Outdoor Recreation
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Exciting outdoor adventure offers activities for all interests, ages and budgets! Sitka's best kept treasured secrets are:
ATV TOURS For an unforgetable experience check out the Kruzof Island 4×4 adventure. Alaskan Brown Bears and Sitka Black Tail Deer are frequently seen in the Iris Meadows estuary; the meadow is full of beautiful wild flowers. The 2 seat Yamaha Rhino side by side OHV is perfect for exploring. If you can drive a car you can drive a Rhino!
EXPLORE KRUZOF ISLAND, HIKE UP MT. EDGECUMBE - SOUTHEAST ALASKA'S ONLY VOLCANO! Hike this beautiful, Mt. Fuji look-a-like dormant volcano in a day. A rugged hiking trail is available and detailed information can be found through the U.S. Forest Service. Stay a little longer and explore the wonders of Kruzof Island. Fred's Creek Forest Service Cabin is a great "home-base" but plan in advance if you'd like to stay here. Cabin reservations are made through http://www.recreation.gov and for water taxi service please click on the photo of the volcano. More details can be found at: http://www.fs.usda.gov/goto/tongass/sitkard
HIKING AT ITS BEST! Spectacular trails for all skill levels wind through protected forests, over muskegs, and up to magnificent mountain peaks. Baranof Island provides cover for abundant wildlife, including brown bear, Sitka black-tailed deer, and mountain goats. Click on the picture for an Outdoor Recreation Map which outlines a number of great hikes that are accessible from the Sitka Road System. For more detailed trail maps and bear safety information please call the U.S. Forest Service (907) 747-6671, or click here. Detailed trail and guided hike information can also be obtained through Sitka Trail Works at www.sitkatrailworks.org
Try the Unusual
- Camping - Stay a while; explore the area and view nature at its finest in this rare temperate ecosystem!
Off the Beaten Path
Picnic in a Park: Pack a picnic and relax in one of Sitka's many awe-inspiring, oceanfront or ocean view parks: Starrigavan & Old Historic Sitka (7 miles from downtown on Halibut Point Road) * Halibut Point Recreation Area (4 miles from downtown on Halibut Point Road) * Whale Park (peak viewing in fall and early winter (4 miles from downtown on Sawmill Creek Road) * Harbor Mountain Road (seasonal up Halibut Point Road) * Turnaround Park (3.75 miles from downtown on Halibut Point Road)* Pioneer Park (2 miles from downtown on Halibut Point Road) * Fort Ray Causeway accessible by boat or kayak (3/4 mile from downtown, a short distance from the Airport) http://dnr.alaska.gov/parks/plans/ftrousseau/ftrousseaump.htm * Path of Hope (1 mile from downtown, Halibut Point Road to Moller Road).
Popular Spawning Salmon Sites: In August and September; Starrigavan Recreation area on Halibut Point Road; offers a walkway above the stream to view spawning salmon. Located 7 miles from downtown, this popular area is an easy way to look at the stream filled with Coho and Pink salmon which return to Starrigavan Creek from July through September. For more detailed Starrigavan wildlife information please click on the following link: http://wildlife.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=trails.site&site_id=53&locale_id=4 Another great salmon viewing area is on the walking bridge over Indian River. Four species of salmon (Pink, Chum, Coho and King) return to Indian River each summer to spawn. Located close to our downtown area in the Sitka National Historical Park (east end of Lincoln Street). For more information please click on the following link to the National Park Service: http://www.nps.gov/sitk/naturescience/fish.htm
Turnaround Park: This local hang out offers an exciting skateboarding park, with a gazebo and picnic area. Located 3/4 mile from downtown on Halibut Point Road; this small park still has the concrete turnaround pad where Sitka's first airport passengers were brought to Sitka.
Celebrate Wildflowers: The US Forest Service offers interesting information on Sitka's local plants found in the Starrigavan Recreation Area: http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/regions/alaska/Starrigavan/index.shtml#whatsfloweringFort Rousseau Causeway State Historical Park: The Fort Rousseau Causeway, a series of eight interconnected islands located in Sitka, Alaska, is part of the Sitka Naval Operating Base and U.S. Army Coastal Defenses National Historic Landmark. In addition to National Historic Landmark status, the fort's significance as the headquarters for the harbor defenses of Sitka during World War II also earned it designation as a State Historical Park in April 2008. For more information please click on the following Alaska State Parks link: http://dnr.alaska.gov/parks/plans/ftrousseau/ftrousseaump.htm
Goddard Hot Springs: Located on the outer coast of Baranof Island on Hot Springs Bay off of Sitka Sound, 16 miles south of Sitka. There are open shelters over the hot tubs, which feature natural hot springs water and cold water. The area has outhouses. Boardwalks provide easy walking. Boaters can anchor in the bay and go ashore in skiffs. The hot springs are on accessible via a boat or a floatplane.
Baranof Warm Springs: Located 20 miles east of Sitka on the east shore of Baranof Island. Accessible by boat or floatplane. A Forest Service trail extends a half mile from the hot springs to Baranof Lake where a cabin is located. Cabin access is by floatplane. It is not possible to hike from the springs to the cabin.
