The 113-acre Sitka National Historical Park is Alaska’s oldest federally recognized cultural site, a favorite for locals and visitors alike. The park is at 106 Metlakatla Street;  the Russian Bishop’s House, also part of the National Park...

Sitka’s Alaska State Park sites offer recreation along with information and experiences related to Sitka’s history, on and off the road system. Baranof Castle Hill State Historic Site is located downtown, on a hill where Russia on Oct. 18, 1867,...

Fortress of the Bear is a nonprofit educational rescue center for brown and black bears, located about five miles from downtown Sitka, at 4639 Sawmill Creek Road. The fortress, founded by Les and Evy Kinnear in 2003, consists of two large...

From sea level up into the high country, Sitka’s trail network spans a diverse spectrum of terrain and landscapes. Those interested in hiking can choose from wide, flat trails accessible to small children and those with disabilities all the way to...

With a wide-ranging trail network, runners have many paths to follow in and around Sitka. The looping trails in Sitka National Historic Park offer a less challenging run for those interested in just a jog along flat terrain, though the trail is...

More than 40,000 visitors flock to the Alaska Raptor Center each year to view some of America’s most majestic and iconic birds. The facility, a 25-minute walk from downtown, is Alaska’s premier avian rescue center and sanctuary, with a mission to...

At the northern end of Sitka’s road network, Starrigavan Bay and its surroundings provide outdoors opportunities including hiking, wildlife viewing, and camping. For casual hikers, the Mosquito Cove trail – situated in the Starrigavan campground...

Dotted around the Sitka Ranger District of the Tongass National Forest, public use cabins offer visitors a chance to experience the forest for days at a time without sleeping in a tent. About 20 cabins near Sitka serve as focal points for...

Sitka, with its deep Tlingit as well as Russian and American colonial history, has 23 of Alaska’s approximately 450 historic properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Eight of these are National Historic Landmarks, sites of...

One of the eight National Historic Landmarks in Sitka commemorates World War II. Sitka Naval Operating Base and U.S. Army Coast Defenses National Historic Landmark is on Japonski and neighboring islands, across the O’Connell Bridge from downtown...