Hi there!
There are several ways you can get to Saxman Totem Park.
You can do a cruise ship excursion to go to Saxman Village and Saxman Park.
You can take a bus to Saxman Park from Ketchikan cruise port.
You can walk to Saxman Park!
Now, most people will not want to walk to Saxman Park since it will take you about an hour to walk from the Ketchikan cruise port, but that option is there if you want!
If you want to see totem poles in Ketchikan without walking too much, then you may like Saxman Village better than Totem Bight State Park.
👆 You can go to Saxman Park to see totem poles in Ketchikan on your own!
👆 Spot the bus! Spot the totem poles! You can go to Saxman Park on your own by bus. The bus to Saxman Park will drop you off along the highway, and from there you’ll start walking up the road past totem poles to Saxman Park to see more totem poles!
👆 The road to Saxman Park is lined with totem poles!
👆 Ketchikan highway at the Saxman Park entry.
The best cruise ports to see totem poles in Alaska are Ketchikan and Sitka.
In Ketchikan, the best places to see totem poles are at Saxman Park and Totem Bight State Historical Park.
Both of these “totem parks” in Ketchikan are accessible by bus from the Ketchikan cruise port.
If you’re going to Creek Street, there is the Chief Johnson totem pole nearby too.
For my one day in Ketchikan on the day I went to Saxman Park, I did an Alaska snorkeling tour in the morning, and then I went to Saxman Park directly afterwards since it was on the way back to the cruise port (I got a drop-off), and then back to the cruise ship.
If I had not yet been to Creek Street, I would have gone to Creek Street after Saxman Park. The bus goes by Creek Street.
👆 My drop-off spot along the highway in front of Saxman Park after my Alaska snorkeling tour!
See more about what I did during my Alaska cruise from Vancouver to Anchorage!
On a previous cruise ship stop in Ketchikan, I went to Totem Bight State Park in the morning and did an Alaska seaplane tour in the afternoon!
See more about the best Ketchikan excursions.
Saxman Native Village excursions
Princess also offers excursions to Saxman Park that includes a Native Alaskan cultural performance.
I understand that you will only be able to see such a cultural performance at Saxman Park through an excursion.
I understand that this is not offered to people who show up to Saxman Park on their own.
Basically, you can only get the full Saxman Native Village experience through a tour.
For example: Saxman Native Village with dance performance
You can log into your account at princess.com to see more combination excursions that include Saxman Park.
Since I was on a Princess cruise, I know for sure that Princess offers Saxman Park excursions. I understand that other cruise lines do as well.
Saxman Park on your own
You can also do Saxman Park on your own.
The cheapest way to get to Saxman Park without a whole lot of walking is to take the Ketchikan bus.
See more about how to take the public bus to Saxman Park.
The only problem with doing Saxman Park on your own is that you don’t really know what you’re looking at.
Surely it is cool to see the totem poles in Saxman Park, but you have no historical context about what you’re looking at.
At Saxman Park, there are no informational signs.
This is one of the reasons that Totem Bight State Historical Park is better than Saxman Park if you will be going to see totem poles on your own.
If you go to Saxman Park on your own, you have no background information on what you’re looking at.
You can get an info brochure at Totem Bight so you can get a better understanding of totem poles. (It’s easy to miss the brochure, so remember to check the box next to the pay machine!)
Saxman Park also does not feel as much like it is in a natural setting.
So if you will be doing Ketchikan totem poles on your own, Saxman Park is not particularly better than Totem Bight.
But, if you are looking to see totem poles in Ketchikan without much walking, then you will like Saxman Park better.
Will you like what you see in Totem Bight? Take a look: Totem Bight State Historical Park totem poles
Cost to do Saxman Park on your own
The cost of doing Saxman Park on your own is $4 to $9 per person.
You will need $4 for the bus in cash ($2 each way).
Before I went, I had seen mentions online of a Saxman Park entry fee that is $5.
But when I went, I did not see anywhere that they collected this.
While I was waiting for the bus and walking around, I did notice a little shed near the main road that seemed like it might be a spot to collect an entry fee, but it seemed like something that would be staffed.
So be prepared to pay $5 per person just in case for the cost of the Saxman Park entry fee.
If you prepare ahead of time, you can also pay the bus fare through an app on your phone instead of through cash.
More Alaska cruise ports on your own: In Juneau, you can take a bus to Mendenhall Glacier in Tongass National Forest on your own… as long as you don’t mind walking a little extra! In Sitka, you can see totem poles in Sitka National Historical Park on your own.
See below the start of what you’ll see when you arrive at Saxman Park!
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Road to Saxman Park
👆 The road to Saxman Park is a turn-off of the main road in Ketchikan.
👇 Once you get off the highway, you will walk past totem poles to get to Saxman Park!
👇 Looking back towards the highway.
👆 There is a Saxman Park gift shop, which is here to the left.
At the end of the road once you get off the main road is an intersection, and you will see the grassy area of Saxman Park to see more totem poles!
And that’s a bit about a visit to Saxman totem park!
More of Ketchikan:
HAPPY SEEING TOTEM POLES IN KETCHIKAN AT SAXMAN PARK!
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