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50 Years Later, Ketchikan Still

Leaves a Lasting Impression

Back in 1976, a group of people came
together to form the Ketchikan Visitors Bureau
with a simple goal to help travelers discover
everything that makes this coastal Alaska
community special.
At the time, travel to Alaska looked very
different from what it does today. Visitors
arrived with cameras loaded with film, maps
folded into backpacks, and recommendations
passed along from friends who had “been
there once.” People came searching for
towering forests, salmon-filled waters, and
the feeling of reaching a place far removed
from everyday life.
Fifty years later, a lot has changed.
Travelers now arrive with smartphones, digital
itineraries, and restaurant reservations already
saved on their phones. Visitors can research
hiking trails, compare tour options, and plan
every detail before they ever set foot in Alaska.
But even with all those changes, many
of the things that draw people to Ketchikan
remain remarkably familiar.
Rainy days still send visitors ducking into
cafés, galleries, bookstores, and local shops came primarily for fishing, sightseeing, and arrive.
along the downtown waterfront. Eagles still historic downtown strolls. Today, the range of Welcoming people has always been part of
perch near the shoreline while fishing boats experiences has grown dramatically. life. Sometimes it comes from a conversation
come and go and floatplanes pass overhead. Travelers can spend the day kayaking on a trail. Sometimes it’s a recommendation
Visitors still stop to watch salmon fight their along quiet shorelines, hiking rainforest trails, from a dock representative or visitor center
way upstream or catch their first glimpse of flightseeing above Misty Fjords, or learning team member downtown. Sometimes it’s
Misty Fjords. about the rich cultures and traditions of simply the feeling of visiting a place where
Some parts of Ketchikan still feel exactly the Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian peoples. people are genuinely glad you came.
the way visitors hoped Alaska would. Part of Visitors explore museums and galleries, Over the last 50 years, the Ketchikan Visitors
that comes from the setting itself. Ketchikan browse locally owned shops, and enjoy fresh Bureau has grown alongside the changing
sits surrounded by rainforest, mountains, and seafood while overlooking harbors still deeply travel industry while continuing to share the
ocean, where the weather often becomes part connected to the commercial fishing industry experiences, businesses, and people that
of the experience rather than an interruption. that helped shape the community. make this community special. The way people
Rain has a way of slowing people down here. Even with those changes, Ketchikan has plan trips may look very different today than
Visitors wander downtown with coffee cups managed to hold onto something many it did in 1976, but the reasons visitors connect
in hand, step into galleries during passing destinations struggle to preserve: authenticity. with Ketchikan have remained surprisingly
showers, or stop along Creek Street to admire Today’s visitors are looking for experiences familiar.
shops on the boardwalks. that feel genuine. They want to meet locals, Visitors still leave with stories about wildlife
The scenery may be dramatic, but it’s often hear stories, taste regional flavors, and sightings, rainy adventures, incredible scenery,
the smaller moments people remember most. better understand the places they visit. memorable meals, and conversations with
A bald eagle sitting on a harbor piling. Ketchikan has naturally grown into that kind of locals who helped make the trip feel personal.
A floatplane taking off through low clouds. destination, not because it tried to create an And for many travelers, that lasting impression
Watching fishermen unload their catch while image of Alaska, but because it has remained is exactly what brings them back.
sea lions bark nearby. Finding a locally made connected to what already made it unique.
piece of art that somehow perfectly fits in your Local artists welcome guests into galleries
suitcase. and studios. Guides share knowledge of the
Ketchikan has always offered visitors a
chance to experience Alaska in ways that land and waterways passed down through
generations. Restaurants serve fresh seafood
feel both adventurous and approachable. overlooking working harbors filled with fishing
In the earlier years of tourism, visitors often
boats, wildlife, and floatplanes. Visitors can
spend the morning hiking rainforest trails
and the evening listening to live music or
wandering through downtown shops.
And while visitor experiences have
expanded over the years, the sense of
community remains one of the things that
leaves the strongest impression.
Ketchikan still has the kind of small-town
atmosphere where people recognize familiar
faces downtown and take time to point
visitors in the right direction. Longtime fishing
families, artists, tour operators, hospitality
workers, and local businesses all contribute
to the experience travelers have when they
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