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| There are plenty of “things to do” when you hang around Petersburg, Alaska. Our small Alaskan town offers exciting recreational, cultural, and educational experiences as well as memorable adventures for your family or group vacation.
Visitors to Petersburg enjoy whale watching, wildlife viewing including Alaska brown and black bears, eagles, deer, moose, mountain goats, waterfowl, and shore birds, beachcombing for treasures or seashells, salmon fishing, photography, cannery tours, museum, hiking, kayaking, and more...... |
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- Wildlife Viewing
- Whale Watching
- Viewing Alaska Bald Eagles
- Fishing
- Explore Mitkof Island
- Hiking, Cabins, and Camping
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| | | | Wildlife Viewing |
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Here, visitors may see black and brown bears, bald eagles,and sea lions. Anan is accessible only by floatplane or boat. It features a 1/2 mile long boardwalk and observation platform with a covered shelter.
The Forest Service built an observatory at the falls so that people may view feeding bears in relative safety and comfort. The observatory is accessed by a scenic boardwalk trail that begins at the mouth of Anan Lagoon. It is a moderately easy half mile hike along the shores of the lagoon and creek to the observatory. This hike does require climbing over rocks near the beach.
Black bears are the main wildlife attraction at Anan. Black bears use the entire Anan drainage, but are most commonly seen at the falls near the observatory where they tend to congregate due to the large number of salmon. During the salmon run, from late June to late August, visitors may also see brown bears, bald eagles, several species of gulls, and harbor seals in the area.
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| Whale Watching |
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| Humpback whales are the main attraction, but the other marine mammals and sea birds add to the enchantment of the area. Humpback whales are present in the area year-round, with the best viewing opportunities during July and August. The whales move into the area from the open ocean and are more frequently observed in the westernmost portions of the viewing area earlier in the summer. By mid to late summer, the distribution is determined more by food abundance than by the time of the season. In general, humpback whales are present along the north Kupreanof Island shore during periods of large tidal range, and in lower Stephens Passage when the tides are smaller.
Most Orcas observed in this area are part of a resident Southeast Alaska population and are present year-round. Dall’s porpoise are present in large numbers only during the summer months. Orcas and Dall’s porpoise range freely throughout the area pursuing food and do not follow a predictable pattern.
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| Viewing Alaska Bald Eagles |
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When you first move to Alaska, most relatives and friends promise to visit since you have now provided an opportunity for them to experience their dream of going north to Alaska, the land of salmon, bears and eagles. Cathy, our family’s outdoor adventurer, first visited us in Petersburg in 1994. While planning her first Alaska adventure she would call us with questions, one of which was would she be able to photograph bald eagles? Chuckling, we told her not to worry because Petersburg has bald eagles. Cathy is somewhat a quiet reserved person, but when she arrived in Petersburg and observed all the eagles perched in the trees around our home, she couldn’t contain her excitement and shot many rolls of film in her quest for the perfect bald eagle picture. Soon, she relaxed and began to enjoy viewing the eagles during their graceful flights in the sky over Petersburg.
For many years in the Continental United States, the number of bald eagles declined rapidly due to habitat loss, illegal shooting, pesticides, and poisoning. The population numbers dropped so low, that the federal government listed them as a species in danger of extinction. When the bald eagle decline threatened their existence in the lower forty-eight, the numbers remained strong in Alaska, including Petersburg. The estimated bald eagle population in Alaska is 35,000 birds, which is about half of the entire world population.
In Petersburg Alaska, the bald eagle population fluctuates with the season since they follow food supplies. A few eagles winter in or around Petersburg, but most migrate to areas where the food supply (fish) is higher. About the first of April, a few eagles are seen at Eagles Roost Park. The park is a block from the Trading Union, a grocery, clothing, and hardware store located downtown and adjacent to the Petersburg Fisheries Incorporated (PFI) processing plant. The bald eagles return to Petersburg in anticipation of herring fish scraps washed from the docks of PFI. |
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| Fishing |
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| Each spring young anglers head down to the docks in Petersburg, Alaska with fishing poles, buckets and life jackets. This is not a rendition of Tom Sawyer or Huck Finn, but a fun way to spend a few recreational fishing hours.
Dock fishing in Petersburg is better than floating down the Mississippi on a raft with Tom Sawyer. Petersburg’s harbor is a large network of docks that support a large commercial fishing fleet, charter boats, yachts, Alaska ferry, cruise ships, and family boats. Each of the docks has a different character.
The North Harbor is the original dock facility in Petersburg. It is right downtown and easily accessed by a ramp next to the Harbor Masters office. The docks are located between two canneries where scraps of fish fall into the water. This is good for the fish and good for the anglers since there is a lot of food for fish in the water near the canneries. On sunny days, parents bring their youngest anglers here to fish. The Harbormaster’s Office loans life preservers to keep the smaller anglers safe. Usually one parent or older sibling takes the younger anglers fishing while the other members of the family shop downtown. The North Harbor is a fun place to fish because there is so much activity with the canneries, visiting boats, and so many older boats. |
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| Explore Mitkof Island |
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| Take your own vehicle, or rent one, and journey out the road to experience the largest temperate rainforest in the world. See stands of virgin old-growth and vigorously growing 50 year old stands of Sitka spruce and western hemlock. Visit Blind River Rapids fishing area, hike the Ohmer Creek Trail and walk the beaches of Sumner Strait. Explore the muskegs. These are only a few of the adventures you can have on the Mitkof Island roads. |
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| Hiking, Cabins, and Camping |
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| There are hiking trails both in town and out-the-road. Some are wheelchair friendly, while others are single plank boards crossing the muskegs and only good for the nimble and fit. The area surrounding Petersburg is dotted with 20 Forest Service Recreation Cabins which are available for rent for a reasonable fee. While most require either water or air access, the nearby Raven's Roost Cabin is accessible from town if you are up to a steep and arduous 4 miles of muddy hiking. | |
Save time, money and stress! For reservations: Fill out the vacation planner to be contacted by a Petersburg vacation specialist.
Contact : Travelwizard.com
Phone: 1-800-330-8820 or 1-415-446-5252
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