Why Wrangell is one of Alaska’s hidden gems

Quick, what do most people think about when you mention Wrangell, Alaska?

It’s a trick question. Most people probably don’t think of anything, because most people outside of Alaska have never heard of it. Maybe that’s what helps make Wrangell so special.

Tucked between forest, ocean and a whole lot of sky, this small island town skips the usual fanfare and leans hard into what it does best — wilderness, wildlife and wide-open breathing room. It’s the kind of place where guides still know every bend in the river, and the biggest decision of your day might be “hike or boat?”

In other words, it’s not the kind of place you want to overlook. Guests who book Alaska cruises for the scenery find plenty of it here, along with some of the wildest-yet-most-serene and most off-the-radar moments of your entire trip. And if you're cruising Alaska to see wildlife, chase waterfalls or learn what muskeg is (spoiler: it’s like a peat bog but more fun), Wrangell might just be your favorite port of call.

The 10 best things to do in Wrangell

Engaging local history, pristine trails, remote coastlines and wildlife that’s too preoccupied to avoid your camera… Wrangell delivers the good stuff. And if you’re docking here for the day, these are the top experiences worth pulling on your boots (or grabbing your binoculars) for:

Carved Tlingit totem pole standing in an open field near Wrangell Alaska, with bold red blue and black details, forested landscape and rugged mountains beneath a clear blue sky.
Discover the living traditions of Wrangell’s Tlingit heritage.

1. Explore Wrangell’s local history and culture

Before the golf courses, jet boats and bear sightings, Wrangell was — and still is — home to the Tlingit people. That history isn’t boxed up behind glass. It’s carved into totems, told through stories and shared by those who still live here.

The Island Heritage Discovery excursion makes it easy to dig into that legacy without needing a guidebook or a time machine. You’ll cross a wooden bridge to Shakes Island, step into a traditional tribal house and hear stories that stretch back centuries. From there, it’s a drive through town to visit totem parks, the Wrangell Museum and the site of a long-gone fort with a surprisingly classic-sounding name (it was originally called Fort Dionysius, if you’re curious). Bonus stop: Petroglyph Beach, where ancient rock carvings casually line the shore.

Scenic road stretching through Wrangell Alaska, lined with evergreen trees and golden fall foliage, leading toward distant snowcapped mountains beneath a dramatic cloudy sky.
Take the long way through Wrangell’s wild backcountry.

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2. Take a scenic drive along Wrangell’s road system

The local road network won’t get you far, but that’s sort of the point. Hey, if Alaska were paved over, it wouldn’t be Alaska. Princess takes you off the beaten path with the Scenic Wrangell: Out the Road excursion.   

This motorcoach tour slides right into the wild, with just enough pavement to keep your boots clean. As you roll past Sitka spruce, alder trees and maybe a deer frozen mid-chew, your guide layers in history, personal stories and enough local color to make you wish the drive was longer. Then hop out for a short walk to Three Sisters Overlook, with a clear view of Etolin Island across the water (weather permitting). It’s quiet. It’s gorgeous. Oh, and did we mention that there are snacks?

Golf putting green in Wrangell Alaska surrounded by evergreen trees, open fairway and distant snowcapped mountains beneath a bright blue sky.
Tee off with mountain views at every turn.

3.Visit Muskeg Meadows Golf Course

Prepare to be laughed at if you slice your shot; the ravens here are brutal hecklers. 

Muskeg Meadows is Wrangell’s nine-hole, USGA-rated course tucked between rainforest and mountains. Don’t let the word “meadows” fool you; you’re golfing on terrain that used to be a logging camp and now hosts deer, birds and the occasional bear (consider them added incentive to avoid the hazards). The Muskeg Meadows Golf excursion gets you there and gives you everything you need to enjoy this one of a kind course. Well, almost everything… you’ll need more than the right equipment to get past that 30-foot high rock blocking the green on hole nine. 

Even if you’re not a golfer, the driving range and short walk through town offer a laid-back way to enjoy the scenery with a bit of flair. And yes, there’s merch, because taking home a raven on your shirt is maybe the best payback for one of those feathery thieves stealing your golfball.

Dense evergreen forest in Tongass National Forest near Wrangell Alaska, with layers of spruce trees in the foreground and rugged mountain slopes showing early fall color rising behind them under a cloudy sky.
Step into the vast silence of Alaska’s untamed rainforest.

4. Walk through the Tongass National Forest

It’s not all towering trees and moss-covered logs — though there’s plenty of that too

The Tongass Botanical Nature Walk drops you into the kind of forest that seems like it just might be enchanted. It’s deep. It’s primeval. And it’s exactly the kind of place where you’ll be thankful to have someone who knows the area showing you around. Your guide (part storyteller, part enthusiastic plant guru) takes you through the undergrowth and explains how native communities used everything from bark to berries to survive, and thrive, in this damp, green tangle of life.

But even if the forest can feel foreboding, the path is gravel, the walk is easy and the facts will help put a spring in your step. Think of it as a crash course in survival meets nature appreciation, with a side of the freshest air imaginable.

Waterfall cascading down a rocky cliff in Tongass National Forest near Wrangell Alaska, surrounded by dense green forest and steep mountains above calm coastal waters.
Feel the rush of Rainbow Falls.

5. Hike to Rainbow Falls

This one’s for guests who pack hiking boots “just in case.”

The Rainbow Falls Adventure Hike gives you roughly three hours of forest immersion, including a 1.2-mile trail that’s as scenic as it is sweat-worthy. A wooden boardwalk guides you through the easy part… and then the steps begin. Several hundred of them. Upward. For an elevation gain of about 500 feet.

But at the top? Rainbow Falls: loud, beautiful and somehow worth every stair. Along the way, your guide shares ecology facts and stories about the land that help make the climb go down easier. If you want a unique Alaska experience you can be proud and boastful about (what good is a difficult hike if you can’t brag about it later?), then Rainbow Falls is the perfect place.

Group of humpback whales breaking the surface near Wrangell Alaska, with barnacle-covered heads visible and mist rising from a whale’s blow against a backdrop of calm water and dense evergreen forest.
Catch a rare moment as humpbacks surface in unison at Nemo Point Beach.

6. Visit Nemo Point Beach

If the idea of an Alaska beach day has your teeth chattering, don’t worry; Nemo Point isn’t about sunbathing.

The Nemo Point Beach: Remote Small-Group Hike excursion takes you down a forested trail lined with muskeg, where ravens call overhead and the air smells like wet cedar and saltwater. The final stretch leads to a remote beach near Turn Island, framed by weathered driftwood and low-hanging mist. It’s quiet, rugged and just wild enough that you’ll keep glancing at the treeline.

You might spot whales in the waters. You might spot bears in the forest. You’ll definitely spot mud, so wear shoes that can handle a little Alaska soil. The hike isn’t long, but the uphill return has a bit of a kick. Worth it? Absolutely. This is coastal wilderness just the way it should be.

Ice floes floating on the Stikine River near Wrangell Alaska, with turquoise glacial water, steep forested canyon walls and jagged snowcapped mountains rising beneath a bright blue sky.
Glide past towering peaks and drifting ice on the Stikine River.

7. Cruise the Stikine River by jet boat

You haven’t really done Wrangell until you’ve bounced across the lower Stikine at high speeds.

The Stikine River by Jet Boat tour hits the throttle and puts the “wild” in “wilderness.” The Stikine River snakes its way from British Columbia to the sea, carving a path through mountains, glaciers and some of the most wildlife-dense zones around. You’ll cruise past waterfalls, steer through back channels and (if the water’s high enough) venture into Shakes Lake for a front-row view of the glacier. Heated cabin, covered seats and a guide who knows exactly where to point when the bears show up help keep this adventure as stress free as it is exciting.

Group of sea lions resting on a smooth rocky outcrop near Wrangell Alaska, surrounded by calm water with forested shoreline and evergreen trees in the background.
Watch sea lions soak up the calm of Alaska’s coastal waters.

8. Join a wildlife discovery cruise

Whales, sea lions, otters, seals, eagles… if it swims, soars, bounds or galumphs, this may be your best chance to see it.

The Wildlife Discovery Cruise sets sail into the coastal zones where marine life does its thing with no concern for things like cruise schedules or staying still long enough to be in your selfie. But that’s OK, because your guides are trained biologists who know where to go and what to do to bring you as close to these animals as safely possible.

The vessel is nimble enough to maneuver into coves and along shorelines that bigger boats skip entirely, which means your guides can shift course based on real-time sightings. This is wildlife on the animals’ terms, with a crew that knows how to read the water, the sky and the sudden appearance of a humpback fluke. And if extra time on a small boat in Alaska waters sounds like maybe too much of a good thing, don’t worry! This tour includes a stop on shore, where you can stretch your sea legs for a bit and just take it all in.

Black bear standing in a shallow rocky stream near Wrangell Alaska, with wet fur glistening as water flows around its legs and moss-covered rocks along the riverbank.
Spot Alaska’s wild side where rivers run rich with life.

9. Visit the Anan Wildlife Observatory area

If bears are on your Wrangell wish list, the Ancient Forest of Anan by Jet Boat excursion is your golden ticket.

Anan Wildlife Observatory is tucked into remote forest about 30 miles from town, and you’ll need a jet boat to get there. Along the way, you’ll skim past rocky coastline, waterfalls that spill straight into the sea and the kind of scenery that’s so raw it almost feels like stepping back in time. Expect wildlife sightings to start before you even arrive.

Once you reach the shore, a short hike takes you through lush rainforest to a viewing platform built above Anan Creek. This is where the bears are most likely to show up. Black bears. Brown bears. Both species use the same stretch of river, especially during the summer salmon runs. There’s no feeding schedule and no guarantees, but if they’re active, you’ll have a front-row view of it all.

Coastal view of Wrangell Alaska with colorful waterfront homes and buildings along calm water, backed by forested hills and distant snow-dusted mountains under a clear blue sky.
Discover small-town charm framed by Alaska’s grand scenery.

10. Enjoy Wrangell at a slower pace

Sometimes the best things to see in Wrangell is Wrangell. Not everything needs a guide, a waiver or a pair of hiking boots. Sometimes it’s enough to wander through town, check out the shops, grab a coffee and just enjoy the feeling of being someplace you’ve never experienced before.

The waterfront is peaceful. The pace is slow. And the people — they’re friendly in a way that doesn’t feel rehearsed. If your idea of the perfect day includes a bench, a view and zero urgency, Wrangell’s got you covered.

Planning your visit to Wrangell

Wrangell is quiet, remote and shaped by the landscape around it. Trails lead into forest, boats head toward bear country and the coastline shifts with the tide. Most days are unrushed. Most views go uninterrupted. It’s a place to spend time outside without much between you and the wild.

The landscape may feel raw and unscripted, but that doesn’t mean you should show up without a plan. Here are some things to keep in mind while you are preparing for your visit.

  • Most Wrangell excursions are small group and outdoor-focused. These outings tend to prioritize local guides and uncrowded access over big buses and fixed scripts.
  • Wildlife sightings vary, and there aren’t any guarantees. You might spot bears, eagles, whales or otters (and there’s a good chance you will), but you might not. 
  • Weather can shift by the hour, so try to dress in layers to account for any temperature changes.
  • Booking excursions in advance makes remote access easier. Spots on small-group tours are limited and can fill fast, especially on days when multiple ships are in town. Lock in early to avoid disappointment.

Cruises to Wrangell offer a chance to explore a quieter side of Southeast Alaska. Pick your ship, choose your excursions and get ready for something that feels a little more personal. Because whether you’ve heard of Wrangell before or not, a Princess cruise to Alaska filled with the right excursions will make sure you never forget it.

FAQs about visiting Wrangell