Wildlife & Sea Life
Injured eagles on the mend, orphaned bears in old pulp-mill tanks and touch tanks of Sitka Sound sea life, all a short ride or a long walk east of downtown.
Three stops cover Sitka's animals. The Alaska Raptor Center treats injured eagles, owls and hawks beside the Indian River, about 20 minutes on foot east of downtown. Fortress of the Bear keeps orphaned brown and black bears in tanks left by the old pulp mill, about 6 miles east, so take a taxi, the hop-on bus or a tour. The Sitka Sound Science Center on Lincoln Street has touch tanks, an aquarium and a salmon hatchery that students built in 1972. For whales and sea otters you need a boat; see the excursions below.
Sitka Sound Science Center
Hands-on marine science center in a historic mill building, with touch tanks, an aquarium and a working salmon hatchery.
Alaska Raptor Center
Hospital and rehabilitation center for injured birds of prey, with birds on view on a wooded campus beside the Indian River.
Fortress of the Bear
Non-profit rescue for orphaned brown and black bears, housed in old pulp-mill tanks east of town.
Walking map: the shuttle stop and downtown Sitka
The free shuttle from the cruise terminal stops at Harrigan Centennial Hall on Harbor Drive, and tenders land at Crescent Harbor beside it. St. Michael's Cathedral and Castle Hill are a few minutes west along Lincoln Street, the Russian Bishop's House is a few minutes east, and the totem trail in Sitka National Historical Park is about 15 to 20 minutes on foot at the east end of the street.
Map: USGS elevation; streets and buildings © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Trail map: walks from downtown
The totem trail in Sitka National Historical Park, about a mile long, starts where Lincoln Street ends, east of downtown. Seven miles north near the ferry terminal, Old Sitka State Historical Park has interpretive signs, and the Forest and Muskeg Trail (1.25 miles) and the Mosquito Cove Trail (1.5 miles) start nearby at Starrigavan.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Your Sitka day, timed and printable
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