Sitka National Historical Park, Alaska's oldest national park, is located on the east side of Sitka, a popular port of call for Inside Passage cruises. Begin at the park's visitor center, where you'll explore exhibits on historic and modern totem poles, Russian and Native artifacts, and temperate rain forest and beaches. You'll also get an introduction to the Battle of 1804 between local Tlingit Indians and Russian colonists, the event that Sitka National Historical Park interprets and preserves. Follow that with a walking tour of the Russian Bishop's House and a hike along the Totem Trail.

On an island amid towering spruce and hemlock, Sitka National Historical Park preserves the site of a watershed battle between invading Russian traders and indigenous Kiks.ádi Tlingit; park visitors are awed by Tlingit and Haida totem poles standing along the park’s scenic coastal trail; and the restored Russian Bishop’s House speaks of Russia’s little known colonial legacy in North America.