Alaska and the Pacific Northwest · Sitka, Alaska
Sitka, kept on a card.
Sitka was the capital of Russian America, and it still has the onion domes to prove it. It is also a port where you may reach shore by tender, so the day can begin with a boat ride and a picture of your ship from the water.
Where the photos are in Sitka
St. Michael's Cathedral
The onion domes reflect Sitka's years as the capital of Russian America, and the church against a mountain backdrop is a classic Alaska picture.
The Russian Bishop's House
A historic house from the Russian period, part of Sitka National Historical Park and a short walk from the downtown center.
The totem pole trail
A mile of level trail through coastal rainforest at Sitka National Historical Park, lined with Tlingit and Haida totem poles. It is about a fifteen minute walk from the town center.
Castle Hill
Baranof Castle Hill State Historic Site is where Alaska was transferred from Russia to the United States in 1867, and where the first 49-star American flag was raised in 1959.
The harbor and Mount Edgecumbe
Where the tender lands, you can photograph your ship in the harbor with Mount Edgecumbe behind it, which is the picture people do not think to take.
How the light works
The rainforest trail is shaded, so faces look best in the open clearings and near the water, where the light is even. The cathedral's domes stand out against the mountains under a soft gray sky. If the day is clear, the harbor pictures with Mount Edgecumbe are the ones to take first, before the weather changes.
Before you go ashore
Sitka is unusual: ships either dock at the Sitka Sound Cruise Terminal, about six miles from downtown with a free shuttle, or anchor offshore and tender guests to the downtown waterfront when several ships are in port. Your daily plan says which, and a tender day starts more slowly, so leave time for the boat.
Details checked September 2026. Piers, fees and schedules change, so confirm with your ship's daily plan.
Questions people ask
- Do ships tender in Sitka?
- Sometimes. Ships either dock at a terminal about six miles from downtown, with a free shuttle, or anchor offshore and tender guests in, especially when several ships are in port.
- How long is the totem pole trail?
- About a mile of level trail through coastal rainforest at Sitka National Historical Park, about a 15 minute walk from the town center.
- What is special about Castle Hill?
- Alaska was transferred from Russia to the United States there in 1867, and the first 49-star flag was raised there in 1959.
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