Eight miles south of Ketchikan at Herring Cove is the Alaska Rainforest Sanctuary (907/225-5503, www.alaskarainforest.com), where a former lumber mill serves as headquarters for two different sets of exciting zip-lines. The Rain Forest Canopy Trek includes eight zip-lines (the longest is 850 feet) and three sky-bridges through the treetops, while the Bear Creek Zip-line has seven zip-lines, a long sky-bridge, rappelling, and a steep 250-foot hillside slide.

Guided tours cost $179 and take 3.5 hours. Children must be taller than 50 inches. The sanctuary also has guided rain forest walks ($80), mainly for cruise ship passengers.

A gift shop and totem carving area are at the old mill site, and a boardwalk leads along the creek—a good place to watch black bears fishing for salmon most summer evenings.

A smaller zip-line operated by Southeast Exposure (907/225-8829, www.southeastexposure.com) is 14 miles north of town. The course covers eight cable spans and a rope bridge plus a climbing wall for $99. This is a low-key family-run operation. Free transportation is often available from Ketchikan.