KETCHIKAN PHOTOGRAPHY TOUR FIELD GUIDE
Ketchikan Custom Tour: Totems, Old‑Growth Forests and Waterfall Ceremonies
A 3–3.5 hour, fully customizable Ketchikan experience that can focus on Totem Bight, old‑growth cedar stands, landscape photography, or an officiated waterfall wedding.
Ketchikan Custom Tour: Totems, Old‑Growth Forests and Waterfall Ceremonies.
A short drive from downtown Ketchikan delivers damp cedar trunks, ocean-scrubbed totem poles and creekside platforms where the rainforest meets the sea; the Ketchikan Custom Tour is a modular outing that bends to your interests—culture, landscape photography, or even a small wedding set against a waterfall.
Highlights
Outing Highlights
Totem Bight State Historical Park
A guided visit can take you to Haida and Tlingit totem poles and a clan house on the ocean, with stories about the poles and the people who made them.
Tongass Old‑Growth Cedars
The operator can drive and walk you to favored old‑growth western red cedars and Sitka spruce in and around the Tongass National Forest—quiet, towering examples of temperate rainforest.
Landscape Photography & Waterfall Ceremonies
You can focus a session on tracking landscape photo opportunities—gear coaching included—or plan a small officiated ceremony on an Alaska State Park platform overlooking a waterfall, with champagne or non‑alcoholic sparkling wine provided.
What the day feels like
What the custom tour feels like
Over roughly three to three and a half hours the pace is deliberately adjustable: short walks and roadside viewpoints for photography, a mellow stroll among old‑growth trees, or a brief, intimate ceremony at a creekside overlook. The content and cadence are determined by the custom package you choose.
Suitability
Who it's for
Who this custom tour suits—and when to consider alternatives.
Practical planner
Details to review before reserving
The standard custom tour duration is approximately 3–3.5 hours.
Meet inside the Berth 3 Glass Shelter, next to Sockeye Sam's at 425 Water Street, Ketchikan, AK 99901.
Bring layers (jacket, sweater or sweatshirt), hiking boots or trail shoes with traction, a rain jacket and rain pants, a backpack (line it with a garbage bag if desired), phone or camera, water and snacks.
Most tours are tailored to guest needs—specify interests when booking to create a totem tour, old‑growth walk, photography session or ceremony. Weddings require planning ahead to manage paperwork.
Review cancellation policies before reserving.
Frequently asked questions
Planning Your Outing
Will I see wildlife on this tour?
Wildlife sightings are not guaranteed. Generally the tour does not produce many wildlife encounters, though rare sightings have included Sitka black‑tailed deer, black bear, seals, salmon, eagles, kingfishers and stellar jays.
I'm afraid of bears—how is safety managed?
There are no grizzly or brown bears in the Ketchikan area; black bears are present but are rarely sighted on these hikes. The guide carries bear spray and wild bears generally avoid people; sightings are most likely during late‑summer salmon runs.
How long does the Ketchikan Custom Tour last?
The tour runs approximately 3 to 3.5 hours.
Where do we meet the guide?
Meet inside the Berth 3 Glass Shelter, next to Sockeye Sam's at 425 Water Street, Ketchikan, AK 99901.
Can you perform a marriage or vow renewal on the tour?
Yes. The operator is a credentialed minister recognized in Alaska and can conduct marriages or renewals on a state park platform overlooking a waterfall; ceremonies require advance planning and paperwork, and a bottle of champagne (or non‑alcoholic sparkling wine) is included.
What should I bring for comfort and photography?
Bring layered clothing, sturdy trail shoes, rain jacket and pants, a backpack (waterproof the interior if possible), a camera or phone, water and snacks.