Angoon: Tlingit Culture and Nature Experiences

Angoon appeals to travelers who want to combine Tlingit culture with time outdoors. When deciding what to do, it helps to consider the experiences separately rather than as a single offering: in town, clan houses and cultural heritage take center stage, while the trails lead through distinct landscapes and the water route offers a different way to explore. If you’re looking for a hotel in Angoon, you can plan your trip around which of these perspectives matters most to your stay.

Getting to Angoon

Angoon is accessible only by air and water. Ferries operated by the Alaska Marine Highway System dock at a state-owned terminal south of Angoon. This means there is no overland route to the town. If you plan to travel by ferry, check the schedule as you plan your trip.

Tlingit Culture and History

During a day visit to Angoon, you can observe and learn more about Tlingit culture. Clan houses line Beaver Trail Road. Angoon has 14 surviving clan houses, including Raven House, Needlefish House, Steel House, Dog Salmon House, and Killerwhale House. A faded decorative orca painting can be seen on the exterior wall of Killerwhale House. It is one of the few surviving paintings of its kind on the Northwest Coast.

Hiking to Danger Point

The Danger Point Trail leads from Angoon through a densely forested area north of town toward Danger Point. The 2.5-mile loop hike passes through old-growth forest and ends at a prominent coastal bluff. From there, views extend across Chatham Strait and nearby islands. Danger Point is also a good place for whale watching in summer.

This hike is quite different from the water route across Admiralty Island: the Danger Point Trail is described as a loop hike with forest and coastal views, while the Cross Admiralty Canoe Route travels over water and links lakes, trails, and portages. The distances and modes of travel give you a concrete basis for comparison without equating the two experiences.

The Cross Admiralty Canoe Route

Angoon is a starting point for numerous kayaking and canoeing trips into Admiralty Island National Monument. These include the 32-mile Cross Admiralty Canoe Route between Angoon and Seymour Canal. This water route connects seven mountain lakes, trails, and portages, making it possible to kayak and canoe across the island. It offers a different perspective on the landscape than the route to Danger Point: here, stretches of water and connections across lakes and land passages shape the route.

The present-day Cross Admiralty Canoe Route, with its cabins and shelters, was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. This construction history provides context for the route; it does not indicate that individual cabins or shelters are currently available.

Brown Bears at Pack Creek

On Admiralty Island, Pack Creek, also called the Stan Price State Wildlife Sanctuary, is managed collaboratively to allow for low-impact brown bear viewing. Visitors can watch and photograph brown bears fishing for salmon and interacting with one another there. Pack Creek has no road access; it can only be reached by floatplane or watercraft. This access arrangement clearly distinguishes the bear-viewing area from the hiking trails in Angoon and should be considered when planning your trip.

You can choose from several different experiences: Angoon’s cultural heritage, a loop hike with views of Chatham Strait, an extended kayaking or canoeing route, or bear viewing at Pack Creek. First consider which experience suits your travel plans, then focus your search for accommodation accordingly.

Discover more destinations: Gustavus, Skagway.

For the broader travel overview: Hoonah-Angoon Census Area.