Revillagigedo Island

Island Large Alaskan island in the Alexander Archipelago

Revillagigedo Island in the Alexander Archipelago hosts Ketchikan and serves as a gateway for salmon fishing, boating and excursions to the Tongass rainforest and Misty Fjords.

Revillagigedo Island is an island in the Alexander Archipelago of the Alaska Panhandle and contains the city of Ketchikan, one of southeastern Alaska’s principal towns and ports. The island sits within the temperate rainforest zone and is part of the coastal island landscape of the Inside Passage.

Visitors to the island encounter a working port town with facilities for fisheries and tourism, extensive shoreline rainforest, and nearby wilderness areas noted for steep fjords, waterfalls and wildlife. The area is widely used for salmon fishing, floatplane access and as a cruise-call destination.

The island lies off the southeastern coast of Alaska among other islands of the Alexander Archipelago and is administratively part of the Ketchikan Gateway Borough. It has long-standing Indigenous presence, particularly of Tlingit communities, and later developed as a timber and fishing centre under American administration.

  • Access: The island is a regular stop for Inside Passage cruises and is commonly accessed by ferry and floatplane, making it a practical gateway to southeastern Alaska's coastal wilderness.

What to See #

  • Ketchikan: The principal town and port on the island, serving as a regional hub for fisheries, timber-related industry and as a common cruise-ship call on the Inside Passage.
  • Coastal forests and fjords: Coastal temperate rainforest and fjords that form part of the surrounding Tongass National Forest and the nearby Misty Fjords wilderness, used for recreation and wildlife viewing.
Revillagigedo Island
55.6342, -131.2975

How to Get to Revillagigedo Island #

Revillagigedo Island is the island on which the city of Ketchikan sits. You can reach it by commercial air service to Ketchikan (scheduled flights from Seattle and other Alaska hubs) or by the Alaska Marine Highway ferry that calls at Ketchikan. Note that Ketchikan International Airport is located on nearby Gravina Island; arriving passengers transfer across the water by short ferry/tender service to Ketchikan on Revillagigedo Island, where downtown sights are within a short taxi or walk from the ferry terminal.

Tips for Visiting Revillagigedo Island #

  • Plan trips in the summer months for milder weather and more reliable ferry/floatplane connections typical of Southeast Alaska.
  • Use a regional gateway such as Ketchikan or Wrangell to arrange local boat charters or floatplane drops-these towns are the usual bases for island excursions in the Alexander Archipelago.
  • If you want wildlife viewing (eagles, seals, sea birds), schedule outings for early morning or late afternoon when wildlife is most active and tour-boat traffic is lighter.

Best Time to Visit Revillagigedo Island #

Visit in summer (June-August) when conditions are mildest and access by boat is most reliable.

Summer
June-August · 8-15 °C
Mild, relatively drier months with the most stable conditions for boating and shore visits.
Autumn-Spring
September-May · 0-10 °C
Cool, wet and changeable maritime weather with more frequent storms and limited daylight in winter-travel and access are less reliable.

Weather & Climate near Revillagigedo Island #

Climate

Revillagigedo Island's climate is classified as Subarctic - Subarctic climate with cool summers (peaking in August) and freezing winters (coldest in January). Temperatures range from -5°C to 16°C. Heavy rainfall (2877 mm/year), wettest in October.

Temperature & Rainfall
Temperature Range
16°
Warmest Month
-5°
Coldest Month
Monthly Conditions

January

January is the coldest month with highs of 0°C and lows of -5°C. Heavy rain (292 mm).

Comfort

-3°
Feels Like Freezing
-3°C
Temperature
-5°

Weather

292 mm
Rainfall
3.9 m/s
Wind
Light Breeze

February

February is freezing with highs of 2°C and lows of -4°C. Heavy rain (249 mm).

Comfort

-1°
Feels Like Freezing
-1°C
Temperature
-4°

Weather

249 mm
Rainfall
3.9 m/s
Wind
Light Breeze

March

March is freezing with highs of 2°C and lows of -3°C. Heavy rain (221 mm).

Comfort

-1°
Feels Like Freezing
-1°C
Temperature
-3°

Weather

221 mm
Rainfall
3.4 m/s
Wind
Light Breeze

April

April is cold with highs of 6°C and lows of -1°C. Significant rainfall (185 mm).

Comfort

Feels Like Cold
C
Temperature
-1°

Weather

185 mm
Rainfall
3.4 m/s
Wind
Light Breeze

May

May is cold with highs of 10°C and lows of 2°C. Significant rainfall (160 mm).

Comfort

Feels Like Cold
C
Temperature
10°

Weather

160 mm
Rainfall
3.2 m/s
Wind
Light Breeze

June

June is cold with highs of 14°C and lows of 6°C. Significant rainfall (132 mm).

Comfort

10°
Feels Like Cold
10°C
Temperature
14°

Weather

132 mm
Rainfall
3.1 m/s
Wind
Light Breeze

July

July is cool with highs of 15°C and lows of 8°C. Significant rainfall (128 mm).

Comfort

12°
Feels Like Cool
12°C
Temperature
15°

Weather

128 mm
Rainfall
2.7 m/s
Wind
Calm

August

August is cool with highs of 16°C and lows of 8°C. Significant rainfall (188 mm).

Comfort

12°
Feels Like Cool
12°C
Temperature
16°

Weather

188 mm
Rainfall
2.7 m/s
Wind
Calm

September

September is cold with highs of 12°C and lows of 6°C. Heavy rain (274 mm).

Comfort

Feels Like Cold
C
Temperature
12°

Weather

274 mm
Rainfall
3.0 m/s
Wind
Light Breeze

October

October is cold with highs of 7°C and lows of 2°C. The wettest month with heavy rain (399 mm).

Comfort

Feels Like Cold
C
Temperature

Weather

399 mm
Rainfall
3.4 m/s
Wind
Light Breeze

November

November is cold with highs of 2°C and lows of -2°C. Heavy rain (321 mm).

Comfort

Feels Like Cold
C
Temperature
-3°

Weather

321 mm
Rainfall
3.7 m/s
Wind
Light Breeze

December

December is freezing with highs of 1°C and lows of -4°C. Heavy rain (328 mm).

Comfort

-1°
Feels Like Freezing
-1°C
Temperature
-4°

Weather

328 mm
Rainfall
3.8 m/s
Wind
Light Breeze

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