Curator’s statement
For this island girl turned Floridian, seeing the snow-capped mountains in the distance just took my breath away. This was my family’s introduction to Alaska, and it was just gorgeous. The lush greenery of the forests, the majestic bald eagles, the shimmering lakes. Sitka is a nature lover’s dream.
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Things to do in Sitka
Entrance to Sitka National Historical Park
Take The Cool Bus from Sitka Rides to explore Sitka easily. This hop-on, hop-off shuttle bus picked us up from the port, and took our group of family and friends around Sitka. They had excellent service and communication, and let us customize our day to go to the stops we wanted to.
Visit the Alaska Raptor Center. If there are kids with you, don’t miss the cool bird walls inside. After, head out for a fun hike on the trails, where you can take amazing pictures in the great outdoors.
Go to the Sitka National Historical Park: Don’t forget to bring your National Park passport to get it stamped. In the Park, you can see totem poles from Tlingit and Haida areas, and walk one of the many paths through the forest.
Keep an eye to the sky for those majestic bald eagles. They are everywhere! Make sure and check the trees, too.
Look for the amazing Mount Edgecumbe volcano in the distance. It is about 15 miles away on Kruzof Island, but you can view this impressive landform from Sitka.
Places to eat & drink in Sitka
Delicious halibut tacos
Sitka Pel’Meni: Did you know that Sitka has significant Russian influence? This little food spot features pelmeni - juicy beef or potato-filled Russian dumplings—served with fun toppings like melted butter, cilantro, sriracha, and curry powder.
Misfit Island Cafe: A must-stop for the “world famous Sitka crofaffle”. If you love sweets, you will enjoy this croissant-waffle mash-up topped with berries, cream, chocolate syrup, and more.
The Fresh Fish food truck: Their halibut tacos, on a bed of purple cabbage slaw and baja fish sauce, topped with jalapenos and pickled red onion. These were so good—my best bites of the entire trip!
Need to know
Bring your National Park Passport if you own one. There are many places for it to be stamped in Alaska!
Wear comfortable sneakers or walking shoes for Sitka—downtown is walkable.
Travel Advisor
Kadija Bridgewater
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