Ketchikan, Alaska

the wandering chick

...Ketchikan

lots to explore here

After visiting five Inside Passage cities in Alaska, I'd have to vote for Ketchikan being my favorite. Two parks that highlight the history of the natives' totem poles are to be had. A rainforest hike with views overlooking the city and a good visitor shuttle system are only a few factors that helped make the stay here a great experience.

Though touristy, Ketchikan's Creek Street is a real hoot. It's a district of historical buildings now turned into boutiques and shops and is the "main event" in town. The Ketchikan Creek is never far away from this old section of town, and the harbor is close by as well.

The Southeast Alaska Discovery Center is worth a visit, and if one wants to see American bald eagles in their natural habitat, this town seems to be the place.

Ketchikan was an enjoyable ending to our three-week Inside Passage tour.

Ketchikan's downtown may be a little touristy, but there are other areas outside the cruise ship-owned shops that are delightful. Ketchikan is the most southern city in Alaska and the first to be reached from the continental U.S. by boat. For that reason, it calls itself Alaska 'first city.'

Ripley's Believe It or Not claims Ketchikan's tunnel is the only one in the world that vehicles (and pedestrians) can travel through, around and over. In the world?? Really??

eagle in tree watching passing cruise ship

Cruise ships are a dime a dozen in Ketchikan. So are eagles. This old baldy has a bird's-eye view (see what I did there??) of the passing ship. I hope the passengers get a good view of him!

From an overview called Nob Hill, one can get a splendid panorama of the city in three directions. Note in this picture the runway across the channel. Ketchikan, like many coastal Alaskan towns, is built on a mountainside where the terrain is steep...too steep, in fact, to build an airport runway. Ferry transport takes passengers across the water to the airport. (My obvious question was: Why not build the city over there???)

Some 30 houses lined Creek Street, Ketchikan's red-light district, over the years. When the city outlawed prostitution in 1953, the area was turned into residences and commercial businesses.

See?? If these residents lived on the other side of the water, maybe they wouldn't have to climb all those stairs!!!

An interesting hike called the Rainbird Trail offered some of the views seen in the pictures above and below. It is a stepping stone trail through old growth rainforest that, in areas, is downright spooky. Images of hoodoos and goblins seem to be lurking behind every mossy tree. It is a wonderful, moderate 1.3-mile hike that ends on one of the residential streets.

A fun and entertaining part of Ketchikan is Creek Street, named for the Creek that runs through it. It's definitely THE shopping district today, but in earlier days was the shadier side of town.

Ketchikan Creek is a well-known salmon run. This salmon art is best seen along Married Man's Trail, a series of boardwalks that run the length of the creek and into Creek Street.

What is now the Thomas Basin Boat Harbor was once a large tidal flat. At low tide it was used as a baseball field. It wasn't until 1930 that the Army Corps of Engineers dredged it for the purpose of making a harbor.

An extension of Creek Street in its heydays was Thomas and Stedman streets. Being on the water's edge, Thomas Street provided cheap lodging for fishermen and cannery workers, but it was also convenient for bootleggers to transport their liquor. Stedman Street included a tavern, hotel and machine shop among other businesses, some of which are still in operation today. Both streets are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Looming above the smaller boats is an ever-present cruise ship.

The typical boardwalk and narrow walkway of Creek Street

One of the more popular houses along Creek Street is Dolly's House, a brothel owned by Madam Dolly Arthur. The house has been preserved much as she left it. It's one of the few houses along Creek Street that offer tours. Most of them have been turned into shops.

A nice view of Deer Mountain can be had from the harbor boardwalk which begins on Thomas Street and stretches three-quarters around the harbor.

Passengers enjoy the views from their cruise ship deck.

Ketchikan is said to have the largest collection of totem poles in the world. Many can be found placed here and there throughout the city, but the best places to get an understanding of them is the Thomas Bight State Park north of town and Saxman Native Village to the south. Both are informative/educational and make good side trips. The following pictures were taken at these two centers.

Totem poles are highly respected, so when they fall or become in such bad shape that they cannot be restored, they are placed on the ground to disintegrate, in a sense, being returned to the earth.

There are six different types of totem poles ranging from memorial poles to shame poles. The poles are usually made of red cedar and stand at various heighths, depending on their purpose. Often, the carving on a pole tells a story, renewing legends that are handed down from generation to generation. They are not considered sacred, but rather a record of events since there was no written language.

Ravens, beavers, bears, wolves, eagles and killer whales are all of significance on totem poles and have special meanings.

The colors of totem poles are of natural substances. Pebbles, clam shells, lichen, salmon eggs and graphite were used to create the colors.

Choose your next destination:

Continue the Inside Passage in chronological order (the next and last page is of bald eagles flying around the Ketchikan cannery.)

Return to the Inside Passage home page or the Interior Alaska home page,

The previous page (Petersburg)

Interestingly, this commemorative totem pole was not made with Abe Lincoln in mind. It actually respresents a cutter ship named after Lincoln which took part in a peace pact between two Tlingit Native American tribes. Because figures on a totem pole must be animate objects, a ship could not be used.

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