Sitka, Alaska, offers visitors a unique blend of natural beauty and small-town charm, best explored at your own pace. With only 14 miles of paved road, renting a car in Sitka might seem unnecessary. On our last visit, we booked a rental and share our DIY visit experience.
Most travelers reach Sitka by way of cruise ship. Many vessels dock at the Sitka Sound Terminal, north of downtown. While the compact downtown area is navigable without a vehicle, getting there can be slow when two ships are docked.
Beyond downtown, the Ride bus system provides access to areas that are not walkable. However, they usually only run once every 60 minutes. If wanting to cover multiple places, having a car allows for self-exploration and not conforming to a set schedule.
Those on a budget might not want the added cost of a car rental. During our drive, we met several cruise guests who booked a rental car option. They loved the freedom to explore Sitka on their own terms.
Why Rent A Car In Sitka, Alaska?
We have visited this port multiple times. We could stay at one location as long as we wanted by having a rental car in Sitka. Also, we could reach remote attractions that aren’t serviced by public transportation.
Benefits Of Renting Vs. Public Transportation
While Sitka does offer public transportation options, we found advantages to having a rental car. We weren’t bound by a bus schedule and didn’t have to worry about the bus being on time.
If money is a factor, buses are more affordable at USD 2 (USD 1 for seniors aged 60+) per ride. Rental cars cost considerably more, from USD 75 to USD 180, depending on availability and vehicle type.
Time efficiency is another key benefit. With a rental car, we could cover more ground promptly. We could fit more of Sitka’s attractions into our port day.
Since we planned to hike on our port day, bringing our hiking boots instead of wearing them was more convenient with a car. We could switch out our footwear and leave things in the trunk we didn’t need when hiking.
Avoids The Cruise Shuttle Service
Cruise passengers arriving at Sitka Sound rely on complimentary shuttle services. In 2025, passengers must now book a time slot for outgoing and incoming trips. Those without reservations join a different line, with reserved guests getting priority.
With more than one ship in port, we’ve waited 45 minutes to board a shuttle on previous visits. Combined waiting and travel time can eat up to two or more hours of your port day.
We avoided the lengthy waits during peak times by renting a car. Also, if it’s raining, there’s little to no covered area when waiting for a shuttle.
For families with kids or travelers with limited mobility, a rental car provides comfort and convenience that shuttle services cannot match.
Rental Car Options In Sitka
Sitka has a population of just over 8000 and a few options for rental cars. The most obvious choice might be the airport, but it’s not the most convenient for cruise guests.
Airport Car Rentals
Sitka Rocky Gutierrez Airport (SIT) on Japonski Island offers convenient rental services for travelers arriving by air. Avis Rent a Car maintains a presence at the airport, although its office is 1.5 miles from the downtown shuttle drop-off.
Other companies serving the Sitka area include Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Hertz, and local providers. Prices typically start at around USD 74 per day, though rates vary by season and availability.
For cruise guests, the best option is Turo. Turo, the peer-to-peer car-sharing platform, connects visitors with local car owners willing to rent their personal vehicles. We rented through Turo. It was our first time using the app, but it worked out well, and we rented two more times in other ports.
Turo
The Turo experience allowed us to skip the rental counter and choose our drop-off location. While delivering our rental to the cruise port cost a little more, the time saved was worth every dollar spent.
Booking through Turo requires creating an account and following the platform’s verification process. We needed Wi-Fi to contact our host to upload a driver’s license the morning of arrival. Once our host received it, they gave us directions to find the car near the shuttles at the port.
Availability on Turo can fluctuate based on the season, with more options typically available during peak tourist months. Some hosts provide child car seats for a small fee. Our host even offered the option of a cooler rental for a small fee.
Rental Options At The Port
Bear Mountain Car Rental (102 Sunset Drive) offers day rentals, a short walk from the cruise port. For high season (April to October), expect to pay USD 300 for a daily rental.
We booked through Turo months before our cruise. We paid less than USD 100 for our car, including insurance and port drop-off fee. While our car wasn’t fancy or a new model, we just wanted something reliable for our one day visit.
Unfortunately, 72 hours before our cruise, our host canceled our booking because the car had been in an accident. We scrambled to get another car, a BMW SUV, for another USD 70. Although we paid more because there were only 3 vehicles left to pick from, we still saved hundreds over a cruise line excursion.
Exploring Sitka By Car
Renting a car in Sitka provides opportunities to visit wildlife centers, historical sites, and natural attractions at your own pace. Beyond the walkable attractions downtown, we stopped at areas void of people.
Halibut Point Road runs from the Old Sitka State Historic Park to a roundabout downtown. From there, Sawmill Creek Road continues to Herring Cove Trail. Here are some places to visit:
Old Sitka State Historic Park
Driving north of the cruise port, the end of the road is at Old Sitka State Historic Park. No tours travel here so it’s only accessible by car.
This beautiful spot marked the early 1800s battle between the Tlingits and the Russians. Today, the verdant land has several excellent trails for the avid hikers. They include the:
- Mosquito Cove Trail.
- Estuary Life Trail.
- Forest and Muskeg Trail.
Driving south of the cruise port, here are the highlights:
Alaska Raptor Center
It’s a 25-minute walk to the Alaska Raptor Center from Harrigan Centennial Hall. It’s not so convenient if it’s raining, which often is in southeast Alaska. Parking is complimentary and plentiful, making it a convenient stop when visiting by car.
This renowned rehabilitation facility treats nearly 200 injured birds annually. It is a permanent home for raptors unable to return to the wild. We saw bald eagles, hawks, owls, and other birds of prey up close.
The Flight Training Center was the highlight, where recovering birds practice flying before release. While we could watch the birds, the ingenious design allowed the eagles to practice their flying skills without seeing or hearing us.
Sitka National Historical Park
Just a short drive from downtown, Sitka National Historical Park preserves the site of an 1804 battle between Russian traders and the native Tlingit people. The park features a scenic coastal trail lined with traditional totem poles.
We enjoyed the totem trail, admired the totem poles, and saw many bald eagles. Easy parking is available at the visitor center lot, making this historical site readily accessible by car.
Whale Park
Whale Park is 1.5 miles before Fortress of the Bear on Sawmill Creek Road. The small park is aptly named because it’s a great place to see whales in summer. The parking area features a whale sculpture and gazebos with informational signage and telescopes.
We climbed a long staircase down to the water and walked on a trail, but alas, we saw no whales. Once we left the parking lot, we spotted the waterspouts of humpback whales close to the bear sanctuary.
Fortress Of The Bear
Fortress of the Bear rescue is located almost 6 miles from Harrigan Centennial Hall and is easily accessible by car. This wildlife rehabilitation center provides a sanctuary for orphaned brown and black bears in a former pulp mill’s clarifier tanks.
We had previously visited this sanctuary on an organized tour but only spent 30 minutes there. It wasn’t enough time to see all eight bears and ask questions of the trainers. The visit felt rushed, and we barely had time to purchase two T-shirts before boarding our bus.
Since that tour now costs around USD 300 per couple, the admission of USD 15 pp and car rental was less expensive. We could stay as long as we wanted and spend more time observing the bears.
Watching them from the lower observation window was nice, an area we didn’t see the first time due to the rushed visit.
Herring Cove Trail
Located about 7 miles south of downtown Sitka, Herring Cove Trail offers a rewarding hiking experience accessible only by car. This 3-mile roundtrip trail winds through lush temperate rainforest to a scenic cove.
Visitors might spot bears fishing in the stream during the salmon spawning season (July-September). The trail features boardwalks and bridges, making it accessible for most fitness levels.
A small waterfall is viewable, a short walk from the parking area. Then, the trail crosses a wooden bridge and up the mountain.
Driving In Sitka: What To Know
Sitka’s road system is relatively limited. While its paved road spans only 14 miles, it has no shortage of beautiful places to enjoy outside of downtown. With a small population, traffic is generally light, even during peak tourist season.
Parking is usually plentiful and often free. Most attractions, including Fortress of the Bear and Sitka National Historical Park, offer dedicated parking lots.
Gas prices in Sitka tend to be higher than those in mainland US. But you won’t burn off much gas with 14 miles of road. Unless you rent an electric car, you must fill the tank before returning it. We noticed only a few gas stations and none near the port. So, choose from the following:
- Petro Express (614 Katlian Street).
- Cascade Convenience Center (1211 Sawmill Creek Road).
Cell service is generally reliable downtown, but it became spotty as we drove further away. This wasn’t an issue since Sitka doesn’t have an extensive road system.
Our Turo car rental was the first of three we enjoyed on this cruise. We later rented cars in Anchorage and Kodiak Island. The experience was fantastic, and we intend to rent from Turo again.
