chichagof island

Chichagof is an excellent, resource rich island. Wildlife, and massive timber to the tune of trillions of board feet, await harvest. Access to raingear is wise. Transportation to and from can be intermittent and weather dependent. A great destination.

Off Juneau is Douglas Island and then Admiralty Island; on the other side of Admiralty Island is Chichagof Island - you need a float plane and/or small boat to get here. It is definitely not an attraction IN Juneau.TA needs to look at a map and fix this !!I doubt you can get to Chichagof except by small boat or float plane- there are no big cruise ship ports.We explored Chichagof Island in several areas on a small ship expedition with only 60 people in late August. It is an amazing place! On the east side of the island in Chatham Strait we saw orca whales and in Peril Strait between Baranof Island and Chichagof Island we saw humpback whales breaching and chin-slapping. We then went ashore in zodiacs at Hanus Bay and hiked to Eva Lake and saw bears eating salmon in the stream and several bald eagles. This is only accessible by small boat/ship with a zodiac.The following day we were at the north end of the island at went ashore at Elfin Cove and had a local on board our boat to talk about the village. This tiny fishing village only has 12 full time residents now and is an adorable little village with lots of color. It looks like a village from 100 years ago except for a small store that a resident owns to sell sweatshirts and local crafts.After leaving Elfin Cove we cruised around the Inian Islands right off shore and saw more humpback whales - this time feeding and pec-slapping. We also saw harbor porpoise, sea otters and a horned puffin.So, definitely an awesome area - but no where near Juneau. Get on a small boat trip and explore parts of this island.

I loved the guided hike on the beach and through the forest. Feasting on Bisque made from King Crab on the jetty and learning about the culture of the Tlingit people, their customs and their respect for nature.

Elfen Cove is where the Elves are born!!The town or berg of Elfen Cove was a fishing village before it became a sport fishing village!It is accessible only by float plane or small boat. It is really right out of your imagination!Located on the North West portion of Chichagof Island it is pure paradise. The buildings are in a wild variety of colors and like steps, situated from the bay shore up the hill. Elfen cove is a wonderful place for a romantic get-a-way to a fishing out post.It is relatively close to Glacier Bay, and Hoona (a native village) which is on the eastern side of the Island.Chichagof Island is one of the three 'A, B, C islands which are of the largest in the inland passage area.If you get to Icy Strait you are closeYou really see Alaska in the waters between Juneau and Elfen cove!Call me for great tours of these out-of-the way Alaskan treasures.Ask for Michael at 801 822 2568

This trip was not cheap and would have been somewhat disappointing if we had not seen much in the way of wildlife. Nevertheless, the ride in the float plane from Juneau to the island was beautiful and, as luck would have it, we spotted a bear at the mouth of a stream within 5 minutes of leaving the plane. Our small group, as well as the naturalists' shotgun protection in the unlikely event of trouble, enabled us to walk up to the edge of the stream and watch the bear on the other side catching salmon for his dinner. This lasted for quite some time. We were very quiet and he did not seem to be bothered by us. Shortly after the arrival of another bear on our side of the water, the first bear became uneasy and left the area. We tried to find a better viewing point for this newer arrival but the geography and tidal issues worked against us. We later hiked a ways upstream and did manage to see yet another (huge) brown bear. He ducked back into the brush when he saw our group. We also saw a mink mother and babies scurrying up and down a fallen limb to their lair on the edge of the stream. We enjoyed getting outside, walking in the forest, and the guides' efforts to scout out the wildlife. Great trip!

The map on this page is incorrect......Chichagof Island is over 70 miles away by boat or air from Juneau.......People planning trips to Alaska need to be informed about the facts and logistics of getting to different places........it is so misleading to place Chichagof Island on a map of Juneau when that is just not the case......and it is not an "attraction" but a place.......

The residents of Chichagof have embraced the opportunity to benefit from all this rich bio-diverse island has to offer both by practising sustainable living and utilising the tourist industry. They offer historical displays and native craft at Icy Straight and the opportunity to either view or catch the local wildlife. Really enjoyed our time here on a cruise visit and would love to have to opportunity to stay a while.

Chichagof island is a wondeful place to visit for fishing and wildlife sightseeing. Fishing by guide boat is best, since halibut and salmon are easy to find and catch, but you can fish in the dozens of wilderness creeks. Wildlife sightseeing is outstanding. Eagles and deer are everywhere, and brown beers are easy to find since northeastern Chichagof has the highest concentration of brown beers in the world (about 1.8/mi2, over 4000 bears), and they are huge (up to 1200 lbs & 5' at the shoulder). There are lots of humpback whales and seals, and some killer whales, all of which are sometimes seen in in the harbor. Icy Straight Point is the main tourest facility for the cruise ships that visit. There are restaurants, taverns, shops, a museum, indian culture center, kayaks, bikes, and they claim the longest zip line in the world (really fantastic), and of course lots of sightseeing trips to see the bears, whales, the town, the Vortex Mountains, etc. PS: Sitka is not on Chichagof island, it's on Baranof island to the south.