Vacation rentals in Ketchikan
Ketchikan rewards travelers who stay rather than pass through: waterfront cabins, salmon runs in the creek downtown, 900,000 acres of Tongass rainforest, and Misty Fjords a 30-minute floatplane hop away.
Best time to book
Mid-May through mid-September for the longest days, active fishing and reliable floatplane weather. Late July and August bring the biggest salmon runs; May and June are drier by Ketchikan standards. Expect rain year-round — this is a temperate rainforest that averages over 140 inches annually.
Common rental types
Waterfront cabins with float access · Downtown apartments near Creek Street · Cottages on the Tongass Highway · Remote lodges reachable by boat or floatplane · Family homes with freezers and gear storage · Studio suites with harbor views
Getting there
There are no roads into Ketchikan — every arrival is by air or water. Alaska Airlines flies daily from Seattle into Ketchikan International Airport, which sits on Gravina Island; a 5-minute ferry crosses the Tongass Narrows to town on a fixed schedule worth checking before you book a late flight. The Alaska Marine Highway ferry connects Ketchikan to Bellingham, Washington, to Prince Rupert, British Columbia, and northward to Wrangell, Petersburg, Sitka and Juneau — a slow, scenic and genuinely practical way to arrive, and the only way to bring your own car.
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Vacation rentals in Ketchikan
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Where to stay in Ketchikan
Downtown & Creek Street
The historic core: a boardwalk of stilt buildings over Ketchikan Creek, the Southeast Alaska Discovery Center, galleries and restaurants. Rentals are apartments and small suites, best if you want to walk everywhere and watch salmon run beneath your window in August.
Newtown & Bar Harbor
Just north of downtown around the commercial fishing harbors, with grocery stores, the hospital and everyday services close by. Quieter than downtown and convenient for longer stays, with harbor-view apartments and hillside houses.
North Tongass Highway
The residential stretch running 18 miles north toward Settlers Cove, lined with waterfront cabins and homes on the Narrows. Ideal with a rental car if you want a private beach, eagles overhead and space to hang wet gear.
South Tongass Highway & Saxman
South of town past Saxman Native Village and its totem park toward Herring Cove and Beaver Falls. Waterfront cottages here sit close to late-summer bear viewing.
Ward Cove & Ward Lake
A forested valley 7 miles north with lake trails, creek fishing and campgrounds. Cabins feel like a rainforest retreat while staying 15 minutes from downtown.
Mountain Point & Herring Cove
South-end waterfront with beach access, tidepools and one of the best shore-fishing spots on the road system. Good for families who want a private beach rather than a boardwalk.
Knudson Cove & Settlers Cove
The far north end of the road, near the boat launch most fishing charters use and Settlers Cove State Recreation Site. Quiet, wooded and best for anglers with an early charter.
Remote & off-road cabins
Forest Service and private cabins on nearby islands and inlets, reached by floatplane or water taxi. No cars, sometimes no grid power — the choice for a genuinely remote Alaska week.
Learn Ketchikan before you book
Neighborhoods, seasons, and booking tips — the full destination guide.
Read the Ketchikan guide