Petersburg, midway between Ketchikan and Juneau, is at the northern end of the famed 21-mile-long Wrangell Narrows, a narrow but beautiful channel. Alaska Marine Highway and jet flight service connect Petersburg with Seattle and other Alaskan communities.
This community, unlike many Alaskan towns, was never a tent-and-log-cabin boom town. "Peter's Burg" was carefully plotted by its Scandinavian
founder Peter Buschmann, who started a salmon cannery and sawmill here in 1897.
Fishing and tourism are the mainstays of the community's approximate 3,000
residents. One of Alaska's largest fishing fleets supplies salmon, halibut, shrimp and crab to the several fish processing and cold storage plants scattered along the waterfront.
Petersburg is
perhaps one of the prettiest seacoast communities on the shores of the Pacific. The spic-and-span tidiness of the city, the ordered beauty of scores of white fishing boats at moorage in the harbor, and
the natural beauty of the island-dotted seascape make the city a memorable stopover.
The town's five-block-long main street parallels the waterfront with its
canneries, wharves and fuel docks perched on pilings driven deep into the ocean floor. At the south end of main street, Sing Lee Alley winds between several old buildings including the Sons of Norway Hall. Nearby, a plank road skirts the warehouses and homes built along the bank of a tiny saltwater inlet, Hammer Slough.
Information/Emergency
Petersburg Visitor Information Center/Petersburg Chamber of Commerce, at 1st and Fram Street, 907-772-4636; open Mon. - Sat. 9 to 5, Sunday noon to 4pm.
Clausen Memorial Museum, 203 Fram Street, open daily 9:30 to 4:30 May 1 to mid-September. 907-772-3598. Showcases Petersburg's history with many interesting artifacts including the world record King salmon (126 lbs).
Alaska Department of Fish & Game, Sing Lee Ally, open weekdays; 907-772-3801.
U.S. Forest Service, Petersburg Ranger District 907-772-3871, 2nd Floor, Federal Building, open weekdays.
Emergency only 911: State Troopers 772-3100; Petersburg Medical Center 772-4291.
Waterfront B&B. Come relax and enjoy all our amenities and a delicious home cooked breakfast. We have five rooms, private baths, shared kitchen, private entrance, hot tub, non-smoking. Next to the ferry terminal. Relax in our sitting room or our large deck overlooking Wrangell Narrows. 907-772-9300 or 866-772-9301
Tides
Inn, First and Dolphin, 907-772-4288 or toll free 1-800-665-8433. 48 rooms with baths, TV, conference room,
continental breakfast.
Camping The Trees RV Park & General Store. Nestled in the rainforest of SE Alaska, located 1/4 mile from world-class King Salmon, Steelhead and Coho fishing. We offer full service sites, laundry facilities, clean restrooms, hot showers and a well-stocked general store. (907) 772-2502
Alaska Marine Highway vessels connect Petersburg with the rest of Southeast Alaska, Prince Rupert, BC, and Bellingham, WA. The terminal is at mile .08 on the Mitkof Highway. Call for reservations 800-642-0066.
Alaska Airlines provides daily jet service, originating in Seattle, Washington, and Anchorage, Alaska, with several stops in-between. 800-252-7522
Tides Inn Local tours and sightseeing. 907-772-4288
Charter air or boat information can be obtained from Petersburg Visitor Information Center.
907 772 4636
Things
To Do Frederick Sound just north of Petersburg
is summer home to one of the most unique population of humpback
whales in the world and boasts some of the best whale watching
in North America. There are several charter operators that specialize
in trips to Frederick Sound. Check with the Chamber of Commerce
for information.
Norwegian Festival held each year
on the third weekend of May, celebrates Norway's Independence Day.
This is a colorful event with old-country costumes, dances, singing
and eating traditional foods.
Sons of Norway Hall is on the National
Register of Historic Places. It is on pilings overlooking
Hammer Slough and is a favorite with photographers. It was
built in 1912.
Spectacular
LeConte Glacier, set in a deep canyon at the head of LeConte
Bay east of Petersburg, is the most southerly tidewater glacier
on the coast. For charter information contact the Chamber of Commerce.
907-772-3646.
Tongass Kayak Adventures Offers 4 hour to 8 day sea kayaking adventures.
907-772-4600
Wrangell Narrows is found approximately 1.5 hours north of Wrangell. It is a 23 mile long channel that was dredged in the 1940's to accommodate the larger vessels that had begun to travel to Alaska.
Petersburg Visitor Information Center/Petersburg Chamber of Commerce, at 1st and Fram Street, 907-772-4636; open Mon. - Sat. 9 to 5, Sunday noon to 4pm. 
