Travelers seeking authentic southeast Alaska should head for Wrangell. Situated on the northern tip of Wrangell Island, this friendly town of 2,000 is the kind of place where visitors can easily strike up a conversation with someone sitting at a café of watching the fishing boats from the pier.

Connected to the south end of downtown by a narrow footbridge is Chief Shales Island. In the bustling harbour this small island is an oasis of calm and reflection as you walk around the Tribal House and the Community House; contemplate the totem poles that encircle the latter.

Scattered about the beach 1.6 km north of town at Petro glyph Beach State Historic Site are artefacts from even older Native inhabitants. South of town thousands of square kilometres of Wrangell Island await exploration via several trails that spread out from a few decent roads and numerous less decent logging roads.