Ketchikan Misty Fjords Seaplane Tour with Lake Landing

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Travelers' pick

1/9

Duration2h 30m

GroupUp to 12

LanguagesEN · ES

PickupAt your hotel

Float above wild fjords, land on remote lakes, hear silence deeper than words

You’ll board a classic seaplane in Ketchikan with an Alaskan pilot at the controls, soaring over Misty Fjords’ dramatic cliffs and hidden lakes. Land on a remote alpine lake or bay, step out into pure wilderness air, and feel what real quiet sounds like before flying back with new stories tucked away.

2h 30m

Step-by-step itinerary

Misty Fjords seaplane flight tour

Pick up from Ketchikan
Board seaplane for flightseeing
Fly over Revillagigedo Island
Explore Misty Fjords National Monument
Land on alpine lake or fjord
Take a 30-minute stopover
Relax and take photos
Return flight to Ketchikan
Drop off at original location

The Experience

"You guys ready for your first water takeoff?" Michelle grinned at us as we shuffled into the tiny DeHavilland Beaver, all nervous energy and camera straps. The floatplane bobbed gently against the dock in Ketchikan — I could smell the salt in the air and something sharp, like wet cedar. We each got a window seat (Michelle insisted), and she handed out headsets so we could talk without yelling over the engine. I tried not to think about how small the plane looked from outside, but once we lifted off, it felt like floating more than flying — just this gentle rise above all that green and gray.

The Misty Fjords National Monument opened up below us: deep blue water slicing through granite cliffs, waterfalls trailing down like threads you could almost pluck. Michelle pointed out mountain goats — tiny white dots on impossible slopes — and told stories about her first flights here back in the '90s. Her voice crackled through my headset: "See that lake? We'll land there." It didn't look real from above. The rain forest was everywhere, thick and tangled, clinging to rock faces so steep I wondered how any tree could hold on. Somewhere over Revillagigedo Island I realized I hadn't said anything for ten minutes — just listening to the engine hum and watching clouds drift by.

Landing on that alpine lake was quieter than I expected. The floats skimmed across glassy water with barely a splash, then everything went still except for a loon calling somewhere far off. We stepped out onto the float and stretched our legs; my shoes felt clumsy on the wet wood. There was this hush — no roads, no phone signal, just mist curling around spruce trees and the sound of someone laughing softly behind me (I think they slipped a little). Michelle let us wander for half an hour or so; I mostly stood there breathing it in, trying to memorize how cold and clean it smelled. Honestly, I still think about that silence sometimes when I'm stuck in traffic back home.

What’s included

Your day includes pickup and drop-off from central Ketchikan by van, guaranteed window seats aboard a six-passenger DeHavilland Beaver floatplane with interactive narration from your pilot via noise-cancelling headsets, all required permits for shore stops inside Misty Fjords National Monument, plus time to walk around after landing on an alpine lake or calm fjord before heading back to town.

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyPets welcomeInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Island Wings Air Service