Description of landmarks goes from left to right.
O'Connell Bridge - Built in 1971, the bridge connects the main town of Sitka on Baranof Island to Japonski Island. This was the first cable stayed girder spanned bridge built in the United States.
Cable House - Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979 (Building #79000412). This building is home to the local public radio station, KCAW, and the Larkspur Cafe. The Larkspur serves lunch and dinner in a friendly atmosphere and hosts a variety of live music events.
Mt. Edgecumbe - Mt. Edgecumbe is a Dormant volcano located on Kruzof Island, about 14 miles west of town. Elevation 3201 ft (976m). In the Tlingit language it is called L'ux. The last known eruption of Mt. Edgecumbe is estimated to be 2220 BC +/- 100 years. The mountain is sometimes completely free of snow by mid to late August. There is a hiking trail to the top of the mountain. How was Mt. Edgecumbe involved in one of the top April Fool's Day Hoaxes of all time? CLICK HERE to find out.
USCG Station - USCG Station (s) - Pictured above (see "USCG Station") is The US Coast Guard Cutter Maple, a 225-foot Sea Going Buoy tender, moored in Sitka Channel. Part of the USCG presence in Sitka. The other two entities are Air Station Sitka operating three HC-60 Jayhawk Helicopters located next to the airport, and the USCG Aids to Navigation Office located in the Troutte Building in downtown Sitka.
Japonski Island - During WWII the U.S. Navy constructed an air base on the island with 30,000 service personnel. Today Japonski Island is home to Sitka's airport, US Coast Guard Air Station, port and facilities for the US Coast Guard cutter Maple, a branch of the University of Alaska, the Mt. Edgecumbe High School (a state-run boarding school for rural Alaskans), and the Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC) hospital.
Japonski Channel - Japonski Channel separates Japonski Island and Baranof Island and is a busy thoroughfare for boats coming and going from three harbors located within the Channel.
ANB Harbor - One of five City owned boat harbors, the ANB Harbor is located on Katlian Street, next to the Alaska Native Brotherhood Hall. Located at ANB Harbor is the Mariner's Wall, a brick wall with 2,000 inscriptions representing the rich maritime history of Southeast Alaska and a memorial to mariners.
Totem Square - Totem Square is an open grassy area located directly across the street from Sitka Hall.
Harbor Mountain - A rugged road to the top of the mountain is open in the summer. Hikers, berry pickers, photographers, and picnickers enjoy the views offered from the top of the Mountain. One of many popular local hiking trails runs between Harbor Mountain and Gavin Hill. Harbor Mountain was the site of a secret radar station during World War II.
Sheet'ka Kwaán Naa Kahidi - This is the Community House for the Sitka Tribe of Alaska. The name roughly translates to "The Clan House for All the People of Sitka." "The Community House is a place where the community and clan families gather for activities and special occasions. It is used to share the Native Culture through dance, storytelling, Tribal Council meetings and other events. Ultimately, it is an educational forum for teachers, business leaders, community leaders, as-well-as seasonal visitors. The Community House is used to inspire, revitalize, restore, and preserve, the language, values and customs of the Tlingit People."
Katlian Street - Katlian Street is one of the original pathways used by Sitka's first people, the Tlingit, for over 5,000 years. Is is also the site of the original New Archangel Shipyard, where the first Pacific Coast steamship was built in 1806. Today, points of interest on Katlian Street include the historic Alaska Native Brotherhood Hall, which played an important role in the Alaska Native civil rights movement, historic properties and modern offices of the Sitka Tribe of Alaska, ANB and Old Thompsen Harbors, and two large fish processing facilities.
Gavan Hill - A three-mile long hiking trail ascends almost 2,500 feet to Gavan Hill peak. The trail provides excellent views of Sitka and the surrounding area. Another hiking trail runs between Harbor Mountain and Gavan Hill.
Pioneer Home - The Sitka Pioneer Home is one of six state run assisted living facilities serving Alaskan seniors and is an Eden Alternative(R) Registered Home. The gardens of the Pioneers Home are well maintained and worth visiting in the spring and summer when the flowers are in bloom.
Lincoln Street - This is the main downtown street running from the Cable House all the way to the National Historical (Totem) Park. In the summer, this street serves as the main thoroughfare for Sitka's cruise ship visitors.
Three Sisters Peaks - The Indian River Trail ends at an 80-foot waterfall at the base of the Three Sisters. This is a long, but moderately easy trail which passes through lush rainforest and an area of muskeg.
Russian Orthodox Cathedral - St. Michael's Cathedral is a fully functioning church and a monument to Sitka's colonial Russian history.