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 First 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 September 21. 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. Box 1328, Petersburg, AK 99833.
Emergency only 911: State Troopers 772-3100; Petersburg Medical Center 772-4291.
Alaska Marine Highwayvessels 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 907-772-3855 or 800-642-0066.
Alaska Airlines at the airport 907-772-4255 or 800-426-0333.
City Cab, 907-772-3003.
Tides Inn 907-772-4288. Local tours and sightseeing.
Charter air or boat information can be obtained from Chamber of Commerce, 907-772-3646.
Things
To Do City
Cab, 907-772-3003, offers tours of the city and surrounding
area. This is especially handy for travelers with limited
time as they can custom design your tour to fit any time frame.
Call with your arrival time at the ferry terminal or airport.
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 is an adventure
travel company that specializes in guided kayak tours to remote
locations within the Tongass National Forest. Spectacular destinations
such as LeConte Glacier Bay and Tebenkof Bay Wilderness Area are
only a few of the destinations offered. 907-772-4600
Viking Travel is a full service travel
agency that can help you with individual trip planning to Alaska.
1-800-327-2571
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 First and Fram Street, 907-772-4636; open Mon. - Sat. 9 to 5, Sunday noon to 4pm. 
