Petersburg

Understand

Petersburg is on the northern tip of Mitkof Island, among the forested islands and mountains of Alaska’s beautiful Inside Passage in central Southeast Alaska. It's a small, vibrant town with about 3,200 permanent residents in the Tongass National Forest.

Petersburg’s day-to-day atmosphere is that of a busy fishing town. Fishing and pleasure boats dominate the waters around Petersburg. The town is off-the-beaten-path of the large cruise ships, which cannot navigate the Wrangell Narrows, a winding scenic waterway between Mitkof and Kupreanof Islands.

History

Tlingits had long used a summer fish camp at the north end of Mitkof Island. Earlier cultures of indigenous people also used the island: remnants of fish traps and some petroglyphs have been carbon-dated back some 1,000 years.European explorers to Mitkof Island encountered the Tlingit.

In the nineteenth century, Peter Buschmann, a Norwegian immigrant, settled here, building a cannery, sawmill, docks and early structures. The settlement was named Petersburg after him, and it flourished as a fishing port. Icebergs from the nearby LeConte Glacier provided a source for cooling fish.

Petersburg originally incorporated as a town on April 2, 1910. The town had attracted mostly immigrants of Scandinavian origin, thus giving Petersburg the nickname "Little Norway". The Sons of Norway hall was built on one of the piers. With the establishment of some canneries, Alaskan Natives, including Chief John Lott, began to work there and live year-round at the site.

Petersburg continues to be an active commercial fishing and seafood processing port. It consistently ranks among the top 25 ports in the nation.

Climate

The richness of the surrounding temperate rain forest, the glory of the Stikine Icefield and the abundance of the prolific salmon are all dependent on high annual rainfall and the cool temperatures of a maritime climate. The annual precipitation in Petersburg is approximately 110 inches, similar to that of the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State. Approximately half of the annual precipitation falls in the months of October, November and December.

Tourist information

Get in

By plane

Petersburg Airport (PSG): Alaska Airlines provides two daily flights per day, and various float plane and air charters also serve the area. Alaska operates to Anchorage, Juneau, Ketchikan, Seattle-Tacoma, and Wrangell.

By boat

One of the charms of Petersburg is that it doesn't have a deep water port, so it's not accessible by big cruise ships, but some smaller ships stop there. The Alaska Marine Highway provides regular ferry service.

Get around

Petersburg's downtown is compact and very walkable. In town, there is a local taxi and some local shuttle services. The local roads are also nice for bicycling, although the size of the island limits the overall distance one can travel. Rental cars are available from the Tides Inn. Boats can even be rented from Jensen Boat Rentals. For the more adventurous, sea kayak rentals are available from Tongass Kayak Adventures and the Petersburg Parks and Recreation Department.