Creek Street, historic area of Ketchikan, Alaska
Creek Street is a narrow wooden boardwalk in Ketchikan that runs above a stream, lined with colorful buildings that extend over the water. The road contains shops, small museums, and historic structures with foundations anchored directly in the creek.
In the early 1900s, the street became a residential area for women offering services after the city relocated such activity from downtown. During the 1920s Prohibition era, illegal alcohol sales and clandestine businesses operated here, using trap doors and hidden entrances to avoid authorities.
The street takes its name from the creek that flows beneath it, which shaped how the town developed around water. Visitors today gather here to photograph the colorful wooden buildings and watch salmon navigate upstream during their seasonal runs.
The street is best explored on foot with easy walking paths along the wooden boardwalk, though surfaces become slippery in rain. Sturdy footwear is important, and nearby you can find starting points for salmon viewing and fishing gear rental.
The street became notorious for trap doors and hidden entrances in building floors that allowed people to discreetly move goods between boats and structures during Prohibition. A footpath called Married Man's Trail crosses above the creek and reveals how people historically navigated the area in secrecy.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
