Arriving in Ketchikan via Ketchikan International Airport sets you up perfectly, with rainforest, totem parks, and fjords a short hop away. Ketchikan calls itself the Salmon Capital of the World and the first city of Alaska, and it earns both titles. The town climbs steep hillsides on stairways and boardwalks, and the airport sits across the channel on Gravina Island, so your trip begins with a short ferry ride into Ketchikan itself.

Standout experiences around Ketchikan: - Walk historic Creek Street, a boardwalk built on pilings over Ketchikan Creek - Watch salmon run upstream in late summer right beneath the downtown bridges - See the world's largest collection of standing totem poles at Totem Bight State Park and Saxman Village - Fly over Misty Fjords National Monument by floatplane for sheer granite walls and waterfalls - Spot black bears fishing at Herring Cove during the salmon run - Hike Deer Mountain for views over the Tongass Narrows and Clarence Strait - Visit the Southeast Alaska Discovery Center to learn about the Tongass National Forest - Kayak the calm waters around Knudson Cove and the nearby islands - Catch the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show downtown - Try fresh halibut and salmon chowder at a dockside cafe

Ketchikan is an island town, so nearby exploring happens by boat and floatplane rather than highway. Short water trips lead to Metlakatla on Annette Island, the Tlingit community of Saxman, and countless coves in the Tongass. Expect rain, up to 150 inches a year, and plan around it like locals do with a good jacket and a sense of humor.