Misty Fiords National Monument covers over 2 million acres of steep granite cliffs, waterfalls, and deep fjords in the Tongass National Forest, near Ketchikan in far southeast Alaska. Much of it looks like a smaller-scale Yosemite dropped into a rainforest and flooded with seawater.
Getting There
There’s no road access. Nearly all visitors go from Ketchikan, either on a guided boat tour, a flightseeing trip by floatplane, or a mix of both (fly in, cruise out). Several tour operators run day trips from Ketchikan’s harbor and airport, which is itself only reachable by air or ferry since Ketchikan has no road connection to the rest of Alaska.
What to See and Do
Flightseeing tours give the best overview of the fjords’ scale, including New Eddystone Rock, a volcanic spire rising out of Behm Canal. Boat tours move slower and get closer to waterfalls and wildlife along the cliffs. For those with more time, the roughly 2-mile boardwalk trail to Punchbowl Lake is one of the few hikes accessible without a private boat, reachable via floatplane drop-off, and leads to a dramatic, cliff-ringed lake. Backcountry camping and kayaking are available for experienced, self-sufficient travelers, with a handful of public-use cabins available to reserve through the Forest Service.
Wildlife
Bald eagles, black bears, harbor seals, and Sitka black-tailed deer are commonly seen, along with salmon runs that draw both bears and birds to the shoreline in late summer.
When to Go
Tours run primarily from May through September. Misty Fiords lives up to its name with frequent rain and low cloud year-round, which can affect flightseeing in particular, so it’s worth building a flexible day or two into a Ketchikan itinerary rather than a single fixed slot.
