Klawock, Alaska

Klawock is a Tlingit village on the Pacific side of Prince of Wales Island in Southeast Alaska, within the Tongass National Forest. It has about 700 residents, a totem park of 21 poles that is the largest collection in Alaska, and an Alaska Native-owned cruise port.[1]

Community and heritage

Klawock is described as an Alaska Native Tlingit village with a population of 705. Its totem park holds 21 poles, the largest collection in Alaska, and visitors can learn about the history of Alaska’s first cannery, which was built here.[1]

Port Klawock

The cruise port opened with a ribbon-cutting on 7 May, welcoming the 458-passenger Seabourn Odyssey as its first ship. It is a single-ship port with a floating tender dock, welcome facilities and shops selling Indigenous art and crafts. It was developed by Na-Dena’, a joint venture of Huna Totem Corporation and Doyon, and by Klawock Heenya Corporation, and is the second Alaska Native-owned cruise port in the state after Icy Strait Point.[1]

Activities

Visitors can join boat tours that may spot humpback whales and sea otters, visit a river-salmon hatchery, kayak on Klawock Lake and take local food tours. Free shuttles run to Klawock and to nearby Craig, a fishing community of about 1,400.[1]

FAQs

Where is Klawock? On the Pacific side of Prince of Wales Island.

What is Klawock known for? Its totem park of 21 poles and Alaska’s first cannery.

Is it a cruise port? Yes, an Alaska Native-owned single-ship port.

Sources

1. Afar: A new Indigenous-owned cruise port opens in Alaska

Editorially reviewed by Specialty Digest Editorial TeamLast reviewed November 13, 2026Researched and drafted with AI assistanceReport an issue