This is one of the prettiest trails for a visitor who’s not a big hiker. It’s an interpretive trail with a self-guided brochure, and you’ll travel through prime examples of the dominant forest ecosystems in the area: forest and muskeg. Learn about these ecologies while walking a gently sloping trail of gravel and boardwalk.
One of the best ways to enjoy this trail is to park at Old Sitka State Park located just ½-mile north of the Ferry Terminal. Take a minute to read the interpretive panels: you’re walking in an area where western European civilization first made contact with the Tlingit Indians during the sea otter fur trade era. Walk south on Halibut point Road for ¼ mile and cross the road at the driveway to the boat launch parking area. The trail enters the woods, and a kiosk with a map will help orient you. The trail is about ¾-mile one-way and can be hiked in about 25 minutes; the loop takes 45 minutes. You’ll walk through mixed hemlock and spruce forest and then break out onto charming bog meadows filled with wildflowers, ponds, and dragonflies. The trail then winds down to a gravel road running along Starrigavan Creek. Walk down the road to the highway and back to Old Sitka State Historical Park or continue across Starrigavan Creek Bridge onto the Estuary Life Trail.
