Ketchikan

Due to its location at the southern tip of the Inside Passage, Ketchikan is known as Alaska's "first city"—it is the first city you reach as you cruise north, and for many visitors, it is their first introduction to the beauty and majesty of Alaska. Ketchikan is located approximately 90 miles north of Prince Rupert, British Columbia, and hugs the bluffs that form the shoreline along the southwest corner of Revillagigedo Island. Ketchikan is centered on Tongass Avenue, which is 31 miles long but never more than 10 blocks wide. Many businesses and homes are built on stilts out over the water on one side of the avenue, while on the other side they cling to the steep slopes and often have winding wooden staircases leading to their doors.

The downtown area contains two large harbors, several cruise ship docks, and many of Ketchikan's main attractions, including historic Creek Street, a picturesque boardwalk path built on stilts over Ketchikan Creek. Until 1954, Creek Street was Ketchikan's infamous red-light district. Today, the street is a photographer's dream, with art galleries, gift shops, bookstores, and restaurants. Dolly's House, the parlor of the city's most famous madam, Dolly Arthur, was the most popular house on Creek Street in the 1930s. Today, it's a museum dedicated to this notorious era. Inside you’re guided through the brothel, hear about Dolly’s intriguing life in Alaska, and see, among other things, its bar, which was placed over a trapdoor to the creek for quick disposal of bootleg whiskey.

The Ketchikan Road system extends both north and south of the city, connecting to additional parks, attractions, and lodging. RVers frequently leave the Alaska Marine Highway and travel north to a few campgrounds, including Settlers Cove State Recreation Site, which is located at the end of the road, 18 miles north of Ketchikan. The 38-acre state recreation area includes 14 campsites nestled among lush rainforest and overlooking a scenic coastal area, as well as a quarter-mile trail leading to a waterfall and observation deck. South Tongass Avenue leads to totems and hiking trails to the south. Side trips to Prince of Wales Island, Annette Island, numerous bear-viewing sites, and one of the area's most impressive attractions: Misty Fjords National Monument depart from Ketchikan. This 3,570-square-mile wilderness is a natural mosaic of sea cliffs, steep fjords, and 3,000-foot-high rock walls jutting straight out of the ocean. Trips into the monument, whether by tour boat, small airplane, or kayak, provide wildlife-sighting opportunities for seals, otters, bald eagles, and whales.