Overview
If hiking up towards Carlanna Lake, Ward Mountain is the standout peak that oversees the lake in the distance facing away from town over the dam. The top of this ridgeline and peak offer pretty views of several surrounding lakes, including Carlanna, Perserverance, and out towards the salt in addition to providing good hunting habitat for deer and goats alike.
Getting There
The most direct way would be to drive north on Tongass Hwy through town until you see the Best Western. Take a right up Bryant Road, directly adjacent to the hotel. Bryant Road turns to the left and becomes Alaska Ave., and if you follow this to its terminus, then becomes Canyon Rd. Canyon Rd. dead ends at a parking lot, which is the TH for Carlanna Lake.
Route
About one half of the trail is immaculately well maintained, with many rock structures to divert the flow of water, impacted gravel for the bed of the trail, and rock stepping stones to lead uphill in steeper sections. There are several scenic waterfalls along this hike past the first major clearing / rocky outcropping (*make sure to look uphill at this point for goats!). This well maintained trail abruptly ends, probably at the 1.5-2mi mark (far past the lake) and becomes a nearly purely muskeg slog uphill from here. There are some slabby pieces of rock available to hopscotch up the face of the route (*watch footing on dark patches of moss on these rocks), as well as plenty of orange trail markers hung in tree / cairns to guide the way up to the ridgeline. Follow the well defined / marked foot trail to the USGS summit marker at the top. It took me 1hr from Carlanna Lake TH to the ridgeline and an additional 40mins up from there, roundtrip car to car in 3hrs
Red Tape
None so far as a I know - this is a popular hunting area starting Aug 1, so possibly wear bright colors / hunters orange. No permit needed for parking at TH
When to Climb
The muskeg at the top was pretty treacherous / slick / deep. I would avoid this climb in wet weather, or particularly snowy weather. Probably stick with the warmer / dryer months of summer
Camping
Unsure though there were several camps higher up for hunting. The ridgeline offers dryer options than further down the mountain
Ketchikan Area Hikes
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