There is a running debate among the local outdoorsy folk about which mountain is a better hike, Mount Verstovia or Gavan Hill. The Gavan Hill die-hards don’t mind the wooden-stair hike to the peak. Any unpleasant huffing and puffing endured in the climb is easily made up for with the breathtaking views of Sitka Sound and Baranof Island. Above the...

Herring Cove/Beaver Lake loop is a great hike for newcomers to Sitka because it has a little bit of everything. Heading through the rainforest, you pass a dramatic waterfall, loop around a lake, and trudge through muskegs, all while surrounded by mountains. It’s also a relatively easy trek, with just a little bit of a climb at the beginning and...

Park at Herring Cove/Beaver Lake parking lot and continue past the traffic gate, down the gravel road for about an hour until you reach Medvejie Hatchery. This part of the trail is relatively uninteresting and can also be easily biked to cut down on travel time. From the hatchery, turn left by a creek and continue into the forest—the trail...

At the end of Halibut Point Road is an easy and beautiful, hour-long loop that takes you through fairytale, moss-covered rainforest on rocky beach fronts. At low tide, you can walk out to some tiny, rocky islands—though watch your step for shallow tide pools full of sea stars and anemones. At high tide, the sea comes right up to meet...

There is a running debate among the local outdoorsy folk about which mountain is a better hike, Gavan Hill or Mount Verstovia. The taller of the two, Mount Verstovia’s first peak at Picnic Rock offers spectacular views of the city and Silver Bay. If you still have energy, you can continue from there down (and then back up) an unofficial...

Between the end of Lincoln Street and a rocky beach sits Sitka National Historical Park. This patch of forest is centered around an old Russian fort site with Tlingit and Haida totem poles erected along the way. While you walk along the beach path, keep an eye out for distant whale spouts on the water. Watch for running salmon and...

At the end of Halibut Point Road is a short boardwalk trail through grassy Starrigavan Estuary. The amateur bird watcher will appreciate the wildlife thanks to the information provided along the walk. Extend this short but stunning outing to the Starrigavan muskeg trail. Cross the street at the end of the Starrigavan Estuary trail and follow the signs up a...

Each year, Glacier hosts star parties at Logan Pass. These free programs are sellouts due to their popularity. At these events, astronomers take you on a tour of the stars. You’ll also get to gaze through several different telescopes at stars, planets, and nebulas. Sometimes, the rings of Saturn are visible, and the International Space Station flies overhead. Admission to...