Southeast Alaska: The Inside Passage

Destination Guide · Southeast Alaska

The Inside Passage from Puget Sound to Southeast Alaska is the longest protected coastal cruising route on the continent. From Seattle to Ketchikan, the first major Alaskan port, is roughly 600 miles — through the San Juan Islands, across the US-Canada border, up the BC coast through the Broughtons, and across Queen Charlotte Sound. The miles from Ketchikan north to Skagway add another 500, through a landscape that escalates continuously: the fjords get deeper, the glaciers get closer, the bears on the beach get larger. There are no roads connecting most of these communities. The water is the road.

This is not a cruise for the under-prepared. The tides run hard, the logs are real, the weather window is short, and help is far away in the wrong kind of emergency. But for a boat that is properly found and a crew that has done the work to get here, Southeast Alaska is the reason people build up to this level of passage-making.

Getting There: The Queen Charlotte Sound Crossing

Every boat heading north from Puget Sound eventually reaches Port Hardy on the north end of Vancouver Island, and from there faces the Queen Charlotte Sound crossing — roughly 40 miles of open Pacific before the route regains the shelter of the BC coast at Bella Bella. This is the one unavoidable open-water section of the Inside Passage, and it is the section that separates the casual summer cruiser from the committed one.

Queen Charlotte Sound is not inherently dangerous. On a settled morning in July with a 10-knot northwest breeze and 4-foot leftover swell, it is a pleasant sail. But it can build fast from the northwest — the Pacific fetch is unobstructed — and a 35-knot blow over a short period produces a short, steep, uncomfortable sea state that is disproportionately rough for its measured wind speed. The standard advice is to wait at Port Hardy for the right window, depart at first light, and be inside at Bella Bella before the afternoon wind fills in. Most cruisers wait one to three days for the right morning. That is not an excess of caution; it is correct judgment.

From Bella Bella north, the route proceeds through Milbanke Sound (another minor open section), up the Grenville Channel (an 45-mile fjord so narrow the charts show it like a river), and into Chatham Sound, where Ketchikan sits on the southern edge of Southeast Alaska's panhandle.

Ketchikan: The First Stop

Ketchikan averages 160 inches of rain a year. This is not a typo. It is the wettest city in the United States, and by the time you arrive from the south you will have already absorbed this fact, but being there confirms it. The rain is soft, often mist rather than downpour, and the town has adapted to it with a pragmatism that is very Alaskan — the Creek Street boardwalk runs above a salmon stream right through the middle of town, and the whole character of the place is built around the fact that weather is not a reason to stay inside.

Creek Street, built on pilings over Ketchikan Creek, is the historic district and the main tourist destination — former red-light district, now gift shops and galleries, with a fish ladder beneath the boardwalk where you can watch salmon push upstream in late summer. The Thomas Basin and Bar Harbor marinas are the working facilities. Fuel is available. Provisioning is adequate but not exceptional — the grocery stores are small and the prices are Alaskan, meaning significantly higher than the lower 48.

Clear US customs here if you haven't already; Ketchikan is the formal entry point for Alaska from the Canadian route.

Petersburg and Wrangell

Wrangell, north of Ketchikan, is one of the older Southeast communities — it has been under three flags — and it remains a genuine fishing town more than a tourist destination. The anchorage is workable, the public dock is functional, and there is enough provisioning for a reload. The Anan Wildlife Observatory, a short boat ride away, is one of the better bear-viewing sites on the coast in late summer when the pink salmon run.

Petersburg, known locally as "Little Norway" for its Norwegian fishing heritage, is worth a stay beyond the fuel stop. The Sons of Norway Hall sits on the main street, the halibut is fresh off the boats, and the town has the feel of a community that is fishing for a living rather than selling fishing as an experience. The fuel prices at Petersburg are historically among the best in Southeast Alaska — top up here. The marina is well-protected and the harbor staff are helpful and competent.

Sitka and the Open Pacific

Sitka is the anomaly of the Inside Passage — it sits on the Pacific-exposed west coast of Baranof Island, not in a protected fjord. The approach from the inside requires transiting Peril Strait (narrow, tidal, requires slack water timing) or rounding the south end of Baranof Island in open water. Once there, Sitka is one of the most historically significant places in Alaska: the site of the 1804 battle between the Tlingit people and the Russian-American Company, and later the location where the Alaska Purchase transfer ceremony was held in 1867.

The Sitka Sound anchorage and marinas are fully exposed to the west. A sustained southwesterly push means chop in the harbor. The provisioning is good by Southeast Alaska standards, the Raptor Center (rehabilitating eagles, owls, and other birds of prey) is worth the walk, and the Castle Hill — the original site of the Russian fort — has commanding views of the sound. If the Pacific swell is up, plan accordingly for departure timing.

Juneau: The Unreachable Capital

Juneau is the state capital of Alaska and can be reached only by sea or air. There are no roads connecting it to the rest of the road system. For a boat coming up the Inside Passage, the approach up Stephens Passage and into Gastineau Channel is scenic and direct. The capital city of 32,000 has the best provisioning in Southeast Alaska by a significant margin — a full-size grocery store, a Costco (rare at this latitude and priced accordingly), several chandleries, and marinas that can handle vessels of serious size.

The Mendenhall Glacier is a short bus ride from downtown — one of the most accessible glaciers in Alaska, and receding visibly decade by decade. The tramway to the top of Mount Roberts provides the elevated view of the channel system that explains the geography better than any chart. Fuel at Aurora Harbor or Douglas Marina. The Douglas Island anchorage across the channel from Juneau is less exposed than the city marinas and worth the short dinghy commute to town.

Glacier Bay: The Permit System

Glacier Bay National Park requires a permit for private vessels, and the permits are genuinely limited — roughly 25 boats per day enter the bay during peak season (June through August). You apply for permits through the National Park Service; the application opens in February for the following summer, and the popular dates fill. If you intend to go to Glacier Bay, and you should, do not leave this to the last minute.

Upon entry, a park ranger meets incoming vessels at the ranger station near the mouth of the bay and conducts a mandatory orientation. The orientation covers the protocol for approaching tidewater glaciers: a 0.25-mile minimum approach distance for the active glaciers, no approach from the sides (ice calves from the face), awareness of "shooters" — underwater chunks of ice that calve from below and surface without warning. The ranger takes this seriously, and so should you.

Calving is the defining experience of Glacier Bay. When a section of the glacier face breaks free — anything from a refrigerator-sized block to a multi-story slab — it hits the water and produces a wave that radiates outward at speed. The boats that get into trouble are the ones that crept inside the boundary, or anchored too close to the face. Maintain the required distance, keep the anchor clear for quick departure, and watch the face continuously when you are in the bay.

Wildlife: What You Will Actually See

Southeast Alaska is one of the few places in the world where humpback whale bubble-net feeding is a regular occurrence. A group of humpbacks coordinates to drive a school of herring toward the surface, circling below and releasing a spiraling curtain of bubbles that concentrates the fish. The whales then surface simultaneously through the center of the bubble net with their mouths open. If you see this once, you will build your route around seeing it again. The feeding is most common in areas of concentrated herring — Frederick Sound, Lynn Canal, and the waters around Point Adolphus at the entrance to Glacier Bay.

Brown bears on the beach are a genuine daily occurrence in the right areas — pulling sedge grass in the spring, turning rocks for invertebrates, and congregating at salmon streams from July onward. Orcas, both resident fish-eaters and transient mammal-hunters, are regular. Sea otters wrap themselves in kelp beds and look at the boat with the calm confidence of an animal that has nothing to fear. Steller sea lions haul out on rocks in groups that number in the hundreds and smell accordingly.

Conditions: The Practical Reality

The tide range in Southeast Alaska exceeds 20 feet in Lynn Canal, the long fjord that runs north to Skagway. This creates currents that are not on the chart in any specific way — the interactions between the tidal flow, the wind, and the topography of the inlets produce conditions that must be managed with current tables, local knowledge, and a willingness to wait. Log hazards are real and substantial: the forests that drain into these waters produce deadheads — waterlogged logs floating vertically just at the surface — that are invisible on radar and essentially impossible to see in low light or chop. Night passages in Southeast Alaska require double watches and a justified concern for what is in the water.

The rain is manageable but relentless. Good foul-weather gear for every crew member is not optional. A dodger and a bimini keep the cockpit habitable. Below decks, moisture management — ventilation, dehumidification, dry storage — determines whether the boat stays pleasant or develops the mildew that Alaska can generate in remarkable volume.

Provisioning and Fuel

Juneau is the best provisioning stop in Southeast Alaska by a wide margin. Top up the food stores here, because the communities north of Juneau — Haines, Skagway — are small and the stores reflect that. Petersburg has the best fuel prices in the region historically, though prices across Southeast Alaska are high relative to the lower 48. Carry a reserve.

Propane is available in Juneau and Ketchikan; confirm availability in smaller ports before you depend on it. Fresh water is abundant — rainfall collection is a legitimate supplemental strategy if you have a clean catchment surface. Diesel at the fuel docks in Ketchikan, Petersburg, Sitka, and Juneau; less certain north of there.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How far is Seattle from Ketchikan and what is the route? From Seattle to Ketchikan, the first major Alaskan port, is roughly 600 miles — through the San Juan Islands, across the US-Canada border, up the BC coast through the Broughtons, and across Queen Charlotte Sound. The miles from Ketchikan north to Skagway add another 500, through escalating fjords, glaciers, and wildlife.

What makes the Queen Charlotte Sound crossing the critical passage? Queen Charlotte Sound is the one unavoidable open-water section of the Inside Passage — roughly 40 miles of open Pacific before the route regains shelter at Bella Bella. It is not inherently dangerous in settled conditions, but it can build fast from the northwest with an unobstructed Pacific fetch, producing a short, steep, uncomfortable sea state disproportionately rough for its measured wind speed. The standard advice is to wait at Port Hardy for a settled morning and be inside Bella Bella before the afternoon wind fills in.

How does the Glacier Bay National Park permit system work? Glacier Bay National Park requires a permit for private vessels, with roughly 25 boats per day entering during peak season June through August. Applications open in February for the following summer and popular dates fill. Upon entry, a park ranger conducts a mandatory orientation covering protocol for approaching tidewater glaciers: a 0.25-mile minimum approach distance, no approach from the sides, and awareness of underwater ice chunks that surface without warning.

What is humpback whale bubble-net feeding and where is it seen? Bubble-net feeding is a coordinated hunting behavior in which a group of humpback whales drives herring toward the surface by circling below and releasing a spiraling curtain of bubbles, then surfacing simultaneously through the center with mouths open. It is most common in Southeast Alaska in areas of concentrated herring — Frederick Sound, Lynn Canal, and the waters around Point Adolphus at the entrance to Glacier Bay.

What are the key provisioning facts for the Inside Passage? Juneau provides the best provisioning in Southeast Alaska by a wide margin — a full-size grocery store, a Costco, chandleries, and marinas for serious vessels. Petersburg has historically offered the best fuel prices in the region. North of Juneau, communities at Haines and Skagway are small with limited stores. Grocery prices across Southeast Alaska are significantly higher than the lower 48, and propane is confirmed available in Juneau and Ketchikan.

Why are log hazards particularly dangerous in Southeast Alaska? The forests draining into Southeast Alaskan waters produce deadheads — waterlogged logs floating vertically just at the surface — that are invisible on radar and essentially impossible to see in low light or chop. Night passages therefore require double watches and continuous concern for submerged objects. Combined with a tide range exceeding 20 feet in Lynn Canal and currents produced by the interaction of tidal flow, wind, and inlet topography, the conditions require vigilance that differs from offshore ocean passage-making.