Petersburg was founded by Peter Buschmann, a Norwegian immigrant, when he settled here and built a cannery, sawmill, and docks to support the booming salmon fishing industry. Officially incorporated in 1910, Petersburg is one of the most productive and lucrative commercial fishing communities in the state to this day. Getting the chance to visit this very lively and colorful town is always a highlight for our guests. Situated on Mitkof Island and directly across the Wrangell Narrows from Kupreanof Island, Petersburg is literally surrounded by wilderness, most of which is The Tongass National Forest – our nation’s largest.
Spending the entire day here afforded us the opportunity to offer many activities, including hiking, biking, flightseeing, Zodiac tours of the harbor, and independent town exploration. I was pleased to lead a wonderful hike on Kupreanof Island, exploring the temperate rainforest and the muskeg ecosystem that dots this remarkable landscape. Many guests chose to see the area by Zodiac. We navigated the harbor waters, learning about the fishing industry and watching the fishing crews ready their boats for the next trip out to harvest the bounty of the waters of Southeast Alaska. The day concluded with an all you can eat Dungeness crab feast and an after dinner talk on Life with The Sled Dogs of Alaska by the author.
