Sitka National Historical Park
AK
About Sitka National Historical Park
On an island amid towering spruce and hemlock, Sitka National Historical Park preserves the site of a battle between invading Russian traders and Indigenous Kiks.ádi Tlingit. Totem poles from Tlingit and Haida areas line the park’s scenic coastal trail, and the restored Russian Bishop’s House is a rare reminder of Russia’s colonial legacy in North America.
Things To Do
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Become a Junior Ranger at Sitka National Historical Park
Become a Junior Ranger! Learn about Tlingit culture, the rainforest, Russian American history, and the coastal environment. You'll earn an official badge so that you will not forget how important you are to the National Park Service.
Explore at Low Tide
The intertidal zone is full of variety, and when the tide is out there are tidepools and wide flats to explore.
Watch for Salmon
Salmon are easily observed from the bridge over Indian River when they spawn each summer and fall. Strong ties bind them to the people, plants, and animals of Sitka.
Search for Pollinators
Search for the usual suspects, such as bumblebees and hummingbirds, among the park's flowers, but don't forget to hunt for less obvious pollinators like hoverflies and slugs. You can find a lot to observe in different habitats. Don't forget to look for representations of pollinators on totem poles and in museum objects in the visitor center.
Get Close to the Forest Floor
When you bend down low and examine the forest floor you find a lot of variety, and even some drama! Low-growing plants, fungi, moss, lichens, insects, banana slugs, cones, and more go about their business beneath the trees. Take time to observe the little things that support large trees.
Find Sitka's Bedrock
Find evidence of Sitka's distant past in outcrops of bedrock. These large pieces of graywacke are sedimentary rocks formed beneath the ocean, lifted up by tectonic forces, and weathered by ice and water.
Available Activities
Weather
Sitka experiences a temperate maritime climate, characterized by heavy precipitation and a small temperature range between seasons. Summer temperatures range from high 50s to high 60s F with frequent rain. Winter is rainy and snowy with temperatures from the high teens to the 40s F.
Well prepared visitors will have rain gear and layered clothing at any time of year.
Getting There
Sitka National Historical Park is located in downtown Sitka, Alaska. Sitka is situated on Baranof Island, on the outer coast of Alaska's Inside Passage. No roads connect the city to the mainland; Sitka can be reached only by air or sea.
Visitors can travel to Sitka by scheduled and charter air services, ferry, and cruise ships.
Plan Your Visit
Let Roamze help you plan the perfect trip to Sitka National Historical Park with AI-powered itineraries.
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Park Trails
Park grounds are open for day-use year-round. Pedestrian through-traffic is allowed between Sawmill Creek Road and the visitor center parking lot (over the Indian River footbridge) at any time provided pedestrians do not loiter.
