Insider Passage - Alaska

Carved by glaciers and blanketed with majestic hemlock and spruce, Alaska’s Inside Passage is a region of pristine water, snow capped mountains, deep fjords and forested islands. With its mild, maritime climate, this area is prime habitat for bald eagles, sea lions, porpoise and whales. Much of the southern panhandle is part of the Tongass National Forest, a 16.8 million acre rainforest. Glacier Bay National park has 16 active tidewater glaciers and Misty Fiords National Monument near Ketchikan has 3,000-foot cliffs rising directly from pristine ocean channels.

The picturesque coastal communities are rich in history. Russian influence is well preserved in churches and other historical structures. The Gold Rush era comes to life throughout the Inside Passage and offers fascinating opportunities to learn and explore the past. The Native cultures of Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian Indians dominate this area. Ancient totem poles are abundant in many communities and the art of totem carving is preserved along with traditional dance and music.

Gustavus, Alaska

The unincorporated town of Gustavus remains an undiscovered treasure for visitors, or a least it succeeds in making itself feel that way. Sandy beaches offer an inspiring contrast to snow covered peaks of the Fairweather Range to the West and Chilkat range to the East.

Glacier Bay and Gustavus are work in progress, the Bay that John Muir discovered in 1979 in a canoe, didn’t exist a century earlier. Eighteenth Century explorers had found instead a wall of ice a mile thick where the entrance to the branching 65 mile long bay opens to the sea. In 1914 settlers homesteaded this alluvial fan now known as Gustavus. Today there are approximately 450 year round residents who call it home.

Besides being the gateway to Glacier Bay National Park, Gustavus offers so much more. We have some of the world’s largest viewing of humpback whales just minutes from the dock. The intermittent viewing of the transiet Orca. There is world class fishing for five species of salmon and the giant pacific halibut. Gustavus and Glacier Bay also offer some of the best backcountry hiking, guided and unguided kayaking, and beach combing any where in the world. Not to be over looked is the Mt. Fairweather golf course that was recently featured in Golf Journal. Combine this vast scenery with sightings of eagles, bears, moose, seals, otters, and other wildlife, and it becomes a photographer’s paradise as well as yours and mine!

Gustavus has several lodges, inns and Bed and Breakfasts, to please all tastes and price ranges. To make your Alaska vacation the trip of a lifetime, we offer charter fishing boats, sail boat charters, Whale Watching charters, Glacier Bay Tours, guided and unguided kayak rentals, flight seeing tours, stores, shops and other amenities. Gustavus is accessible by Alaskan bush planes, the Auk-Nu Ferry and Alaskan Airlines.

Haines/Skagway, Alaska

Haines is renowned for its scenery, which includes Lynn Canal (North America’s longest and deepest fjord), adjacent mountain ranges, and numerous rivers, lakes and glaciers. Outdoor recreation is a principal attraction, as Haines shares a boundary with the world’s largest protected wilderness, including Glacier Bay National Park. Each October through December, the nearby Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve hosts the world’s largest gathering of Bald Eagles, when up to 4,000 of them congregate to feast on spawning salmon.

The highway loop connecting Haines and Skagway with Haines Junction and Whitehorse in the Yukon is one of the most spectacular drives in North America.

Outdoor recreation includes limitless opportunities for independent recreation and exploration, as well as a wide variety of organized excursions: guided wilderness expeditions (hiking, kayaking, rafting, canoeing), flightseeing, jetboating, and bird watching and wildlife viewing. Other sightseeing and touring options include van or bus tours of the city and area, horse- and llama-drawn carriages, walking tours, and cultural tours.

Juneau

Built on a relatively narrow shelf between towering Mt. Juneau and the deep waters of Gastineau Channel, Juneau is the Inside Passage’s largest city, Alaska’s state capital and a rewarding destination for glacier viewing.

Mendenhall Glacier is just 13 miles from downtown Juneau. Visitors can get close up views of its mighty face measuring 200 feet tall and 1.5 miles wide. Glacier Bay is 50 air miles to the west.

Juneau Icefield, a spectacular expanse of mountains and glaciation, is the source of all the glaciers in the area, including Mendenhall, Taku, Eagle, Herbert and 38 other glaciers within a 1,500-square-mile radius.

Eaglecrest Ski Resort is located on Douglas Island. The area offers snow at high elevations for excellent downhill and cross-country skiing, with views of Mendenhall Glacier, Juneau Icefield, Lynn Canal and Stephens Passage. Seasonal service, December - April.

St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church, built in 1894, is the oldest original Russian church in Southeast Alaska. Sunday services are open to the public.

NOTE: Although exceptions are usually made for visitors, Russian Orthodox services require the congregation to stand, and services may last over 2 hours.

There are 32 gold mines in the area, including the Alaska Juneau Mine.

Ketchikan, Alaska

Ketchikan is known as Alaska’s Native Cultural Center and Sportfishing Capital. The fourth largest city in Alaska, Ketchikan provides access for travelers headed to Prince of Wales Island, Metlakatla, Hyder, Wrangell, Petersburg and the spectacular Misty Fjords National Monument. Native art and culture flourish here due to the large population of Native Alaskans, represented by three indigenous tribes: the Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian. Ketchikan has the largest collection of totem poles in the world, and has been recognized as one of the top 100 arts communities in America. Visitors will find an outstanding variety of shops, galleries and boutiques throughout the town.

Sportfishing enthusiasts will be able to test their skill against five species of salmon, abundant bottom dwellers like halibut, cod and snapper and a variety of freshwater trout. Camping, hiking, wildlife viewing, boating and other outdoor activities are readily available.

Sitka, Alaska

Sitka is situated on Baranof Island, protected by a myriad of small islands and Cape Edgecumbe. A dormant volcano, Mount Edgecumbe, rises 3,200 feet above the community. Sitka was once the capital of Russian-America and Russian influences permeate the area to this day.

St. Michael’s Cathedral is the picturesque focal point of Sitka, topped by magnificent copper domes and accented by gold crosses. It was the first Russian church built in America (1844-48), known as the Mother Cathedral for Orthodoxy.

At Sitka National Historical Park (Totem Park), visitors can recapture Sitka’s Native and Russian history and see a collection of totem poles, a fort site and the battleground of 1804. Also, it is home to the Southeast Alaska Indian Cultural Center where visitors can watch and talk to Native artisans.