What it's like
Ketchikan Creek runs through the middle of town and empties into the Tongass Narrows a short distance southeast of downtown. Alaska's first people harvested salmon from the creek during their summer fish camps, and that long link to the fish is still the draw here.
A visit is simple. You walk from the docks to the creek mouth and look down from the bridges for harbor seals and the salmon that gather in summer. Creek Street, with its wooden buildings on stilts, sits along the same water and makes a natural next stop.
Good to know
- Sightings depend on time, tide and conditions, and are not guaranteed.
- In summer, the best view of salmon is from the creek bridges.
- Ketchikan is one of the rainiest cities in North America, so bring rain gear.
Ketchikan Creek mouth
The mouth of Ketchikan Creek, where the stream meets the Tongass Narrows just southeast of downtown. Visitors look for harbor seals and summer salmon from the creek bridges and shoreline.
Tours that go here
Prices are per person, booked with our partner, Shore Excursions Group.
Mountain Point
Mountain Point is a rocky shoreline a short drive from downtown Ketchikan, where visitors snorkel among urchins, sea stars and crabs. The water is cold, so the site is best known for guided snorkeling in wetsuits.
Rotary Beach
Rotary Beach is a sandy and rocky shore about three miles south of downtown Ketchikan, also called Bugge Beach. It is a place for a shore break, a picnic and a look at tide pools.
Tongass National Forest
Tongass National Forest is the large forest that surrounds Ketchikan. Its trails, backcountry roads and waters are open for hiking, cycling, paddling and fishing.
Creek Street
Creek Street is a wooden boardwalk built on stilts above Ketchikan Creek, the most scenic stretch of downtown. Shops, galleries and old brothel buildings line the walk.
The same kind of day, elsewhere
Stingrays, turtles and dolphins
