Explora Journeys in Klawock

Klawock is a Tlingit community on Prince of Wales Island, inside the Tongass National Forest, and its Indigenous-owned cruise pier opened recently as one of Southeast Alaska's quietest, smallest-ship calls. The draw is cultural and specific: the largest authentic standing collection of totem poles in the region, an active carving shed, and rainforest right at the waterline. It earns the day as a deliberately low-volume, single-ship alternative to the busier Inside Passage stops.

What to do on a day in Klawock

• Klawock Totem Park, 21 standing poles overlooking the water, the most extensive authentic collection of its kind in Alaska, with guides who explain the story, healing, and shame totems
• The Heenya carving shed, an active workshop where a master carver and apprentices shape new poles, so you watch the tradition continue rather than only its results
• The Klawock River trail through rainforest, good for salmon runs and wildlife when the run is on
• The town of Craig, about 7 miles on, a working fishing community reachable on the same free shuttle
• The Craig Tribal Association market for local artisan goods

Getting ashore

Ships tie up at a floating pier on the 16-acre Klawock Island, separated from the mainland by a road bridge that is not safe to walk, so a complimentary shuttle runs roughly every 20 minutes to both the Totem Park and Craig. One day is comfortably enough given the compact geography and the free transport and park entry.

When to book the ship's excursion vs your own →

Weather and when to visit

• May to June (early season). Typically among the drier, brighter stretches of the Southeast Alaska summer, cool and mild with highs in the 50s F and very long daylight. Still pack rain gear, this is temperate rainforest.
• July (warmest calls). Usually the warmest month, mild with highs in the 60s F, though showers remain likely at any time.
• August to September (late season). Cooler and wetter, with August and September the rainiest part of the Southeast season. Expect frequent cloud and rain and dress in layers.