem poles, the clan houses and all the other stories. On the whole it will take less than an hour to cover the entire park. The gift store is great as well and surprisingly very reasonably priced compared to the other touristy places. They had several totem poles in various sizes on sale in addition to the regular tourist store items.

We did the Ketchikan Kayak Eco-Tour. We had Spencer as our guide and he was very nice, informative,…read moreand helpful. They provided rain gear for us which was needed. The tour took about 2 hours and we got to see quite a bit of wildlife. We saw bald eagles, seals, salmon jumping, and starfish that we got to hold. After we completed the tour they had an assortment of snacks and hot beverages.

We docked in Ketchikan via an Alaskan cruise line. We decided to book through TripAdvisor instead…read moreof through our cruise because it was more economical. KKC had a great listing. We really appreciated that additional gear was provided at no charge. For example, they provided waterproof pants and a jacket! We booked the e-bike tour with hike through rainforest (because we love hiking and biking of course but also because we were on a budget and couldn't afford the kayaking). Although we mingled with the individuals who DID do the kayaking and they absolutely loved it. They were provided all their gear at no additional charge. KKC was very specific with their directions on where to meet them. As tourists and first timers on a cruise and first timers in Ketchikan, I was nervous I wouldn't be able to find them. However, Forest and Chris were very friendly and welcomed us as soon as we approached the group. The van ride to the facility was about 20 min. And our driver Chris was wonderful at telling us about the town and pointing unique things about the town (like the floating Safeway). Upon arrival - we met our tour guide Ryan. Even though he told us he had only been there for a few weeks, he was very knowledgeable about the area, about our hike and about the rainforest. He was engaged and really encouraged us to enjoy every aspect of the e-bike ride and to ask him anything and everything about the rainforest. He told us about unique plants and he even helped me be brave enough to try "rainforest spinach"!! There are two waterfalls that you'll pass during your bike ride and he learned how much I loved waterfalls. So on our way back, he made it a point to stop so I could take pictures. Ryan was wonderful to chat with and we had a wonderful time hiking and hiking with Ryan! Perhaps the biggest reason why I am giving a 5 star review is the hospitality and customer service we received! We made a big mistake with our excursion planning and had our next one starting before our e-bike reservation was scheduled to end. Forest was very kind to make multiple calls to help us resolve the issue. And then he and Ryan personally gave us a ride back to town early so we could make it to our next excursion! They made every effort to ensure we had a great time in Ketchikan and WE DID!! We will definitely come back for the kayaking and other excursions! Great company and great time! Oh - After our e-bike and hike, Chandler had prepared a nice appetizer and drink area for us. And we enjoyed so time mingling with others while watching boats sail in and out. Everyone was wonderful! We highly recommend!!!

Exceptional Trip, From the Sea Wind Float Plane Staff to the Lodge staff, the trip beat all…read moreexpectations. Captain Bridger and Deckhand Dillon were exceptional. I cannot say enough positive about them, we caught fish, laughed and were just present, phenomenal team. Arrival was excellent, the coordination with the seaplane staff and the hop to the resort was painless and a great experience. At the lodge, the arrival staff was excellent, followed by a cocktail hour, and then an excellent meal. The rooms were more than adequate, and exceptionally clean and serviced. The food was spectacular, and service exceptional. Fishing was awesome, and I caught the biggest fish of my life and had a great time every day with the boat staff and fellow fisherman. We handed off poles when one wasn't catching and it was a true team effort across the board. We split the catch and ended up taking home a whole lot of fish. Looking back at the expense of the trip, while expensive for a po' boy like me, it was well worth the savings to get there. Being remote, vice in the city taking a charter out, was well worth the cost. A once in a lifetime experience. A HUGE thank you to the support staff and boat crews for making my bucket list trip memorable. Jim 6/26

First came here in 1998…read more Each year it just gets better. The operations at the lodge get smoother. The staff is always friendly and helpful, willing to satisfy any reasonable requests. The food is excellent & they can meet any dietary needs. The boats nice and spacious, comfortable in the roughest seas. The boat crews are great and will put you on the fish if they are there!

This was a stupendous experience. The group was small enough to get the attention one might need to…read moreactually learn some nifty tricks using their camera. Jacob's sense of humor and local knowledge made the experience top-notch. We thoroughly enjoyed our time and would do it all over again, hoping for part 2. The cookie and coffee break was also tasty! I highly recommend this activity!

Arriving by ship to Ketchikan, I wanted a tour that would physically get me to places off the…read morebeaten path. This is the one, do not settle for a cheap substitute. Met Capt.Rob at the Dock and off we went, creek Street, the most awesome library ever & a totem pole park and carving center. This tour packed a full day into 3 hour tour and we didn't get stranded on devils island.... Captain Rob's local knowledge of the area and photography skil made for a great experience, good for all skill levels.