Hi Leo,

Thank you very much for your kind words and taking the time to ask your questions. In Sitka at the National Historical Park, I’m pretty sure you’ll find other tourists going for the walk. I would always tag along with a group of people or follow close behind. The walking path is a flat loop and very easy walk. If a bear has been spotted, a ranger will be at the trail head (more like a groomed wide path) and let you know.

Farther down, there’s a creek running through the park and it is salmon season. Stop by the Ranger Station/Park Headquarters and go inside and look around and pick up a park map. The park is literally in the middle of the town and you can walk to it from Centennial Hall where the buses drop-off. I might suggest that you take a taxi (if you can get one) to see Fortress of the Bear. That’s a little too far to walk. There’s plenty of history and small, locally-owned shops along Lincoln Street, too. Great food at the food trucks, too. My favorite is the black cod when available. Maybe the Russian Orthodox church will be open.

With the amount of ships in ports like Juneau and Ketchikan, I doubt you’ll find yourself alone on any major trail or walking path. Rangers are all around keeping tabs on the bears, too. Icy Strait Point…I walked alone into town and was concerned about bears but the police were driving up and down the road checking on the situation. Personally, I would not walk alone on any trail but instead wait for some others and follow them. But that’s me…I’m terrified of bears! Ask a local and they’ll say they never see one.

In Juneau, don’t miss Mendenhall Glacier. There’s a trail that leads to the waterfall and there are usually a lot of tourists on the path there. In a nutshell, my best advice is to enjoy Alaska! Just don’t go walking off on side trails by yourself unless you have a can of bear spray and know how to use it. They are more afraid of you and tend to hide in the bushes. You just don’t want to get between a mom and cub.

Have a wonderful time on your cruise! Sorry to go on and on…I get very excited to tell people how wonderful it is to visit Alaska.

I really love your Alaska travel blogs and thank you so much for sharing this knowledge! I will be leaving from Seattle next week – my first Alaska cruise, and a solo one for that matter. We will be stopping in Sitka first, and I did not want to to buy an excursion as I really want to roam around the town, the totem poles, and so on. I am though a bit worried about wandering around the national park area alone, how easy is it to encounter bears around there, and also the other ports – like Juneau and Icy Strait Point?
Thank you so much!!

Hi Barbara,
Thank you for reading my article about Sitka. Yes, the coffee shops and most restaurants offer free wifi. There’s the Back Door Cafe and Highliner Coffee shops with free wifi, for example. Thanks for your question and have a nice visit to Sitka.

Hi Robin,
Thank you for reading my Sitka article – I’m excited your ship will visit Sitka. The bridge that connects Sitka on Baranof Island to Japonski Island is definitely walkable with a sidewalk on one side. No, the bridge is not in the National Park. The bridge begins at the end of downtown Sitka and if you walk across, you’ll have fabulous views of the city and its mountains, from the half-way point.

Once you’ve crossed the John O’Connell bridge, there’s nothing to do except walk along the waterfront next to the high school. It’s a nice picnic spot, actually, and I’ve done that several times. The Sitka Airport, Coast Guard Station and Searhc hospital (yes, that’s how it’s spelled yet pronounced “Search”) are also on Japonski. But the bridge is a really nice walk. Be careful when crossing the bridge at the mid-point…sometimes cars go a little too fast

Tours in Sitka also include kayaking, fishing, and other water activities. Most other activities require some walking, as in the National Historical Park. Unless you take a trail hike, everything is level.

I hope this info is helpful. Enjoy your cruise and your visit to this very unique and quirky town that I called “home” for a year and a half. Thank you again for your comment.