KETCHIKAN MAGICAL OLD-
GROWTH CREEK TREK
WHERE STORY, STILLNESS, AND MOVEMENT MEET
Guided Ketchikan Shore Excursion Hike In Old-Growth Rainforest
Cruise-ship friendly departures + returns
Small groups
Return-to-Ship Guarantee
**This is more than a hike—**it’s a quiet, awe-filled walk into the living heart of the Tongass. Waterfalls. Moss. Giant spruce and cedar. A steady pace that gives you time to actually feel Alaska.
Best for travelers who want: a small-group experience, real rainforest immersion, and a guide who shares the ecology, stories, and deeper context of this place—without rushing you through it.
At a Glance
Ports: Ketchikan, Alaska & Ward Cove, Alaska
Duration: 3–3.5 hours (includes 1 hour of roundtrip scenic drive time)
Distance: ~2.5–3.5 miles roundtrip
Group Size: Maximum 6 guests
Activity Level: Moderate (includes stairs and some roots in the trail)
Rates: $224.50 per Adult • $199.50 per Child • $995.00 per Private Tour
Note: This is a rural hike with no facilities along the trail. Leave-no-trace and tobacco-free and drug-free policies apply.
Why this hike stays with people
You’ll walk through one of the planet’s last great temperate rainforests—where the air smells like cedar and water moves everywhere, shaping the forest’s quiet soundtrack.
This tour is designed for presence and connection, not speed. It’s personal, unhurried, and intentionally small—so you can notice the “small miracles” most people miss: lichen patterns on bark, raven calls, fern-lined slopes, and the soft light filtering through the canopy.
Along the way, you’ll also learn what makes the Tongass so rare—its ecology, its complex logging history, and what it means to protect old-growth ecosystems today.
The experience (simple, clear, confidence-building)
1) Easy meet-up + scenic drive
We’ll get you picked up and rolling with cruise-friendly timing built around both Ketchikan and Ward Cove ports.
2) Creekside rainforest hike
We begin in a quiet Alaska State Park, then cross into the Tongass. The trail follows a winding creek through moss, ferns, and old-growth stands of Sitka spruce and western red cedar.
3) A meaningful pause
Midway, we stop at either a stone bench at a calm bend in the river—like a natural cathedral—or a bridge in a forest clearing. We rest, take it in, and let the place land.
4) Waterfall + return
On the way back, we visit a waterfall where fresh water meets the ocean—a reminder that everything here is connected.
Who this is for (and who it’s not)
Perfect for you if…
You want a true rainforest experience, not a crowded “check-the-box” stop
You like a steady, mindful pace with time for photos and noticing details
You want a guide who adds real depth (ecology + history + place-based context)
Not ideal if…
You need a paved, fully accessible route (this trail includes stairs and roots)
You’re looking for a fast, adrenaline-style excursion
You require restrooms on trail (there are no facilities)
Your guide
Teague is the owner of Tongass Teague and your guide on select departures. He’s a local, trail-seasoned naturalist at heart—equal parts calm leader, storyteller, and attentive host. Expect an unrushed pace, a sharp eye for the “small miracles” of the rainforest, and the kind of steady guidance that helps you relax and let the Tongass work on you a little.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS TOUR
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Ketchikan has cruise ship berths right downtown, Berths 1 through 4. Each berth is about a ship-length long. Sometimes a fifth ship will tender out in the narrows and shuttle passengers to a floating dock near berth 3. I meet guest inside a glass shelter next to Sockey Sam’s at Berth 3.
We also have ships that dock at our Ward Cove port, which has two berths—Ward Cove West (WW) and Ward Cove East (WW)— and is about 15-20 minutes north of town. These guests need to take a complimentary shuttle from the Ward Cove Welcome Center to be dropped off at Berth 4. Then they will need to walk to meet us at Berth 3. Ward Cove guests should allow for 1.5 hours from when their ship docks to safely meeting a tour in downtown Ketchikan. And usually the last returning shuttle from Berth 4 in Ketchikan to Ward Cove is 1.5 hours before the ship departs. For the Magical Old-Growth Creek Trek, we can often drop off guests at Ward Cove on our way back to downtown Ketchikan. Please notify your guide.
For private or custom tours, arrangements can be made to pick guests up and drop them off at Ward Cove or their specific berth downtown.
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At 3.5 hours long and about 3.5 miles roundtrip, this is our most popular and accessible hiking tour, often offered twice a day to service both morning and afternoon ships. With some stairs and rolling hills in the first section of this trail and some roots to navigate later, this tour is described as moderate. The trail is a well-maintained gravel trail.
Our Ketchikan Mountain Lake Trek to Avalanche Chute and our Alpine Overlook Adventure are much more strenuous and technical hiking wise and have limited offerings of only one of those per any given day.
Our Ketchikan Backcountry Adventure: SUV Tours in the Tongass is a comfortable driving tour that is only 2 hours and 15 minutes long.
If anyone has concerns about pacing, injuries, or bringing along young children, our private or custom tour options are the way to go so that we can adapt to your needs specifically.
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Yes! We live in a rainforest and it is part of what feeds the forest’s beauty and adds to our experience. So be prepared and bring waterproof rain gear, no matter the weather, as the weather can change quickly in Alaska. We also have ponchos if anyone doesn’t have rain gear.
Often, but not always the case, it can be storming downtown where the ships dock but much more pleasant at the end of the road where we hike.
