Meet Our Southeast Alaska Neighbors

Juneau is the commercial hub of northern Southeast Alaska. From neighboring communities people gravitate to the Capital City for connections to jet flights, medical care, shopping, and entertainment. Commuter airlines, water taxis, and Alaska Marine Highway ferries transport passengers from quiet, tight-knit towns and villages via Juneau to the world outside.

For many of our neighbors, home is a remote location where the ocean and forest dominate the landscape. People live independent lives yet rely on neighbors in times of need. Innovative off-the-grid power sources allow comfort and become the topic of café and post office conversations.

The common thread in Southeast Alaska is reverence and respect for water and wood. Knowing ways to harvest nature’s bounty and avoid catastrophe keeps residents alive and thriving. Spontaneous potlucks and music jams gather us in to share food and stories. Most communities have a school where events pull everyone together to support their youth in sports, spelling bees, and read-a-thons.

Pelican and Elfin Cove are known for their boardwalks. Tenakee Springs features a popular hot spring and a no-vehicle main street lined with flower-trimmed cabins. Haines is dominated by steep, rugged peaks and the largest concentration of bald eagles in the country every autumn; it’s a hotspot for heliskiing in winter. Skagway has restored its authentic Klondike Gold Rush history with the help of the National Park Service and the seasonal operation of the historic White Pass and Yukon Route narrow-gauge railway. Likewise, Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve anchors the town of Gustavus and its residents. Hoonah and Kake are strongholds of the Alaska Native culture as is Angoon, the only permanently settled community on Admiralty Island, with its clan houses and powerful link to tradition. Klukwan, 20 miles from Haines, is one of the most important Tlingit villages in Southeast Alaska. Sitka embraces its Russian-American heritage. Petersburg is a fishing town with strong Norwegian roots as seen in its colorful rosemaling-painted homes. Wrangell is the gateway to the broad valley of the Stikine River that penetrates deep into British Columbia. Only Haines and Skagway have highway links to the continental road system.

Getting there is part of the adventure. With few roads and vast distances, air taxis, water taxis, and ferries connect us. Scheduled service or charters can transport individuals or groups to your destination. Many options for travel are available, with spectacular views along the way.

Alaska stories abound. Immerse yourself in books about adventures and lifestyles. Check the library and bookstores to learn first hand what it takes to build and sustain a life here. Take home a written memory then record your own.