Ketchikan Alaska Activities

Trust us, recreation in Ketchikan, Alaska is not limited to fishing for King Salmon! Ketchikan and the surrounding area offer many different activities, from snowmobiling to hiking to judo to chess. Check out our list of Ketchikan activities below!

• Tongass Historical Museum
• Dolly's House
• The Saxman
• Totem Bight and the Totem Heritage Center
• Art and Craft Galleries and Shops

In Ketchikan, there is a lot to do. While visiting the community, you can attend native craft and dance exhibitions. You can experience the granite cliffs and glaciers of Misty Fjords National Monument. You can visit the Metlakatla Indian Community and nearby Prince of Wales Island. You can also find the perfect souvenir of your trip at Ketchikan’s variety of galleries and shops.

Camp Fish Hike Kayak Scuba dive Scenic Flights Boating

Wildlife Viewing (Ocean and Land) Mountain Biking Logging Shows Shopping Bear Tours Theatre

Arts

Ketchikan, Alaska is a melting pot for many forms of visual and performing arts. Crafters of the highest caliber also reside here, adding to the burgeoning arts scene of Ketchikan. The people here in Ketchikan are integral in the creative process, and share in each other's designs and accomplishments. Many of the venues, exhibits and productions are home grown, and shine proudly with local flare. Among these local concoctions is the Wearable Art Show, which takes place in February. Anyone with a modicum of fashion sense and some fabric (or fishing line, or Spam; anything can and is used) can strut their stuff along the runway.

Ketchikan is a thriving arts community. It is home to many galleries displaying a wide variety of art, including native art and handicrafts. It also hosts many arts-themed festivals thanks to the Ketchikan Area Arts and Humanities Council, including the Blueberry Arts Festival, Gigglefeet Dance Festival and the Cabaret and Dance Festival. The community's performing arts groups, including First City Players, the Ketchikan Theater Ballet and Ketchikan Community Band, host performances year round.

If you want arts, Ketchikan has them. The community's galleries and events are an ideal outlet for both amateur and professional artists and performers to show their stuff. When you visit, do not miss the arts scene in this charming southeast Alaskan town.

Boating / Diving

While in Ketchikan, you can engage in some undersea exploration with the help of the Wind & Water Dive Center or enjoy sailing with the Ketchikan Ocean Racing Circuit.

Camping

If you seek solitude while in Ketchikan, it is easy to find by reserving one of the remote cabins the U.S. Forest Service maintains within 75 miles of the community. Some sit on the seashore. Others are on the shores of lakes and the banks of streams and estuaries. Some are so remote they are only accessible by floatplane. The accommodations in the cabins are truly rustic. They include plywood bunks, oil or wood stoves, and outhouses. Contact the Forest Service to reserve one of them.

Hiking

Exploring the sea is not the only thing you will want to do while in Ketchikan. You will also want to hike the miles and miles of trails surrounding the town maintained by the Ketchikan Outdoor Recreation and Trails Coalition. The trails traverse a little bit of everything, from seashores to mountaintops.

Sports

If you want to catch a baseball game, or play a little basketball, that's here too. There are tons of sports leagues and recreational groups, such as the youth Dribblers League and the Ketchikan, Alaska Youth Football League. For the adults there is basketball and softball. The Gateway Recreation Center, established in the early 1990's, furnishes several different athletic outlets. Activities include basketball, soccer, roller-skating, racquetball, handball, aerobics, martial arts, and even fitness equipment. During winter months, snowshoes and alpines skis may be rented here. A full-size competition swimming pool can be found here, along with saunas and a warm-down pool. Don't know how to swim? No problem. Master swimmers give lessons on technique, fitness and endurance.

Tours

It is a truly inspiring to experience southeast Alaska from the sea, taking in picturesque scenery on a ferry, private charter or your own craft. The Alaska Marine Highway, traveling the waters of the Inside Passage year round, provides service for passengers and vehicles. If you come in your own watercraft, call the local visitors' bureau ahead of time to verify mooring. If you want an intimate tour of Ketchikan's waterways, venture out in a canoe or kayak – or even a bicycle. If you want to venture out on land on your own, there are several car rental options in Ketchikan.