Long Weekend In Ketchikan, Alaska

A tale of a short adventure vacation in Alaska

​We've got 5 days.

Priority #1: Salmon and halibut fishing.

Priority #2: Hiking and seeing wildlife.

Priority #3: No cruise needed.

How do we make this happen?

​Answer: Ketchikan, Alaska!

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​Just a 2 hour non-stop flight from Seattle makes it the most easily accessible town in Alaska from the continental U.S. We started our travel day at 7:00am from the Reno airport and were walking the historic streets of Ketchikan by lunchtime!

Afternoon entertainment in town included walking the famous boardwalk at Creek Street and driving down the Tongass Highway south to Herring Cove to look for bears and eagles where the creek empties into the sea. Have you heard the call of bald eagles before? It’s not like the movies where they seem to use a hawk-like screech. Bald eagles have more of a lyrical chirp, a pretty darn loud chirp!

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Guided Fishing

We signed up for a 3-day fishing special with Captain Rick Dale and Big Fish Charters. Rick and his family have lived in Ketchikan for 100 years and after the first day of fishing with Captain Rick he felt like an old friend.

As the only clients on the boat, Amanda Rae, we set a goal each day and Rick and his able deckhand, Pat, made it happen. Rick entertained us with stories from his decades as a fishing and hunting guide in Alaska and he and Pat were both patient, professional, and easy-going with us and our 12-year old avid angler. When the weather cooperated, we were farther out fishing for halibut. We explored the inlets while trolling for salmon and were treated to many wildlife sightings, including a pod of whales one day! When fishing was slow, we set crab pots. Every day was a success!

​It was very relaxing being out on our Alaska fishing adventure watching the salmon jump all around and seeing bald eagles and Sitka black-tailed deer on shore. Of course, all this relaxing was punctuated by the thrill of getting a fish on the hook and landing them in the boat. We came home with plenty of fish - yum!

Fishing On Our Own

We had a day off in between days with Rick and we made the decision to rent a boat out of Knudson Cove and fish on our own.
Things I learned from this experience:

1. Professional guide boats have better equipment. Our rental boat had hand-crank downriggers - a very different experience from the automatic downriggers on Rick’s boat.
2. Leave the driving to the captain, I’d rather be fishing!
3. Professional fishing guides talk to each other and know where the fishing is good. We had limited information and had very slow salmon fishing.
4. Professional fishing guides have better fishing gear. My son hooked a good-sized halibut but a tangle on the cheapy leader left us with a broken line and my son’s very own “the one that got away” story.
5. Rental boat didn’t allow anchoring. Have you ever tried keeping a boat in one place during tidal flux in Alaska without anchoring?? It was impossible for me and so we had to stop our halibut fishing and move on to trolling for salmon.
6. A capable deckhand is priceless! With a short amount of time in Alaska, I’d rather spend time fishing and leave the logistics of untangling fishing lines, building new leaders, wrangling hooks out of fish, and switching out gear, to the pro.
7. I’d rather have gone kayaking :) And, a 12 year old can use a day off from being on a boat.

The one that got away!

​There's More to Ketchikan Than Just Fishing

Ketchikan is perched on the southern end of Revillagigedo  Island and is part of the Tongass National Forest, the nation’s largest with 17 million acres filled with dense temperate rainforest and home to bears, bald eagles, spawning salmon, and breathtaking views of wild Alaska! 

Hiking

The forests around Ketchikan are rainforests because of the generous amount of rainfall each year. The gift to hikers is a veritable fairytale forest with moss hanging from trunks and branches and so much moss, ferns, and lichens that trails are either boardwalks or walking on the ground is like walking on memory foam pillows!

Kayaking

Another great option is kayaking out of Ketchikan or Clover Pass, just north of Ketchikan. One of the great benefits to kayakers of Alaska’s Inside Passage is the incredibly calm waters in the coves, inlets, and passages; perfect for kayaking! Gliding across the still water and spotting bald eagles above, Sitka deer on shore, or sea stars and jellies in the water sounds like the perfect day!

​Native Culture

Southeast Alaska is the home of the Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian Native people. Ketchikan is the Totem Capital of the World with more native-carved totems than anywhere else in the world! The  many options in Ketchikan for learning more about Alaska’s Native people, visiting a model Native village, watching Native dance performances, or watching totem pole carvers at work are listed below:

• Saxman Village
• ​Totem Bight State Historical Park
• ​Totem Heritage Center 
• Potlatch Totem Park

Ketchikan Boutique Lodging

At the end of the day, no matter what Alaskan adventure you’ve had, you want to settle into a cozy place. We found the Black Bear Inn, a boutique accommodation right on the water of Tongass Narrows. Breakfast is included (one of my favorite features in an accommodation - I hate spending vacation time looking for a breakfast restaurant!) but it’s more continental and serve yourself style. Hosts, Nicole and Jim Church, keep the pantry and fridge stocked with lots of breakfast options and they are always eager to help make your stay wonderful. 

Our favorite part of the Black Bear Inn was the patio and summer kitchen right outside our door! We enjoyed the ocean views, even saw a whale(!), being able to cook our crab in the summer kitchen, and access down to the water for fishing and intertidal exploring.

Alaska is waiting for you! Looking for a multi-sport, multi-activity Alaska adventure? Or a trip focused solely on fishing and/or hunting? How about kayaking and wildlife viewing? We can make all of this happen for you!
Ready to plan your Alaskan adventure? Connect with Kerry - details below.

Kerry is an Adventure Travel Specialist who designs custom trips for adventurous travelers.
Ready to plan your next adventure? Let's talk!
​Text, call or email - - 775-303-6282
kerry@MountainAdventureTravel.com