Juneau & Ketchikan
Juneau, Alaska
The area now known as Juneau was historically inhabited by the Tlingit people, who fished the area’s salmon-rich waters which they called Dzantik’i Héeni. In 1880, prospectors Richard Harris and Joseph Juneau, guided by Tlingit Chief Kowee, discovered gold near the mouth of Gold Creek. This discovery led to a gold rush and rapid population growth with the town originally being named Harrisburg. Following a rename to Juneau after one of its founders, the town was incorporated in 1900 and became the territorial capital in 1906, replacing Sitka. Juneau became a major gold mining center, with the Alaska-Juneau Mine becoming one of the largest mines in the world. Between 1917 and 1944, the mine produced over 90 million tons of gold-bearing ore.
Today, Juneau is a blend of its historical past and a thriving modern city with a diverse economy including government, tourism, and fishing. Juneau is the capital of Alaska, home to the State Capitol building and many state government offices. Juneau is one of only two state capitols not accessible by road, the other being Honolulu, Hawaii. Many visitors arrive to Juneau on one of the numerous cruise ships that make their way up the Inside Passage during the summer season. The downtown area caters to the cruise ship guests with streets lined with shops, restaurants, and sightseeing excursions. Some guests arrive at Juneau International Airport by plane while others arrive on one of the Alaska Marine Highway System’s ferries. I arrived in Juneau on the MV Hubbard from Skagway which was a 6.5 hours ferry ride down the Inside Passage. It was another beautiful day on the water for taking in the breathtaking scenery.
The 13-mile-long Mendenhall Glacier outside Juneau is the only major glacier accessible by road in Southeastern Alaska. It is part of the larger Juneau Icefield and a major tourist attraction in Juneau with a visitor center, trails, and kayaking on Mendenhall Lake. I was fortunate enough to camp at Mendenhall Campground which sits on the shores of Mendenhall Lake and is the closest camping location to the glacier. I had spectacular views of the glacier, lake, and river from my site. The Mendenhall Glacier has actually been in the news the past few summers for causing flooding in the city of Juneau. Each summer, melt water accumulates in Suicide Basin which is located above the glacier. The glacier acts as a dam for the rising water in the basin. With the glacier on a steady retreat, the dam has been failing releasing all the water in the basin down into the Mendenhall Valley. The flood waters inundate Mendenhall Lake and overflow the banks of the Mendenhall River. During the flood in the summer of 2024, over 300 homes and businesses near the lake were flooded. This summer the flooding was less destructive due to preventative measures taken by the city, but I still saw some road damage at my campground from the flood two weeks prior.
Ferry – Juneau to Ketchikan
Ketchikan is another Alaskan community that is only accessible by air or sea. I boarded the MV Columbia in Juneau for an 18-hour voyage to Ketchikan down the Inside Passage. The ship is named after the Columbia Glacier in Prince William Sound and was built in Seattle in 1973 at a cost of $20 million. The MV Columbia is the largest (418 feet) and fastest (17.3 knots) ferry in the Alaska Marine Highway System’s fleet. The vessel is designed to carry 500 passengers and approximately 133 twenty-foot vehicles over two auto decks. Because the MV Columbia is designated for overnight and multi-day voyages, it also has 100 cabins each complete with a full bathroom including a shower. Travelers who don’t have a cabin are welcome to sleep in the longue areas or in the heated solarium where they even allow you to pitch a tent on the deck. The ship is actually quite comfortable with a restaurant, snack bar, cocktail longue, movie theater, and even coin operated laundry.
I found my overnight voyage on the MV Columbia to be very enjoyable. We departed Juneau at 4:30pm and upon loading Rosie into the main auto deck, I proceeded up to the purser’s office on Deck 5 to receive my cabin assignment. My cabin was a 2-person configuration with an ocean view with amenities that included bunk beds, a sink/vanity area, and a private bathroom with toilet and shower. I was pleasantly surprised to find the ferry’s cabins to be clean and quite comfortable. After stowing my gear in the cabin, I explored the ship and found a good viewing spot on the Solarium deck at the stern of the ship. I spent hours up there taking in the scenery of the Inside Passage, spotting numerous humpback whales, and watching the Alaskan sunset. I chose to have dinner in the restaurant which has amazing ocean views and the salmon meal was pretty good and reasonably priced. I slept pretty well in the cabin, but was awoken by noises of the ship docking at two overnight stops: Petersburg and Wrangell. In the morning, I enjoyed some more whale spotting before the MV Columbia arrived in Ketchikan at 11:00am.
Ketchikan, Alaska
The Tlingit people were the first inhabitants of the area which is today’s Ketchikan. For centuries, they established fishing camps at the outlet of Ketchikan Creek into the ocean to catch salmon. In 1885, Oregon entrepreneurs sent Mike Martin to establish a cannery, leading to the town’s founding. During the late 1890s Yukon Gold Rush, Ketchikan was often many prospectors first stop in Alaska which led to its title as “Alaska’s First City”. That title remains extremely relevant with today’s cruise industry where Ketchikan remains many ships’ first port of call. At the peak of the gold rush, Ketchikan became a vital supply and trading hub for the goldfields. After the decline of mining, fishing became the predominant industry earning Ketchikan another title, “Salmon Capital of the World”.
Logging grew in importance, especially during World War II. A large pulp mill was built in the mid-20th century and dominated the local economy until its closure in the 1990s. Today, tourism is the major economic driver in Ketchikan with the cruise ship industry leading the way. Annually, approximately 52 cruise ships make Ketchikan a port of call bringing about 1.4 million passengers to the town of about 13, 500 residents. However, Ketchikan has retained its historic character with the downtown tourist areas maintaining their 1900s frontier town appeal. One of the more popular tourist attractions is historic Creek Street which was Ketchikan’s notorious red-light district. Forced to the outskirts of town by the more “Christian” minded residents, as many as 30 brothels once operated on Creek Street between 1903 and 1953. Although they operated illegally for decades, the brothels closed for good in the early 1950s and today many of these buildings have been repurposed into shops, galleries, and a museum at famed Dolly’s House.
Downtown Ketchikan also features the Salmon Walk which is a 1.5-mile boardwalk that follows the path that the salmon swim up Ketchikan Creek during the spawning season. The trail features numerous interpretive stations to learn about the lives of these remarkable fish as well as salmon inspired pieces of art. I was fortunate to visit during the tail-end of the spawning season and there were still thousands of salmon making their way up the creek and resting in large ponds. About halfway up the Salmon Walk, there was a fish ladder to help salmon navigate the waterfall and it was fun to watch them leap out of the water to attempt making their way up stream.
Ketchikan is also dedicated to the preservation of Native Alaskan culture. The city operates the Totem Heritage Center which houses a vast collection of Tlingit and Haida art including the largest collection of unrestored 19th century totem poles. Located on the north end of town is the Totem Bight State Historic Park which is an 11-acre park with walking trails that make their way through the property visiting numerous totems, a building for restoration work, and the beautiful Clan House typical of the Tlingit and Haida people. Now what is a “bight” you might ask? A bight is a slight bend in the shoreline that was often favored by Native Alaskans as they provided protection from storms. Contrary to early missionary belief, totem poles were never worshipped. Some serve to record stories and family histories, proclaim wealth and status, or honor the dead. Other totems adorn house fronts or serve as posts that support a clan house. It was odd to walk through the grounds and see beautifully carved totems just lying on the forest floor to rot. However, I learned that totems were only intended to last approximately 75 years and following that they were returned to the forest to rot where they provide nutrients for the forest.
Located on the southern panhandle of the state of Alaska, Ketchikan lies within the vast Tongass National Forest. While I visited Ketchikan, I stayed at the Signal Creek Campground which is located on beautiful Ward Lake. This is a popular recreation area for locals as it is only 10 miles out of town offering great fishing, picnicking, and walking trails. Salmon swim up Wade Creek from the cove each summer to spawn and there was definitely the odor of dead fish in air. Another popular location for recreation is the Settler’s Cove State Recreation Site which has swimming beaches, a campground, and hiking trails. The Lunch Falls Loop Trail has boardwalks and overlooks for taking in its namesake. The creek draining into the ocean had salmon in it that were trying unsuccessfully to make their way upstream. It may have just been the wrong time of day because the tide was out and water level was low.
I am really glad I elected to take the ferry back to the lower forty-eight because if I hadn’t, I would not have made it to Ketchikan. Despite being a big cruise ship destination, Ketchikan is a fun and interesting coastal community with a lot to do. I really enjoyed my week stopped in Ketchikan and side trip to Prince of Wales Island.
