American Constellation in Alaska: Wrangell

By GERRY BARKER
North Palm Beach Life

It's Day 9 and we are docked in Wrangell, a former Russian trading post established in 1834. One of the oldest non-Native settlements in the state, its history includes ancient rock carvings by the Tlingit people at Petroglyph Beach. Here we got to see the completion of a totem pole two years in the making for the Chief Shakes Tribal House.

We are excited by several upcoming excursions: A jet boat ride on the Stikine River, North America's fastest free-flowing navigable river; a boat ride to the "Wild Bears of Anan," where we see bears going after salmon at the Anan Wildlife Observatory on the Anan Creek in the Tongass national Forest, plus a trip to see the 8,000-year-old petroglyphs.

Wrangell is also known for its deposits of garnet, a semi-precious stone used in jewelry. For over a century, the children of Wrangell have collected them at Garnet Ledge, selling them to visitors.

​There's a lot to experience here, so let's get to it:

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Anan Wildlife Observatory Slideshow
Photos: Gerry Barker

Wild Bears of Anan Video
Credit: Gerry Barker