Marine Highway Route
select a community to start planning your trip
Start in Bellingham, Washington, or Prince Rupert, BC, for your journey north. The Alaska Marine Highway travels 3,500 miles (5,633 km) of scenic coastal waterways and visits 30 different communities. Visit www.FerryAlaska.com for more information.
Via Alaska Marine Highway
A delightful array of marine wildlife and stunning natural displays await you on this journey.
Ketchikan, Alaska
Ketchikan is a bustling waterfront town with a population of more than 14,000 and a thriving fishing and tourism industry. You will want to explore the famous "Red Light District" which is now home to many art galleries, gift shops and coffee houses. A floatplane trip to the Native community of Metlakatla is another nice diversion, or visit Saxman Native Village just 2.5 miles (4 km) down the South Tongass Highway. You can enjoy daily dance performances given by local Tlingit Natives, or stop by the carving house and watch totem carvers at work. For another great adventure, take the ferry system to Prince of Wales Island and check out the numerous small coastal villages, enjoying activities such as scuba diving or spelunking at El Capitan Cave, just north of Whale Pass off North Prince of Wales Road.
Wrangell, Alaska
Wrangell's claim to fame is that of being the only town to have flown both Russian and British flags before becoming a U.S. territory. Take a tour and see bears at the Anan Wildlife Observatory, or enjoy a charter to catch a bird’s-eye view of LeConte or Shakes Glaciers. Shakes Island is home to a real Tlingit clan house and hand-carved totem poles, and Petroglyph Beach has a hidden cache of ancient rock carvings.
Petersburg, Alaska
Also called "Little Norway," Petersburg is in the Tongass National Forest at the north end of the Wrangell Narrows. Take a kayak tour to some of the secluded vistas of the Tongass National Forest, including glaciers and wildlife areas. If you happen to be there during May, you will be able to partake in the annual Norwegian Festival, celebrating Norway's Independence Day.
SIDE TRIPS
We’d like to offer you the option to explore different combinations of your waterway adventure. These are just a few side trip ideas that you might find interesting, as you enjoy your Marine Highway adventure on your journey north:
Valdez/Whittier/Seward to Within Alaska Route
Another great option is disembarking at one of these ports and driving the rest of the All Alaska Route. With well-maintained roads and stunning scenery, the north country has many facets to explore, and a ferry trip combined with a drive around Alaska is a great way to do so.
Vancouver/Prince Rupert or Hyder
Make your journey a water-and-land combination. Take the ferry from Vancouver Island to Prince Rupert. You can then drive the Stewart-Cassiar Highway and venture north to Dease Lake through Watson Lake and on to Whitehorse while enjoying the awe-inspiring landscapes.
