The Alaska Coastal
Wildlife Viewing Trail

Inside Passage Segment

From the bears of Hyder to the bald eagles of Haines, the whales of Frederick Sound to the birds of the Stikine River, the Inside Passage Segment of the Alaska Coastal Wildlife Viewing Trail highlights approximately 75 wildlife viewing sites in and near the communities of Gustavus, Haines, Juneau, Ketchikan, Petersburg, Prince of Wales Island, Sitka, Skagway and Wrangell. Each community has a wildlife viewing guide, available in print form by contacting their local visitor's bureau, or downloadable from this website by clicking on the communities listed below. These guides provide the information you need to enjoy the wildlife watching opportunities offered in each community, as you plan your extended wildlife viewing adventure in Alaska's Inside Passage.

Wildlife viewing trails in other states are connected via road systems. The communities along the Alaska Coastal Wildlife Viewing Trail, however, are linked by the ferries of Alaska's Marine Highway, designated an "All-American Road" by the U.S. Department of Transportation in 2005. The marine highway provides additional chances to see wildlife, and a book, Alaska's Inside Passage Wildlife Watching Guide, contains information and tips for watching wildlife along the inland waterways of Southeast Alaska. For more information about this publication or to request a copy, contact the Division of Wildlife Conservation at (907) 465-4190 or email dfg.dwc.hq-info@alaska.gov.

Inside Passage Communities:

Click on each the community name's listed below to download a pdf version of the community's wildlife viewing guide. You will need the free Adobe Reader to view these guides.

Gustavus: Gateway to Glacier Bay

Highlights: Tour boat and kayak trips into Glacier Bay National Park; Sandhill Crane and moose viewing at the Dude Creek Wildlife Refuge

Haines: The Northwest Passage to Southeast Alaska

Highlights: The largest concentration of bald eagles in the world on the Chilkat River; Brown bear viewing at the Chilkoot River

Juneau: A "Capital" Wildlife Viewing Experience

Highlights: Migratory birds at the Mendenhall Wetlands; Bear viewing at nearby Admiralty Island

Ketchikan: Gateway to Wildlife Viewing

Highlights: Brown bear viewing near Hyder; Wildlife viewing and impressive scenery in Misty Fjords National Monument

Petersburg: A "Whale" of a Place for Wildlife Viewing

Highlights: Whale watching in Fredrick Sound; Harbor seal and tidewater glacier viewing in Leconte Bay

Prince of Wales Island: A Different Kind of Southeast Alaska

Highlights: Marine mammal viewing from Sandy Beach road, on the waters near Craig or from Memorial beach; Watching for black bears and Sitka black-tailed deer on Southeast Alaska's largest island

Sitka: The Outside Edge of the Inside Passage

Highlights: Hundreds of thousands of nesting seabirds on St. Lazaria Island; Marine mammal viewing in Sitka Sound

Skagway: There's More Than Gold in Them Thar' Hills

Highlights include: Bear viewing in Dyea; Looking for mountain goats along the Klondike Highway

Wrangell: Bears, Birds and a Whole Lot More

Highlights: Brown and black bear viewing at Anan Wildlife Observatory; Tens of thousands of eagles, snow geese and shorebirds at the Stikine river each spring

The Prince William Sound and Southwestern segments of the Alaska Coastal Wildlife Viewing Trail will be launched in upcoming years.