Plotting the shore route
Winding the yarn map...
Three fiber-forward stops, from quick downtown yarn to a close fabric-and-notions fallback.
Distances use the downtown berths near Front Street. Ward Cove calls require a shuttle into town before these estimates apply.
Photo: Joseph Corl / Unsplash License
An Alaska yarn stop, rainforest stories, and a route that accounts for downtown or Ward Cove.
Port, shop, transit, and museum information checked August 1, 2026. Confirm today's shop hours before leaving your ship.
Download the Port Day Pack ↓Allow about 2.5 to 3.5 hours from a downtown berth; 4 to 6.5 hours for the longer route. You'll travel by walking downtown, with the ship shuttle from ward cove and a taxi for untangled yarn & fiber and keep the final 60 minutes free for the return to your ship.
Check your ship's daily program before you go ashore. Your terminal can change how long it takes to reach the first shop.
The four numbered berths along Ketchikan's downtown waterfront
walk: Allow 5–12 minutes to Fabulous Fiber Arts
The exact walk changes by berth. Follow the waterfront signs toward Totem Way.
This pin marks the middle of the four-berth waterfront. Use your assigned berth number when returning.
Cruise terminal north of downtown Ketchikan
shuttle: Allow 30–50 minutes to reach downtown, including boarding time
Use your ship's Ward Cove shuttle. Note its downtown pickup and final return time before you start shopping.
Downtown walking times begin after the shuttle arrives in town.
Check your ship's app or daily program for a numbered downtown berth or Ward Cove. If the berth remains unclear, allow the Ward Cove shuttle time and ask the pier team where your return pickup will be.
Walk, shuttle, or taxi
Downtown berths open onto town; Ward Cove adds the ship shuttle.
Browse
Fabulous Fiber Arts is downtown. Untangled Yarn & Fiber is a taxi-supported second stop.
Walk
Choose the Discovery Center or Totem Heritage Center according to your route.
Walk or shuttle
Ward Cove guests need extra time at the downtown shuttle pickup.
hand-dyed yarn · Alaska fabrics · kits · notions
luxury yarn · hand-dyed yarn · weaving yarn · spinning tools
Browse Fabulous Fiber Arts, then choose the Discovery Center or a Creek Street walk.
Allow 2h 28m–4h 45m, including the time set aside to get back to your ship.
Downtown Berths 1–4: allow 2h 28m–3h 32m
Ward Cove: allow 2h 28m–4h 45m
Use a taxi to Untangled Yarn & Fiber, continue to Fabulous Fiber Arts, then visit the Totem Heritage Center.
Allow 3h 42m–6h 25m, including the time set aside to get back to your ship.
Allow 45–70 minutes
The city museum preserves nineteenth-century poles and supports Northwest Coast arts education. It is open daily in the main cruise season.
Check current visitor informationAllow 35–55 minutes
The federal visitor center introduces the Tongass rainforest, local ecosystems, and Southeast Alaska communities.
Check current visitor informationChoose Fabulous Fiber Arts and one downtown museum, then take an earlier return shuttle.
Use a taxi for Untangled Yarn & Fiber or keep the day to Fabulous Fiber Arts and the Discovery Center.
Use the open fiber shop and spend the remaining time at the Totem Heritage Center or Discovery Center.
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Your ship's daily program and each shop's latest notice take precedence if a berth, timetable, or opening hour changes.
2 yarn shops with current details, plus 1 place worth checking locally. Ketchikan gives knitters a proper shore-day choice: stay close to Creek Street for a compact yarn stop, or take a longer walk or short ride for a deeper fiber visit.
See where each shop sits in relation to your cruise terminal.
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Whale's Tail Quilt Shop
5 Salmon Lndg, Ste 204, Ketchikan, AK 99901
Please check this place locally before making a special trip.
A very close Salmon Landing stop for fabric, thread, and needlework browsing near the downtown berths.
Hours: Official shop pages are current; confirm yarn inventory before treating this as a dedicated yarn stop.
Access: Located in Salmon Landing; confirm elevator and shop entry details if step-free access matters.
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Fabulous Fiber Arts and More
716 Totem Way #100, Ketchikan, AK 99901
Shop details checked May 27, 2026.
Walk through downtown toward Creek Street and Totem Way.
Hours: Current site lists cruise-friendly daytime hours; confirm for Sunday and shoulder-season calls.
Access: Downtown approach is mostly compact; sidewalks and shop entry should be verified if step-free access is required.
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Untangled Yarn & Fiber
1624 Tongass Ave, Ketchikan, AK 99901
Shop details checked May 27, 2026.
Possible as a longer waterfront walk, but a taxi is easier if your port time is short.
Hours: The shop publishes seasonal hours; confirm today's hours before leaving the waterfront.
Access: Best treated as a taxi stop for mobility needs unless you have confirmed the walking route.
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These are the most useful ways to travel from the terminal in Ketchikan.
Ketchikan downtown shuttle
Use this first if your ship is assigned to Ward Cove instead of the downtown berths.
Downtown walking estimates only make sense after you are in town.
Ketchikan Gateway Borough Transit
A local transit option for longer in-town movement when weather or timing makes walking less appealing.
Yellow Taxi
Best for Untangled Yarn & Fiber or any stop beyond the compact downtown core.
Call or search from the pier when you arrive; taxi availability can swing with ship volume.
A practical port orientation with a verified yarn stop worth planning ahead for.
A source-backed port orientation with no unverified yarn stop added.
A practical port orientation with a verified yarn stop worth planning ahead for.
A source-backed port orientation with no unverified yarn stop added.