Wildlife and birding in Ketchikan
Wildlife in Ketchikan is mostly about bald eagles, bears and salmon streams. Many of the best sightings sit a boat or floatplane ride out of town. Ketchikan is one of the best places in Southeast Alaska to see bald eagles, especially where salmon streams meet the water. In town, the creek mouths and the Salmon Walk Trail give you a taste before you go farther.
Places to go
Margaret Creek Wildlife Observation Site
A Forest Service bear viewing site on Revillagigedo Island, where a rainforest trail leads to a platform over Margaret Creek. Visitors come to look for black bears, birds and salmon.
Alaska Rainforest Sanctuary
A 40-acre temperate rainforest near Ketchikan, with forest trails, salmon spawning streams and a boardwalk through hemlock, cedar and spruce.
Tours to book
Prices are per person, booked with our partner, Shore Excursions Group.
Alaskan Wildlife and Whale Watching Expedition
What to expect
Most wildlife days here start with a short trip from the downtown docks. The eagle-feeding tour leaves from the downtown docks, and visitors go straight to the boat. Bald eagles swoop down right next to the boat as the guide offers food, so you see them close without leaving the water. The boat has covered cabins and open decks, so the outing works in any weather.
The bear-viewing side of the day takes longer. Margaret Creek is a Forest Service bear viewing facility, 26 miles north of Ketchikan, reached only by boat or floatplane. Bears gather there when salmon run, and a rainforest trail leads to a viewing platform. Visitors can also see black bears, birds and four species of salmon. Keep to the platform and marked trails, and give the animals space.
Where to go
- Ketchikan Wildlife Tours eagle feeding. Bald eagles swoop down next to the boat during a small-group tour, close enough to watch them feed. By tour boat from the downtown docks. A trip that goes here: Rainforest Sanctuary Center and Totems, 2 Hours 45 Minutes, $145 a person
- Margaret Creek Wildlife Observation Site. A Forest Service bear viewing site with a rainforest trail to a platform. Black bears, birds and four salmon species. 26 miles north of Ketchikan, by boat or floatplane. A trip that goes here: Rainforest Sanctuary Center and Totems, 2 Hours 45 Minutes, $145 a person
- Traitors Cove. A Seawind Aviation floatplane trip over the Tongass to a viewing platform where bears feed on salmon. Access is limited to a few visitors each year. By floatplane.
- Salmon Walk Trail. A walk along the creek where wildlife sightings are possible, close to the downtown area. By walk. A trip that goes here: Rainforest Sanctuary Center and Totems, 2 Hours 45 Minutes, $145 a person
Getting there
The eagle-feeding tour runs from the downtown docks. Margaret Creek is 26 miles north of Ketchikan and is reached only by boat or floatplane. Creek Street and the downtown are three to four blocks from the docks, so the town-side viewing is an easy walk.
When to go
Bears gather at Margaret Creek when fish are in the streams, which is generally from May to September. Staff are at Margaret Creek only intermittently, in August and the first two weeks of September. Pack rain gear, since the area is one of the rainiest in North America.
Good to know
- Dress in layers. Weather can change from sunny and warm to windy, rainy and cold within a few hours.
- Stay on observation decks and marked trails, and never approach a bear. Keep food and garbage away from them.
- Give wildlife space. If an animal stops what it is doing, looks nervous or moves toward you, you are too close.
- Margaret Creek has no fees or permits, but Forest Service staff are not always on site.
Questions
Can you see bald eagles in Ketchikan?
Yes. Ketchikan is one of the best places in Southeast Alaska to see bald eagles, especially at salmon stream mouths like Ward Cove, Herring Cove and Ketchikan Creek. A small-group eagle-feeding tour takes you out on the water to watch them swoop close to the boat.
Where can you see bears near Ketchikan?
Margaret Creek, a Forest Service bear viewing site 26 miles north of Ketchikan, is reached by boat or floatplane. Bears gather there when fish are in the streams. A floatplane trip to Traitors Cove also takes visitors to a viewing platform where bears feed on salmon.
Can I see wildlife in Ketchikan without a boat trip?
Yes. The Salmon Walk Trail along the creek can offer wildlife sightings, and the Alaska Rainforest Sanctuary has hiking trails where you may see black bears, seals, deer and birds, depending on the day and season.
