Juneau to Petersburg/Wrangell Cruise
5-day, 4-night Juneau to Petersburg/Wrangell (6th day to Wrangell optional)
Day 1: Juneau to Swanson Harbor
Your journey will begin in the capitol city of Juneau. Located in the Gastineau Channel and the Alaskan panhandle, it is a unified municipality and the second largest city in the United States by area.
After settling in with your welcome drink and chef made appetizers, we will depart for Swanson Harbor. Located at the mouth of the Lynn Canal, this quaint village is surrounded by abundant marine wildlife. Enjoy a relaxing day of scenery while cruising and upon arrival, you may possibly choose to spend time walking on the beach, kayaking or paddleboarding
Day 2: Swanson to Tenekee Hot Springs
After enjoying a custom-made breakfast, we will depart for Tenakee Hot Springs, a small community of about 100 people located on Chichagof Island in Southeast Alaska.
Some feel a visit to Tenakee would not be complete without a long soak in the hot springs, whose healing properties drew the Tlingit people to this area long ago, as well as miners during the days of the gold rush who would stay through the winter. Enjoy this quaint little town, which is a personal favorite of Captain Jeff.
Day 3: Tenekee to Baranof Warm Springs via Hidden Falls for bear viewing
Today we will head towards Baranoff Warm Springs – with a stop along the way at the Hidden Falls Fish Hatchery.
Hidden Falls Hatchery is in Kasnyku Bay on Baranof Island in Chatham Strait. This hatchery was built by the State of Alaska in 1978-79 and operated by the State until 1988 when operational responsibility was transferred to NSRAA. There is a good chance we will see brown bears while visiting this hatchery. With spectacular views, the town itself is very small and is located on the eastern side of Baranof Island.
Upon arrival in Baranoff Warm Springs, you will be greeted by a beautiful public boat and plane dock along with bath house, natural hot springs and picnic shelter, which is all open to the public.
Baranof lake is a short walk away and is spectacular with its waterfall and natural hot springs. After enjoying your time exploring, you will be served dinner on the Sea Mist.
Day 4: Baranof to Pybus Bay
On the way to Pybus Bay, chances are you will see several whales feeding and playing in the beautiful scenery of Alaska.
Upon anchoring, you will have the opportunity to explore the area on foot or enjoy some time on the kayaks or paddleboards.
Day 5: Pybus Bay to Petersburg
After an early departure we will have breakfast on our way to Petersburg, a fishing village founded by Norwegian immigrant Peter Buschmann. He started building the first fishing cannery in the late 1800’s - Petersburg has several canneries still in operation, but the Tlingit fishermen were fishing this area over 2,000 years ago.
On the way to Petersburg, we will journey through Fredricks Sound, where you will enjoy one of the highest concentrations of humpback whales along with breathtaking scenery.
Upon arrival in Petersburg, Captain Jeff and your crew will provide suggestions for some of the many enjoyable activities if you would like to disembark to explore this great little town before enjoying your dinner in the evening.
Day 6: Petersburg to Wrangell through Wrangell Narrows (OPTIONAL)
Available to add on as an extra option, today we will travel to Wrangell, one of Alaska's oldest non-Native settlements, it was settled by Russian traders in 1834.
Wrangell's heyday was as a jumping-off point for three major gold rushes up the Stikine River from 1861 to the late 1890s. Back then Wrangell was as lawless and ruthless as Skagway and at one point Wyatt Earp, the famous Arizona lawman, filled in as a volunteer marshal for 10 days before moving on to Nome.
Wrangell is full of rich history, seaside shops, petroglyphs, and totems. As we are ending our time together here, you may decide to spend an extra day or two enjoying this fun little town.
