![]() ![]() There are other side trails along the lake you can explore too. Hang a left to reach the lake trail (it goes all the way around the lake). Enter the campground and keep walking until you see the lake. Once you reach the end of the short Frog Pond Trail, you’ll see a sign for a campground. Walk straight on through (close your eyes and have someone guide you if you think you’re going to be tempted)… Shop in downtown Ketchikanĭon’t waste your time or money shopping in an abandoned mill in the middle of nowhere (i.e. Go HERE for my recommendations for things you can do on your own in Ketchikan. While the free NCL provided shuttle bus takes about 20 minutes, I always plan for 45 minutes each way, just to be extra safe (while traffic snarls are rare in Ketchikan, they can happen during construction season and you may have to wait in line for a shuttle). However, you’ll want to give yourself plenty of time to get to and from Ward Cove/downtown Ketchikan. Don’t be! Ketchikan is so easy to navigate and tour operators are now used to dealing with guests coming from Ward Cove. Plan independent excursions or explore on your own, but give yourself plenty of timeīecause the cruise terminal is located so far from downtown Ketchikan (where most independent tours meet), many will be nervous about booking independent tours or venturing out on their own. Hand to God, as I sit here writing, facing out at this exact spot, I just saw two fly by – an adult and a juvenile (juveniles don’t have white heads yet)! You WILL see them if you take the time to look (I’ve seen them here on every cruise). ![]() Listen for their loud screeches (you’ll often hear eagles before you see them) and look for white heads near the top of trees (you’ll likely see them flying around too). Keep walking along the short path and you’ll reach several spots for that PERFECT photo. ![]() At the end of the pier hang a left (before you enter the terminal building). ![]() Remember I said there are “benefits” of ward cove? The biggest benefit is that it’s an absolutely gorgeous spot AND you can take the best photos of your ship docked there. But hopefully this post will start to gradually change its negative reputation (or it will increase my negative reputation). Reception from passengers has been overwhelmingly negative as it’s an inconvenient 20 minute shuttle ride (offered by NCL and currently free) to downtown Ketchikan. It’s located about 15 miles outside of Ketchikan and serves only NCL ships (other cruise lines dock in downtown Ketchikan). Prior to serving as a cruise terminal, it was a pulp mill that operated from 1954 to 1997. The Mill at Ward Cove welcomed its first NCL cruise passengers in 2021. So instead, I offer you these 5 Pro Tips for minimizing the pain of Ward Cove, experiencing the benefits (yes, there are benefits), and getting to the “real” Ketchikan. Why? Because there’s so much to love about NCL (and for me, a local Seattle resident, sometimes the last-minute fares on NCL are just too great to pass up). It’s good I didn’t though since I’ve cruised there on the line myself a handful of times since and will continue to do so. I hated it so much that I almost started discouraging people from sailing on NCL to Alaska. It’s rare that I hate anything about cruising, and especially cruising to Alaska, but I hated Ward Cove, the new NCL terminal near Ketchikan when I experienced it for the first time right after it opened in 2021. ![]()
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