Creek Street
4.7(1.3K)google
4.5(51)yelp
Historic TownLocal LifePhoto SpotDowntown
Overview
Creek Street is a picturesque, historic boardwalk built entirely on wooden stilts over the rushing waters of Ketchikan Creek. Famous for its colorful past as the city’s notorious red-light district during the bustling Gold Rush era, this car-free pedestrian thoroughfare has transformed into a vibrant cultural marketplace. Travelers can stroll along the scenic wooden paths to explore independent art galleries, local seafood eateries, and unique gift shops, or visit Dolly’s House Museum to glimpse early frontier history. In the summer months, the creek below teems with thousands of spawning wild salmon.
Practical Info
Suggested Duration1-2 hours
Best TimeHighly recommended during sunny mid-afternoons or early golden hours in summer (June to August). Strolling down this historic boardwalk built on stilts over Ketchikan Creek features charming, brightly painted vintage wooden buildings. In late summer, you can look down to see thousands of salmon fighting the current.
Getting TherePerfectly positioned right in the historic center of downtown Ketchikan. This is a fully pedestrianized historic boardwalk attraction. It is a seamless 3-to-5-minute walk from the cruise ship docks. Self-drivers should utilize the municipal downtown parking meters before walking in.
Travel Tips
- Built entirely on stilted wooden tidal boardwalks; rain makes the boards dangerously slick and stroller wheels easily jam in the slatted floor.
- Massive salmon runs pack the creek below from July to August; angling or throwing trash down from the historical walkways is a crime.
- Most boardwalk boutiques close at 5 PM sharp in alignment with cruise departures; shoppers must execute their visits before 4 PM.
Reviews
Positive
- The iconic wooden boardwalk built over the creek features colorful historic buildings against lush woods, making it Ketchikan's most photogenic historic street.
- The entire walking street is completely free to the public with good anti-slip boardwalk treatments and clear multilingual historical plaques.
- During summer salmon runs, standing on the boardwalk bridge lets you look down at dense streams of salmon fighting upstream, scoring full marks for eco-fun.
- The historic waterfront structures are packed with distinct craft shops, local bookstores, and indie cafes; management is orderly, making walks fun.
Heads up
- This is a bottleneck for all cruise passengers; daytime is heavily crowded, and the narrow wooden walk gets completely blocked by strollers.
- The street carries heavy traces of commercial development; many souvenirs are pricey, showing a clear high premium markup.
- Built of historic, sloped boardwalks, stairs to upper shops are steep and slick, lacking accessible elevators and offering poor safety safety margins.
- While public restrooms stand at both ends, wait lines are terrifying during peak hours, and public parking nearby is virtually non-existent.