Misty Fjords is south of Ketchikan on the border with Canada. As we begin our journey into Behm Canal, the seemingly quiet entrance becomes more and more narrow as we pass New Eddie Stone Rock. This geologic oddity is the remnant of a “volcanic plug” rising out of the middle of this passage, and named for resembling a lighthouse back in England by Captain George Vancouver. It is just the first glimpse at many of the geological features seen while in the Misty Fjords National Monument. In addition to enjoying the beauty of the landscape and waterways, visitors may spot whales, porpoise, and orca.

This national monument was created in 1980 and consists of over two million acres. Misty Fjords was carved out by the last great North American glaciation, leaving narrow winding granite walls to guide our ship deep into the wilderness. Many of these winding passageways open to large granite amphitheaters of rock rising some 3,000 feet out of the water. One, aptly named “Punchbowl Cove,” looks just like that, and it is as if our small ship is floating in a giant bowl of granite. This protected wilderness area is a place where we may spot brown bear and mountain goats. As if by magic, the forest holds onto these steep walls and flourishes on incredibly abrupt slopes coming down to the waters edge. It is common to see bald eagles here swooping down from these trees to take salmon out of the water. Often the mist and clouds will hover throughout the fjord, shrouding your whole experience in what seems like a dream. Cruising through Misty Fjords is like traveling through a mystical storybook, with epic walls of rock and deep, dark forests winding through small canyons and passages. You will never know or guess what lies around the next corner.