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Pelican

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Pelican is known for its boardwalk, which connects most of the residences and businesses in this remote fishing village on the northwest coast of Chichagof Island, 80 miles north of Sitka and 70 miles west of Juneau. Pelican was established on Lisianski Inlet in 1938 by a fish packer who bought and transported fish to Sitka. Fishing is still Pelican's main industry as it boasts the closest harbor to the rich Fairweather salmon grounds. Pelican’s population is listed as 113 but during the summer the population grows with the arrival of commercial fishers and the return of seasonal workers. One of the most well known local events is the Pelican Boardwalk Boogie, a music festival held each May that draws many revelers from across the region, including exhausted legislative staffers from nearby Juneau, who are looking to cut loose after the end of the intense legislative session.

During the summer months you can catch the twice-a-month Alaska Marine Highway ferry to Pelican and turn the sailing into an interesting daytrip from Juneau. The cruise through Icy Strait is scenic, with a very good possibility of seeing humpback whales, and two hours in port offer plenty of time to walk the length of town. Salmon Way consists of a mile-long boardwalk built on pilings over tidelands and is a photographer's delight. There are only two miles of rough gravel roads beyond that.

Beyond the boardwalk, Pelican is surrounded by lush forests and watery fjords, making it a beautiful gateway to such uniquely Alaskan experiences as charter salmon and halibut fishing, sea kayaking or an overnight outing to nearby natural hot springs located on the outside coast of the West-Chichagof Yakobi Island Wilderness Area. There are several fishing lodges located in Pelican and in the settlements of Phonograph Cove and Sunnyside.

Pelican

Visitors reach Pelican via floatplanes or the Alaska Marine Highway. Daily scheduled air taxi services are available from Juneau while the state ferry provides two monthly departures during summer months and one monthly departure during winter.

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Pelican

Pelican’s most interesting attraction is Rosie's Bar & Grill, a classic Alaskan fisherman's bar. Here you can mingle with trollers, longliners and visitors before hopping back on the state ferry. The Lisanski Inlet Café, famous for its seafood menu, is also a great stop. The best source for information is the Pelican Chamber of Commerce.

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Attractions

Charter Fishing +

Charter fishing captains are available to take visitors for a day on the water to fish for a variety of saltwater species including king salmon, silver salmon, pink salmon, halibut, ling cod and rockfish. The kings often weigh in at 25 to 45 pounds with a few 50 to 70 pounders taken annually. Halibut can weigh in up to 100 pounds or more. On the first Friday in June, Pelican stages its annual King Salmon Derby, where a week later some skilled, or maybe just lucky, angler walks away with a cash prize for the largest king.
Sea Kayaking +

Pelican is a paradise for sea kayakers with easy access to Lisianski Inlet, Lisianski Straits and Stag Bay, which offer more than 40 miles of protected waters to explore. More experienced paddlers head for the outside coastal waters of West-Chichagof Yakobi Island Wilderness Area, which offers miles of coastline dotted with protected bays, estuaries and channels. Kayaks are available for rent in Pelican while the Alaska Marine Highway travels to Pelican from Juneau every two weeks in the summer months.
White Sulfur Hot Springs +

Pelican charter boat operators can arrange a day tour or overnight adventure to White Sulfur Hot Springs, located 20 miles from Pelican on the outside coast of Chichagof Island. The natural hot springs include a U.S. Forest Service cabin that can be reserved and a covered hot spring pool with a bathhouse. There is an outside pool where one can stretch out, soak the aches and pains away while listening to the ocean swells break on the shoreline. The inside pool provides views of the Pacific Ocean and the coastal isles.