Explore Southern Southeast Alaska
A perfect destination for the independent outdoor traveler
Take time to visit Southeast Alaska and explore the many recreational opportunities available especially for independent travelers
We're a jaded bunch here in Alaska and don't always appreciate our surroundings. I often forget how overwhelming Southeast Alaska was to all of my senses stepping off the M/V Matanuska onto the Wrangell dock for the first time. Alaska dwarfs your sense of scale and everything is immense, the trees, the mountains, the water. I think of Southeast Alaska as the first Alaska. The Tlingit, Spanish, Russian, English and American cultures all came together here to form what would become our 49th state. Population growth didn't occur in other parts of the state until well into the beginning of the twentieth century.
Southeast Alaska is home to Misty Fiords National Monument and the Tongass National Forest, which is the largest forest within the national forest system and largest temperate rain forest on earth. Rainfall can reach 152 inches (3.86 m) a year in Ketchikan where they measure rain in feet. The southern region of Southeast Alaska encompasses a vast area that starts at Wrangell Island, extends down past Prince of Wales Island, and ends at Revillagigedo Island. Millions visit its protected waters each year, many traveling on cruise ships that originate from Vancouver, British Columbia.
Southern Southeast Alaska is the perfect place for an independent traveler to visit, especially if time isn't a pressing factor. Visitors can arrive via the Alaska Marine Highway System with connections from either Bellingham, Washington or Prince Rupert, British Columbia. Communities in the region established the Inter-Island Ferry Authority to offer additional service to and from Prince of Wales Island. Those traveling the ferries can make greater use of them by having a smaller car equipped with a suitable roof rack. There is excellent scheduled jet service provided to Ketchikan and Wrangell by Alaska Airlines which hubs out of Seattle's SeaTac Airport. Air taxis operating floatplanes and charter boat companies are found in every major community.
Numerous kayaking, canoeing, and boating opportunities exist on both salt and fresh water. In this coastal environment, there are many chances that kayaks will share the same waters used by fishing vessels, cruise ships, and ferries. The Forest Service offers abundant facilities for hiking, camping and backpacking activities. Many visitors take advantage of the many remote cabins available for rent from the Forest Service.
This is a region of world-class fishing for steelhead, trout, salmon, and halibut. You can hire a charter boat, stay a lodge like the Waterfall Resort, or be self-guided. Wildlife viewing, especially for marine mammals, shorebirds, and waterfowl is simply amazing. Exercise care in viewing the wildlife and it will remain a resource available to many generations to come.
