Ketchikan Rainforest Sanctuary and Totem Park
Badge of Excellence
Ketchikan, USA
- 2 hours 45 minutes (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Overview
Explore the dramatic wilderness of the Alaska Rainforest Sanctuary and learn about the local ecosystem and the wildlife it supports on this small-group tour. Walk through a beautiful mountain forest, home to bears, bald eagles, and deer. Learn about the dynamic nature and abundant wildlife of a scenic marine estuary and gain first-hand insight that you won’t find in guidebooks.
- Learn about the Alaska Rainforest Sanctuary from a naturalist guide
- Choose from a range of start times to suit your schedule
- Round-trip transportation from Ketchikan adds convenience
- Small group sizes ensure personal attention from your guide
What's Included
- Naturalist guide
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- Gratuities
- Food and drink
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting points
Select a meeting point
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Itinerary
After pickup at your hotel and a brief drive, meet your naturalist guide at Ketchikan Port for this walking tour covering the diverse wildlife of Alaska. Observe the bustling port, where fishermen cruise in and out throughout the day, and then it’s off to the woods with your guide. Learn from the guide about the beautiful cedar, hemlock and spruce trees, as well as the thick carpet of moss and wildflowers, as you amble through the dense forest.
See a protected estuary and follow Eagle Creek to a rustic boardwalk with a view of wetlands. During spawning season, thousands of salmon return to this spot, and lots of wildlife supported by the salmon population return here too. Bears, seals and bald eagles frequent the area during that time, as well as many other times of the year, so keep a keen eye out for them and have your camera ready. Listen as your guide explains the nuances of this fragile ecosystem and the diverse wildlife that depend on it.
When you reach the end of the half-mile trail, you’ll have the option to visit the Alaska Raptor Center, your chance to get up close and personal with the local wildlife. To conclude the informative, scenic hike, stop at the historic Herring Bay Lumber Company sawmill. See a master totem pole carver in action, explore the interpretive displays and relax with a snack before being taken back to your hotel.
See a protected estuary and follow Eagle Creek to a rustic boardwalk with a view of wetlands. During spawning season, thousands of salmon return to this spot, and lots of wildlife supported by the salmon population return here too. Bears, seals and bald eagles frequent the area during that time, as well as many other times of the year, so keep a keen eye out for them and have your camera ready. Listen as your guide explains the nuances of this fragile ecosystem and the diverse wildlife that depend on it.
When you reach the end of the half-mile trail, you’ll have the option to visit the Alaska Raptor Center, your chance to get up close and personal with the local wildlife. To conclude the informative, scenic hike, stop at the historic Herring Bay Lumber Company sawmill. See a master totem pole carver in action, explore the interpretive displays and relax with a snack before being taken back to your hotel.
1
Alaska Rainforest Sanctuary
2 hours • Admission Ticket Included
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Wheelchair accessible
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
- Stroller accessible
- Surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 14 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Wendy_R
We had an amazing tour with Nora who was very knowledgeable, friendly and you could tell had a passion for the area. Lots of information regarding the plants and animals that inhabit the rainforest, highly recommend for anyone with a passion for the outdoors and nature. Banana slugs were awesome. On top of all of that, we were lucky enough to see bears at the salmon hatchery! Definitely a highlight of our entire Alaskan trip. The totem pole park showed great insight into the cultural significance of the area and how important the indigenous are in Alaska.
Reviews
4.5
based on 124 reviews
Wendy_R, Sep 2025
We had an amazing tour with Nora who was very knowledgeable, friendly and you could tell had a passion for the area. Lots of information regarding the plants and animals that inhabit the rainforest, highly recommend for anyone with a passion for the outdoors and nature. Banana slugs were awesome. On top of all of that, we were lucky enough to see bears at the salmon hatchery! Definitely a highlight of our entire Alaskan trip. The totem pole park showed great insight into the cultural significance of the area and how important the indigenous are in Alaska.
famoclay, Aug 2025
Easy hike on a flat path. Lots of wildlife. We saw a black bear, salmon, etc. The guide included information on the forest and lots of vegetation.
Caralun_A, Aug 2025
The guide Taylor was very informative . We loved the tour even when we got rained on. Would definitely go on it again.
Denise_D, Jul 2025
This was a nice walk through the forest. Stephanie did a great job of explaining various plants, trees and eco system. Saw several young eagles, fish and 3 black bears (although one may have been the same one twice)
Denelle_U, Jul 2025
Nice walk through the forest with our guide, Ella, telling us about the plants and other information about the forest. We also saw a fish hatchery and totem pole carving. We saw many eagles waiting to catch fish in the river. We were very lucky that we also saw a momma bear and her 2 cubs. So amazing!
Marsha_C, Jun 2025
Ella was an enthusiastic guide with so much interesting information to share! We had great weather and learned so much! Highly recommend!
Angela_D, May 2025
I'm so glad I booked this tour. It was something different to do than the usual shopping/walking around town while in port, and I feel like we got to see a totally different side of Ketchikan. Will was a great tour guide and you could see how passionate he was about teaching us about the rainforest. We had a really great time and I 100% recommend!
Karina_G, Sep 2024
Our walk through the rainforest was absolutely amazing. Our guide Shannon was so knowledgeable about the plants and animals, and was super friendly and great at answering our questions. She made the tour totally worth it! We were able to see a black bear, banana slug, seals, salmon, & so many diverse plants. My only complaint is that the title of this tour says “Totem Park” which I feel is a little misleading. We did see a very interesting sawmill with one totem pole being carved but it definitely wasn’t a “park” of totem poles as one would imagine so having that in the title of the excursion felt a little like click bait. I would still 10/10 recommend this tour. All staff were so friendly & knowledgeable. We loved Shannon & our driver Timothy!
Ami_D, Sep 2024
It was really amazing to see bears catching salmon right out of the river. We learned so much about the plants and animals in the area. Our guide was very knowledgeable.
Vanessa_W, Aug 2024
Tour guides were great! Loved the location and information. Well organized tour. We saw lots of eagles. Totem poles were beautiful.
Arka_S, Aug 2024
Very pleasurable and informative walk through the rain forest, got to see a bear catching a fish from the estuary just when we were there and that was awesome.
Colleen_B, Jul 2024
My husband, myself and our 10yr old son thoroughly enjoyed this activity. Our guide Justin was excellent. He was extremely knowledgeable and personable. He explained things in a way that was entertaining and engaging. All three of us had a great time and learned so much! The rainforest was stunning and we saw quite a few creatures as well. I would absolutely recommend this activity to people interested in learning more about the Tongass Rainforest. Thank you Viator, Kawanti Adventures and Justin!!
Dennis_L, Jun 2019
This was a great tour. They picked us up at the docking port of our ship. A very short drive to the Sanctuary where we were met by our tour guide. She was very knowledgeable and a great guide. She was able to answer all our questions. It was a leisurely 90 minute walk through the rain forest.
Nancy_S, Aug 2018
While we enjoyed our guide and found him knowledgeable, we were disappointed to see no bears, otters, moose, etc. A banana slug, two ravens, and a harbor seal were not worth the cost of this trip. There ought to be a more realistic prediction of when one might be likely to see bears. The promise of seeing them was the only reason we took this trip.
Sharon R, Aug 2018
I was under the impression that I'd be seeing actual wildlife. We did see banana slugs, and a couple of eagles. But no otters, moose, or bears. We did see injured hawks and eagles that were being cared for. But overall, this tour was a disappointment.
Emanuel_G, Jul 2016
Very informative, not too long we did it with two kids under 3 and it was raining, beautiful scenery, lovely. bring rain boots, rain coats, warm clothes
Yuki M, Jul 2016
The tour guide was very informative and was quite interesting. I have never seen so many eagles so close in my life. The area is somewhat small and is not very wild though. It is like walking in a well-maintained arboretum or a small forest preserve. The transportation to downtown area from the sanctuary is a little bit of a problem. We had to ask around and verify when we will be picked up. Still we needed to wait around half an hour or more after the tour.
Brooks K, Jun 2016
It was a great time. Easy walk and very informative. We even saw a bear.
fpbrazil, Dec 2015
It was nice - it would be nice if we could see more of the forest. The sanctuary tour was very short - but we enjoyed it.
vsamuel7608, Dec 2015
It was absolutley wonderful, our guide Summer was amazing, we saw bears, eagles, otters, heron, banana slugs and so much more. There was a totem pole being worked on while we were there which was great to see and talk with the craftsman. Would definately repeat this tour - I love nature and all it has to offer.
Marilyn G, Jul 2015
This was a really great excursion. We were collected from the meeting place and taken out to the Sanctuary, where we ended up with our own personal guide! He was extremely knowledgeable and observant and greatly added to the experience. We saw 3 bears wonderful!, countless bald eagles and all sorts of wildlife. My grievance about Viator trips is that the onus is on you, the customer, to contact the local company actually doing the trip to confirm that you will be going. If you only have a bog-standard mobile which does not work in the country where you are and you happen to be out in the back of beyond in Alsaka, it is EXTREMELY difficult and stressful to do this. Had I not been shown kindness by a member of staff at the first point of call, I would not have been able to confirm. There was only an answerphone available so I had to wait until I got to Juneau, where another holiday maker leant me his mobile. If you pay a lot of money, you should not have to confirm your ownarrangements!!
From $112.75
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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Ketchikan Rainforest Sanctuary and Totem Park
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