Nestled in the heart of Alaska's magnificent Inside Passage, the Port of Petersburg sits in the heart of the Tongass National Forest. This busy fishing village welcomes pleasure cruisers and sports fishers. Since large cruise ships cannot navigate the Wrangell Narrows, the Port of Petersburg offers an off-the-beaten-path adventure for visitors.
The climate in the Port of Petersburg is influenced by the surrounding temperate rainforest and the Stikine Icefield. The maritime climate brings cool temperatures and plentiful annual rainfall, half of which falls from October through December. The Port of Petersburg enjoys sunny periods in both summer and winter. On the longest day, the Port of Petersburg gets some 18 hours of sunlight. On the shortest day, the sun shines for about six hours. Average temperatures range from a low of 1.6°C (35°F) in January to a high of 18°C (62°F) in July.
The Port of Petersburg offers a wide range of outdoor activities that include sports, fishing, hunting, observing wildlife, and picking berries. Mitkof Island is home to goats, deer, black bears, moose, wolves, seals and sea lions, whales, trumpeter swans, Canada geese, and bald eagles.
Sports fishers have many options: fishing from the shore, renting a skiff, chartering a boat, or staying at a fishing lodge. All species of wild Alaska salmon are abundant in the waters around the Port of Petersburg. A network of gravel roads, for the most part old logging roads, facilitates recreation opportunities in the summer.
Visitors can reach the Port of Petersburg twice a day by jet (Alaska Airlines) and by ferry five days a week. The Port of Petersburg offers a variety of accommodations that include bed and breakfasts, hotels, and a hostel.
The beautiful settings of this fishing village offer many experiences for visitors. The coastal mountain range and the Tongass National Forest are dotted with bays, rivers, and glaciers. Visitors can watch whales and other marine mammals, kayak on the sea or inland rivers, fish for halibut and salmon, and view a wide variety of native birds or bears.
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