Wrangell Alaska Guide: The Underrated Southeast Town
The Town Cruise Ships Skip
Wrangell sits on Wrangell Island at the northern end of the Wrangell Narrows, and it receives a fraction of the cruise traffic that floods Juneau, Ketchikan, and Skagway each summer. That's the whole point. About 2,000 people live here year-round, the economy still runs on fishing and timber, and visitors who show up independently tend to have a better time precisely because the town isn't organized around them.
Petroglyph Beach State Historic Site
About a mile north of downtown, Petroglyph Beach is one of the most unusual free sites in Southeast Alaska. Roughly 40 ancient petroglyphs — faces, spirals, and animal figures — are carved into boulders along the shoreline, some dating back more than 8,000 years. You can walk among them at low tide. The state historic site has replicas at the top of the stairs for rubbing so visitors don't damage the originals, but the originals are right there on the beach. Come at low tide for full access. No fee, no guided tour required.
Chief Shakes Island
Chief Shakes Island is a tiny island in the boat harbor connected to shore by a footbridge. It holds a replica clan house and a collection of totem poles honoring the Shakes lineage of the Tlingit Shtax'héen Kwáan. The clan house can be opened for tours when the Wrangell Cooperative Association has staff on-site; call ahead if the interior tour matters to you. The setting — surrounded by the working boat harbor with mountains behind — is excellent. This is genuinely one of the best free totem sites in Alaska, and it sees a tiny fraction of the visitors that Ketchikan's sites attract.
Anan Wildlife Observatory
Thirty miles southeast of Wrangell by boat, Anan Creek is one of the most productive bear-viewing sites in Alaska. Black bears and brown bears fish for pink salmon in late July and August from an elevated observatory platform. This is the real thing — wild bears, not a feeding station. The USFS requires a permit (book via recreation.gov early; peak-season spots fill months ahead), and most visitors go via guided boat charter from Wrangell. Charters run roughly $250-350 per person for a day trip. For serious wildlife photography, it's worth every dollar.
The Stikine River
The Stikine River drains a massive wilderness area in northern British Columbia and empties into Frederick Sound near Wrangell. It's one of the fastest free-flowing rivers in North America and a major spring gathering point for shorebirds — up to 1.5 million birds stop on the Stikine Delta during peak migration. Jet boat tours upriver are available from Wrangell and reach the Shakes Glaciers area, a stunning side canyon with two active glaciers. Sunrise Aviation and several local operators run Stikine tours; jet boat trips start around $150 per person. The river delta is also where trumpeter swans winter in large numbers.
Nemo Point and Rainbow Falls
Most of Wrangell's road system is accessible to any vehicle. Rainbow Falls Trail, off Zimovia Highway south of town, climbs through old-growth Sitka spruce to a 100-foot waterfall in about 0.7 miles — short, steep, and worth it. The trail continues past the falls to the Institute Creek ridge, a longer hike with views back over the narrows. Nemo Point, further south on Zimovia Highway, is a quiet picnic and beach access point that sees almost no visitors.
Where to Stay and Eat
- Stikine Inn — The main hotel in town, on the waterfront. Views of the harbor and working fleet. Restaurant on-site.
- Rooney's Roost B&B — Small, locally owned, in an older home near downtown.
- Wrangell's café and restaurant scene is limited. The Wrangell Burger (a local institution at a couple of different spots in town) is the go-to casual meal. Stock up at the grocery store if you're staying more than a night.
Getting Here
Alaska Airlines flies to Wrangell from Ketchikan and Juneau on small aircraft. The Alaska Marine Highway ferry stops here on the mainline route; the trip between Ketchikan and Wrangell takes about 6 hours. There's no bridge to the mainland — you arrive by air or water, and that's the entire point.
Wrangell Alaska Guide: The Underrated Southeast Town
Looking for things to do in Southeast? Browse upcoming Southeast events →