Ketchikan is often known as Alaska's "First City" because it is the first major community that people reach as they journey north to Alaska. This charming waterfront town showcases its maritime history, picturesque scenery, interesting architecture, and bawdy western frontier spirit. We leave our ship and wander into town.
Cruise ships lined up
Local boats
Heading into town
Bald eagle greeting
Layout of the town
Tribute to fishing history
Celebrating maritime roots
Ketchikan, located 679 miles (1100 km) northwest of Seattle, was founded in 1883 with the opening of a salmon saltery. By 1900, the town was incorporated with a population of 800. The cruise ships in port today bring an additional 10,000 people to town for the day (reportedly 15,000 to 18,000 people per day on Thursdays and Fridays).
Remaining fishing industry
Line for local fish (cooked)
We wander into town, past the famous Creek Street Red Light Distract (near the piers, we'll be back on the other side of our loop walk through town).
Creek Street
More tribute to and history of salmon fishing here
A few blocks inland, we come to Totem Heritage Center which houses 33 totem poles (16 on permanent display) dating from the mid-1700s to the late-1800s, when the fur trade created a sense of wealth that the native Tlingit, Tsimshian, and Haida tribes had never before experienced, leading them to invest in potlatch celebrations and the creation of totem poles (made easier with the arrival of iron tools). Memorial poles, story poles, family poles, and clan poles each offer individual designs and explanations.
Totem poles on display
Crossing the Ketchikan Creek from the Totem Museum, we reach the Deer Mountain Fish Hatchery whose current annual production is 100,000 chinook salmon (released into Ketchikan Creek), 100,000 coho salon (released in Anita Bay), 50,000 rainbow trout (released in the Ketchikan area lakes), and 1,500additional rainbow trout released into city parks. That's a lot of fish for such a small facility!
Crossing the creek
Fish hatchery
We continue along Ketchikan Creek from the hatchery, following the trail and story of salmon migration up the creek in the last-summer, early fall. The creek is a vital spawning ground for salmon, particularly pink and king salmon, who return to the creek annually. Along a fast-moving part of the creek, we find a salmon ladder to assist salmon in their upstream migration.
Salmon ladder
Fast-moving waters that the salmon swim up
Salmon statue overlooking it all
We continue along the water to link up with Creek Street (oddly enough, a little further along the creek).