View of Native American totem poles in Ketchikan

Photo Credit: Regina Shanklin

Located south of Ketchikan on the South Tongass Highway, the Saxman Village Totem Park houses nearly thirty replicas of Native Alaskan totem poles. A popular spot for tourists, Saxman Village allows visitors to explore their outdoor museum of totem poles or pay for a guided tour of the grounds. Native artists work in the park’s carving shed, where visitors can watch carvers craft new totem poles by hand.

Mere steps from downtown Ketchikan, Creek Street was once the city’s red-light district. Now listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places, the boardwalk offers a multitude of shops, art houses, and restaurants in its line of restored wooden homes. Stop by the Tongass Historical Museum or the infamous Dolly’s House Museum to learn more about the area’s rich cultural and industrial history.

View of Misty Fjords National Monument from the air

Photo Credit: Cody Doherty

Tourists have flocked to the famous glaciers and breathtaking views of the Misty Fjords National Monument, over two million acres of unspoiled natural land. Its icy peaks and swaths of green trees, sometimes shrouded in misty fogs, are only accessible by boat or flight.