92 Best Sights in Juneau, the Inside Passage, and Southeast Alaska, Alaska

Located in the Golden North Hotel building, this impressive (and free) scrimshaw museum highlights more than 40 exquisitely carved walrus tusks and other exhibits that detail Alaska's history. The museum was founded by Dennis Corrington, a onetime Iditarod Race runner, who passed away in July 2021.

The primary commercial center for Prince of Wales is Craig, on the island's western shore. This town of 1,000 retains a hard-edged aura fast disappearing in the many Inside Passage towns where tourism now holds sway. Although sightseeing attractions are slim, the town exudes a frontier spirit, and its small-boat harbors buzz with activity.

This was once Ketchikan's red-light district. During Prohibition, Creek Street was home to numerous speakeasies, and in the early 1900s more than 30 houses of prostitution operated here. Today the small, colorful houses, built on stilts over the creek waters, have been restored as interesting shops. When the fish are running, the Creek Street footbridge makes a stellar viewing platform for salmon and trout, as well as the sea lions and other animals that eat them.

Salmon are integral to life in Southeast Alaska, and Alaskans are proud of their healthy fisheries. A visit to the hatchery is a great introduction to the complex considerations involved in maintaining the continued vitality of this crucial resource. Watch through an underwater window as salmon fight their way up a fish ladder from mid-June to mid-October. Inside the busy hatchery, which produces almost 125 million young salmon annually, you will learn about the environmental considerations of commercial fishermen and the lives of salmon. A retail shop sells gifts and salmon products. The salmon hatchery is part of a larger nonprofit, Douglas Island Pink and Chum, Inc., and is usually referred to locally by its acronym, DIPAC.

Just north of the Petersburg Fisheries cannery, this small roadside park is a great place to spot eagles, especially at low tide. On a clear day you will also discover dramatic views of the sharp-edged Coast Range, including the 9,077-foot summit of Devil's Thumb.

The best known of the large natural caverns that pockmark northern Prince of Wales Island has one of the deepest pits in the United States. Paleontologists have found a wealth of black bear, brown bear, and other mammal fossils in the cave's 13,000 feet of passageways, including some that date back more than 12,000 years. The Forest Service leads free, two-hour tours of El Capitan Cave several times a week in summer. It takes some work to get to the cave's mouth, but if you're up for a 1,100-foot hike up a 367-step stairway, it's well worth the effort. The rangers pause along the way to give visitors time to catch their breath. Reservations are required at least two days ahead, and no children under age seven are permitted. Bring a flashlight and wear hiking or rubber boots. A light jacket is also helpful, as the cave gets quite cool.

An independently operated animal rescue center, Fortress of the Bear offers the chance to see bears up close without worry for safety. The center, 5 miles east of Sitka, shelters a handful of brown and black bears, both adults and cubs, in large enclosures that allow them to interact and play. In addition to creating a hospitable environment for bears that might otherwise be euthanized, the center educates visitors about proper human–animal interaction.

Stately clapboard homes stand against a mountain backdrop on the sloping parade grounds of Alaska's first U.S. Army post. As you enter you'll soon see the gallant, white-columned former commanding officer's quarters, now part of the Hotel Hälsingland. Circle the parade ground if you like, passing the other homes along Officers Row. On the parade ground's south side at Alaska Indian Arts, you can watch artists at work. The Haines Alaska Convention & Visitors Bureau has a walking-tour brochure of the fort.

One of the upsides to living in a rain forest is the lush proliferation of plants and trees. At Glacier Gardens, they've turned local flora into an art form. Spread over 50 acres of rain forest, the family-owned Glacier Gardens has ponds, waterfalls, hiking paths, a large atrium, and gardens. The roots of fallen trees, turned upside down and buried in the ground, act as bowls to hold planters that overflow with begonias, fuchsias, and petunias. Guided tours in covered golf carts lead you along the 4 miles of paved paths, and a 580-foot-high overlook provides dramatic views of the Mendenhall wetlands wildlife refuge, the Chilkat Range, and downtown Juneau. A café and gift shop are here, and the conservatory is a popular wedding spot. Admission includes a guided tour. The Juneau city bus, which departs from multiple locations downtown, stops in front of Glacier Gardens (but be prepared for a meandering journey).

Built during the 1898 gold rush, the Golden North Hotel was—until closing in 2002—Alaska's oldest hotel. Despite the closure, the building has been lovingly maintained and still retains its gold rush–era appearance; a golden dome tops the corner cupola. Today the downstairs houses shops.

This stately Colonial-style home completed in 1912 overlooks downtown Juneau. With 14,400 square feet, 6 bedrooms, and 10 bathrooms, it's no miner's cabin. Out front is a totem pole that tells three tales: the history of man, the cause of ocean tides, and the origin of Alaska's ubiquitous mosquitoes. Unfortunately, tours of the residence are not permitted.

In the 1880s, Steve Sheldon began assembling Native artifacts, items from historic Ft. Seward, and gold-rush memorabilia, such as Jack Dalton's sawed-off shotgun, and started an exhibit of his finds in 1925. Today his collection is the core of this museum's impressive array of artifacts, including Chilkat blankets, a model of a Tlingit tribal house, and the original lens from the Eldred Rock lighthouse just south of Haines on Lynn Canal. Repatriated Bear Clan items such as an 18th-century carved ceremonial Murrelet hat are also on display.

The owner started his impressive collection of 1,800 hammers decades ago and founded the museum—the world's first—in 2001. Noteworthy specimens include a Roman battle hammer and 6-foot-long posting hammers used to secure advertisements to exterior walls.

Houses on high stilts and the historic Sons of Norway Hall border this creek that floods with each high tide, creating a photogenic reflecting pool.

During World War II the U.S. Army constructed a road to the 2,000-foot level of Harbor Mountain, a perfect spot from which to watch for invading Japanese subs or ships (none were seen). This road has been improved over the years, and it is possible to drive 5 miles to a spectacular summit viewpoint across Sitka Sound. A trail climbs uphill from the parking lot, then follows the ridge 2½ miles to a Forest Service shelter. From there, ambitious hikers can continue downhill another 3½ miles to Sitka via the Gavan Hill Trail.

While Alaskans of Haida ancestry live throughout Southeast, Hydaburg and Kasaan are the two main Haida communities in the state. The Alaskan Haida population can be traced back to a migration from Canada in the 1700s; the majority of tribal members continue to live in Canada, in Haida Gwaii (an area of British Columbia formerly called the Queen Charlotte Islands). The village of Hydaburg lies approximately 40 miles south of Klawock (via chip-sealed road), along scenic Sukkwan Strait. A small collection of totem poles occupies the center of town, and a nearby carving shed allows visitors to view artists at work. Contact the Hydaburg Cooperative Association ( www.hcatribe.org) for details.

Part culinary class, part tasting session, In Alaska's Wildest Kitchen offers visitors to Icy Strait Point a quick tutorial in preparing Alaska seafood. Led by Dodie Lunda, a retired commercial fisherwoman, this 90-minute, hands-on activity includes simple preparation techniques, recipe suggestions, and a filleting lesson. Participants gather around a horseshoe-shape counter for the prep portion and then assemble outside around a giant alder-fired grill to cook their own fillets of salmon or halibut.

The library, behind the post office, has two ancient petroglyphs out front and is home to a large collection of Alaskan books and computers with free Internet access.

Built near Klukwan, a Native village 23 miles up the road from Haines, this site offers visitors the chance to learn more about Tlingit culture, language, and ongoing traditions. Visit the site's Clan House, built using traditional methods; find out about traditional Native art forms, including wood carving and the distinctive Chilkat weavings, still being created today by a small number of skilled artists; see the process for smoking salmon; and much more.

Exhibits at this city-run museum interpret pioneer, mining, and Tlingit history. A diorama of a fire assay lab shows how the Bureau of Mines measured the gold content of rock samples, and there's a reconstructed Tlingit fish trap. Pioneer artifacts include a century-old store and kitchen. Digital story kiosks shed light on Alaska's quest for statehood, how government works here, civil rights in Alaska, and the cultures of Juneau. In the hands-on room, youngsters can try on clothes similar to ones worn by the miners and look at gold-rush stereoscopes. Engaging historic walking tours of downtown ($31.50) take place three times a week from May through September; other tours, scheduled periodically, include a stroll along the historic Treadwell Mine Trail.

The tiny Haida community of Kasaan celebrated a significant milestone in 2016 when local carvers completed the five-year restoration of Náay I’waans ("The Great House", also known as the Chief Son-I-Hat Whale House), the last traditional Haida longhouse in the country. The site includes three interior house posts and nine exterior totem poles, some restored originals and others re-carved in the 1930s. The longhouse and the poles can be viewed as part of a two-hour guided tour offered several times a week through the Organized Village of Kasaan ( www.kasaan.org).

Most visitors to Misty Fjords arrive on day trips via floatplane from Ketchikan or onboard catamarans. Taquan Air ( www.taquanair.com), Island Wings ( www.islandwings.com), and Allen Marine ( www.allenmarinetours.com) are among the top local providers in each category; the bureau can provide a full list.

The Kiks.ádi Totem, one of several in the park, bears crests owned by the clan and other animal figures, including a frog, a beaver, and a raven. The totem is a replica carved in 1987.

A half-dozen miles from Craig is the Tlingit village of Klawock, with a sawmill, cannery, hatchery, and the island's only airport. The town is best known for its striking totem poles in Totem Park. Several of these colorful poles were moved here in the 1930s; others are more recent carvings. You can watch carvers restoring old totems at the carving shed, across the road from the grocery store.

Along the bay you'll find the Catholic church St. John by the Sea, with stained-glass windows picturing Native Alaskans.

Klawock is also home to the Klawock River Hatchery, one of the state's most effective hatcheries. Though the facility isn't open to the public, visitors can watch the coho and sockeye salmon in the river (but keep an eye out for bears).

Housed in the former White Pass & Yukon Route Depot, this wonderful museum contains exhibits, photos, and artifacts from the White Pass and Chilkoot Trails. It's a must-see for anyone planning on taking a White Pass train ride, driving the nearby Klondike Highway, or hiking the Chilkoot Trail. Films, ranger talks, and walking tours are offered.

A must for animal lovers, this privately run operation 28 miles north of Haines provides an up-close look at Alaskan wildlife, including bears, caribou, moose, wolverines, porcupines, foxes, and wolves. More sanctuary than zoo, the center hosts small group tours, usually booked through cruise lines or other tourist outlets, but with notice may be able to arrange a visit for independent travelers.

A 2-mile hike (uphill) or shuttle-bus ride from town, this small museum is housed in the former compressor building of Juneau's historic AJ Gold Mine. The collection includes old mining tools, railcars, minerals, and a 3D map of the ore body. If you didn't arrive on foot, it's well worth scheduling some extra time for meandering along Basin Road. Though the road itself is fairly flat, the surrounding country is steep and wooded, with abundant waterfalls and trails leading in all directions, including one to the summit of Mt. Juneau.

Constructed in 1972 to resemble a traditional Tsimshian longhouse, this cedar structure serves as a gathering place for community events. Two totem poles stand in the back of the building, and a Northwest Coast design featuring the four Tsimshian clans—Raven, Eagle, Killer Whale, and Wolf—covers the front.

Built in 1887 by Captain William Moore and his son Ben Moore, the tiny cabin was the first structure erected in Skagway. An early homesteader, Captain Moore prospered from the flood of miners, constructing a dock, warehouse, and sawmill to supply them, and selling land for other ventures. Next door, the larger Moore House (1897–98) contains interesting exhibits on the Moore family. Both structures are maintained by the Park Service, and the main house is open daily in summer.