Getting Here and Around

Ketchikan is a regular cruise-ship and ferry stop, and Alaska Airlines serves the town from Seattle. A three-minute ride on the Gateway Borough Ferry ($5) will get you from the airport to town, and there’s a water taxi (cost varies) that serves waterfront marinas and piers.

If you're traveling out of town on the highway in either direction, you won't go far before you run out of road. The North Tongass Highway ends about 18 miles from downtown, at Settler's Cove Campground. The South Tongass Highway terminates about 13 miles from town. Side roads soon end at campgrounds and at trailheads, viewing points, lakes, boat-launching ramps, and private property.

Buses serve Ketchikan and outlying areas, and during the cruise-ship season (from May to September) a free shuttle bus travels a circular route from Berth 4. Notable stops include the Southeast Alaska Discovery Center, Creek Street, and the Totem Heritage Center.