Alaska's Inside Passage Destinations
Dec 28th, 2008, 10:39 AM
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Alaska's Inside Passage Destinations
We are planning a trip to the Inside passage. Trying to decide which cities need to be seen. Can anyone give input on Ketchikan, Wrangell, Petersburg,Juneau and Sitka? We are looking for wildlife, outdoor adventure and history. Much appreciated!
Dec 29th, 2008, 11:47 AM
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Ketchikan, Wrangell, Petersburg,Juneau and Sitka all deliver plenty of opportunties for viewing wildlife and outdoor adventure.
Are you planning to use the ferry or a small cruise which gets to all these places? If you are using the ferry check the schedule and whatever you can fit in your time frame. Also it really depends what appeals more to you. We love Wrangell and Petersburg and going back in 2009 to both but to some people these are just too small towns with not much shopping or nighlife. We're skiping Ketchikan this time although I really enjoy hiking there. Going back to Juneau because the ferry schedule puts us there for 3 days.
Are you planning to use the ferry or a small cruise which gets to all these places? If you are using the ferry check the schedule and whatever you can fit in your time frame. Also it really depends what appeals more to you. We love Wrangell and Petersburg and going back in 2009 to both but to some people these are just too small towns with not much shopping or nighlife. We're skiping Ketchikan this time although I really enjoy hiking there. Going back to Juneau because the ferry schedule puts us there for 3 days.
Dec 29th, 2008, 01:17 PM
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I made it to the inside passage this year for the first time in my almost annual trips to Alaska. Frankly, I was disappointed.
The biggest drawback for me, at least regarding Ketchikan, Juneau, and Skagway was that they are clogged well beyond their capacity most summer days. Because there are 4 or 5 cruise ships making daily stops, there are many more people than I prefer. I'm used to a more serene, less densely occupied Alaska. Haines was a little better because they only have dockage facilities for one ship at a time.
My second reason for disappoint was weather. These towns are in the largest rain forest in North America so it is no surprise that rain is the rule rather than the exception. In my 12 day trip, I had good weather about 3 1/2 days and the rest of the time was rainy with low lying clouds or fog obscuring much of the scenery I go to Alaska for.
Even inland around Hyder and farther north in Alaska, you can certainly experience poor weather on any given day but most days are sunny and warmer.
I'm going to again make stops in Haines and Skagway on my trip next summer but those are incidental to a road trip through interior Alaska and British Columbia.
Other than the cities I mentioned above, I have not visited the other areas you asked about.
The biggest drawback for me, at least regarding Ketchikan, Juneau, and Skagway was that they are clogged well beyond their capacity most summer days. Because there are 4 or 5 cruise ships making daily stops, there are many more people than I prefer. I'm used to a more serene, less densely occupied Alaska. Haines was a little better because they only have dockage facilities for one ship at a time.
My second reason for disappoint was weather. These towns are in the largest rain forest in North America so it is no surprise that rain is the rule rather than the exception. In my 12 day trip, I had good weather about 3 1/2 days and the rest of the time was rainy with low lying clouds or fog obscuring much of the scenery I go to Alaska for.
Even inland around Hyder and farther north in Alaska, you can certainly experience poor weather on any given day but most days are sunny and warmer.
I'm going to again make stops in Haines and Skagway on my trip next summer but those are incidental to a road trip through interior Alaska and British Columbia.
Other than the cities I mentioned above, I have not visited the other areas you asked about.
Dec 29th, 2008, 01:35 PM
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I loved both Sitka and Petersburg. Ketchikan, alas, is an over-touristed mess (too many large cruise ships can dock there at once, leading to the dockside area of town overflowing with shops selling tanzenite jewelry, etc.) I didn't spend enough time in Juneau to form much of an opinion about the place, but it certainly looked more appealing than Ketchikan! I suspect Wrangell will be similar to Petersburg: small and quiet.
Dec 29th, 2008, 02:20 PM
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Have only been to Ketchikan and Juneau (on one of the dreaded cruise ships). Learned something interesting - all those jewelery and t-shirt shops are actually owned by the cruise lines.
Unless one ventures away from these shops, it is an over-crowded nightmare. And it is somewhat expensive to do many of the non-shopping side trips. We did a zipline thing in Ketchikan and then walked thru a rainforest. In Juneau we took a helicopter to Mendanhall Glacier and walked around.
Unless one ventures away from these shops, it is an over-crowded nightmare. And it is somewhat expensive to do many of the non-shopping side trips. We did a zipline thing in Ketchikan and then walked thru a rainforest. In Juneau we took a helicopter to Mendanhall Glacier and walked around.
Jun 28th, 2009, 07:46 PM
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A lot of good wildlife viewing is dependent on the time of year. If you're in SE Alaska when the salmon are entering the streams, this is prime bear viewing, usually mid-July through mid-September-ish. For great bear viewing, go to Wrangell and take a day boat to Anan Creek -- spectacular. For great whale watching, go to Petersburg and take a day boat to Frederick Sound. Lots of good hiking in Juneau -- you can even do a glacier hike on the Mendenhall Glacier. Great history in Sitka. Ketchikan has more Native totem poles than any other town. Haines is a neat window on both the temperate rain forest and the drier interior of the state. If you really want your own private adventure, consider renting a car and taking the ferry from Ketchikan to Prince of Wales Island. This is the 3rd largest island in the United States, and you'll virtually have it all to yourselves. Lots of bears, hiking, whales, fishing, El Capitan cave tour, etc.
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