Things to do in

Tongass National Forest

Meet your guide at the cruise ship docks to start off this adventure. Hop in the van and listen to live commentary while driving through Juneau into the Tongass National Forest, the largest National Forest in the United States.  Once at the lake you'll have a meet and greet with the second guide who helps you put on the gear. You receive a rain jacket, rain pants, and rain boots. Along with everything needed to stay safe, including but not limited to paddling gloves, life jackets, helmets, trekking poles, and dry bags.  Your guides go over safety and paddling instructions before stepping into the canoe. This journey across the lake is a team effort, so it is not necessary to have paddling experience.  Mendenhall Lake is a glacier-fed lake that is surrounded by mountains and the famous Nugget Falls. The wind coming off the Mendenhall Glacier will officially welcome you to the Alaska wilderness.  Once the canoe is docked on the beach, there's time for a quick break before starting the hike to the glacier. During the hike, you can learn about the history of the area and listen to all the information your guides can share. Enjoy quiet moments to soak in the calmness of Alaska.  Once arriving on the rocky shore next to the glacier, follow your guides on an exploration trek around the rocky moraine to view the glacier up close.  The professional guides are in the wild every day and thrive on showing off what nature has to offer. One of the most unique aspects of the trip is that the glacial environment is in a constant state of movement and change, meaning no one tour is the same as the next. After your hike back to the canoes, be sure to soak in your last moments with the Mendenhall Glacier as the group paddles back to the shore.  Once arrived your guides will provide a hot beverage while you take off the gear. After a short drive back to the cruise ships, you will walk away with memories of Alaska that you will never forget.

Alaska Bigfoot Adventures is an experience for the Bigfoot enthusiast, environmentalist or the casually curious. ABA has prepared an exciting and informative back-woods wilderness adventure for you in the heartland of Alaska’s Rain Forest near the port of Ward Cove/Ketchikan. Meet your Alaskan tour guide and leave the civilized world behind as you join an intimate group of adventurers going into this lush forests setting. Read more about Alaska Bigfoot Adventures - https://www.viator.com/tours/Ketchikan/Alaska-Bigfoot-Advenutres/d942-333914P1?mcid=56757Start your tour at the cruise ship port and hop into a comfortable air-conditioned van for the first leg of your Alaskan adventure. Enjoy a brief tour of Ketchikan as you drive through the town en route to the ATV site. Then, travel by shared ATV as you make your way into the forest to reach the Alaskan wild woods base camp close to the trailhead. From here, your short hiking experience begins. Explore the moss-covered forest as you wander through prime bigfoot habitat. Learn about the area from your guide and stop to read informative kiosks placed along the trail to identify the abundant plant and animal species living here. Take a short break during your forest trek, to learn about the surrounding legend of the Bigfoot and enjoy a warming cup of hot chocolate or coffee served with a gourmet cookie. Keep an eye out for the sasquatch throughout your tour. And if you don't spot the real thing, don't worry, you'll still get the chance to capture a full-sized, motion-active replica of bigfoot. At the end of your experience, enjoy a comfortable return journey to the cruise ship port in Ketchikan by air-conditioned van. 

Take to the skies over the stunning Misty Fjords National Monument on a floatplane tour from Ketchikan. Admire the lakes, sheer cliffs, and waterfalls of Misty Fjords, a part of the Tongass National Forest covering more than 2 million acres (900,000 hectares) of alpine wilderness. Meet your pilot in Ketchikan and climb aboard your 6-passenger floatplane. During the flight, hear your pilot’s commentary and a musical soundtrack via your headset. Ascend over Tongass Narrows, a body of water located between Ketchikan and Gravina Island, and fly past Ketchikan. Take in the beauty of Tongass National Forest as you soar over Revillagigedo Island to Misty Fjords National Monument, about 40 miles/64 km east of town. Traveling through a low-hanging mist that gives the region its name, enjoy views of fjords, cliffs, and rock walls jutting out of the water. Witness waterfalls cascading down narrow granite passages, and dense forests of hemlock and sprucing cover the vertical slopes. Fly over Rudyard Bay, getting a fantastic vantage point of New Eddystone Rock, a remnant of early volcanic activity. Keep your eyes peeled for wildlife like wolves, bears, deer, and eagles, ending the adventure with a drop-off back in Ketchikan.

Get well off the beaten path and speed along muddy trails to the remote Lake Mahoney on this guided UTV tour. Follow off-road trails along the George Inlet Fjord and through the Tongass National Forest. Arrive back to basecamp where a delicious lunch awaits you! Start your adventure in downtown Ketchikan, where you will meet the guide and travel out to the White River base camp. Learn about the history of Ketchikan as you pass sites like the Ward Cove Pulp Mill. After a short UTV training session at base camp, gear up and head out onto the trails. Be prepared to get muddy as you tear along 5 miles of off-road paths, through a beautiful wilderness of fjordland and temperate rainforest. Reach the peaceful shores of Mahoney Lake, then head back to basecamp where a warm lunch awaits you. Enjoy a well-deserved meal and a hot drink looking out over the peaceful water, far away from tourist crowds.

Discover the beauty of the Tongass National Forest on 3.5-mile hike and uncover an array of natural features with a view of the receding Mendenhall Glacier on this guided hike. Enjoy pickup and drop-off from a meeting point in downtown Juneau or from major hotels in the Mendenhall Valley.  Hop aboard a comfortable and climate-controlled van for the transfer to the starting point of the hike. Begin with a hike through the Tongass National Forest, the largest temperate rainforest in the world. Walk through areas dominated by towering Sitka spruce and hemlock Trees. Stop along the way to refuel with a hearty and tasty snack pack. Watch as the wilderness trail becomes less defined as you follow your guide through the dense vegetation, around beaver ponds, and up rock scrambles. Emerge from the forest and approach the final ridge where the jagged face of the glacier bursts into view, and with its ice behind it. See crevasses filled with a deep blue color and an icefall at the toe of the glacier. Due to the glacier's state of constant change, not all features may be present. Hike back on the West Glacier Trail and transfer back to your meeting point.

Mountain trails through a harvested timber area offer the perfect venue for an off-road challenge. Learn about the history, culture, and economy of Ketchikan as you are transported first by motor coach to the rainforest wilderness and the Adventure Kart base camp. Listen to a safety briefing and gear up in preparation for your exciting, one-and-a-half-hour guided trek. The caravan of karts sets off to explore the remote backcountry along several miles of improved forest trail, with your guide in the lead ATV. Feel the rush of adrenaline at the start of your journey in a 2024 RZR 1000XP Ultimate that tests your ability to traverse through the wilderness. A comfortable pace is maintained as you thread your way around steep curves. The road climbs to reveal unparalleled views of the Tongass National Forest, Behm Canal and Alaska's fabled Inside Passage. You'll stop along the way to soak up the grandeur and beauty of this lush land. Drivers and passengers(18+) have the opportunity to switch positions for the return trip. Watch out for wildlife along the way -- eagles, deer or bears are frequently sighted. Notes: Two people per kart typically, if a family wants to go together, up to 4 can fit in a vehicle. Guests must be able to get in and out of karts without assistance. Karts are not recommended for anyone with neck or back problems or expectant mothers. This activity takes place in a rustic location. Wildlife sightings are likely but are not guaranteed. Tour conditions are affected by the weather and your drive may be muddy or dusty. Closed toed shoes and layered clothing are recommended. The weather can change quickly. Rain gear and a helmet are provided. The drive may be muddy or dusty.