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Loring, Alaska: A Small Settlement on Naha Bay

Loring is a small, remote settlement on Naha Bay, north of Ketchikan in Southeast Alaska. Its history is tied to salmon canning, but today the setting matters more to a visitor than a town center: sheltered water, dense coastal forest and access to the Naha River. Loring is not a resort or a conventional sightseeing stop. It is a place to understand the quieter side of the Ketchikan area, where travel depends on the water and the surrounding Tongass National Forest shapes daily life.

A bay beyond Ketchikan’s road system

Loring sits on Revillagigedo Island, the same large island as Ketchikan, but it is not connected to Ketchikan by road. Reaching Naha Bay requires travel by water or air, so a trip here takes more planning than a drive to a trailhead. The bay’s protected shoreline can look calm even while conditions elsewhere in Southeast Alaska are rough, though weather still governs any outing. This is a small settlement rather than a town with a walkable commercial district. People looking for restaurants, shops or a full range of visitor services should plan around Ketchikan instead. Loring makes more sense as a point of access to the bay and nearby forest, or as a place of interest to someone exploring the area’s coastal communities.

The cannery past

Salmon canning gave Loring its place on the map. Like other settlements along this coast, it developed around access to fish and navigable water rather than a road network. That background helps explain why a community took root on this particular stretch of shoreline, even though it remains small and out of the way today. The historic identity should not be mistaken for a restored waterfront attraction. Loring is better understood as a former cannery settlement in a working coastal region, not as an open-air museum. Its story is part of the broader history of fishing, transport and seasonal industry around Ketchikan.

The Naha River and surrounding forest

The Naha River flows into Naha Bay close to Loring. Its river corridor, forest and lakes are the main reasons the area draws people beyond those with a connection to the settlement. The Naha River Trail provides a route into this landscape, passing through the wet, mossy temperate rainforest characteristic of the Tongass National Forest. This is not casual urban sightseeing. Trails can be muddy, rain is common, and anyone heading farther along the river needs to prepare for a remote setting. For those comfortable with those conditions, the reward is a close view of Southeast Alaska’s coastal forest and waterways without the streets and cruise-ship activity of downtown Ketchikan.

What is there in Loring?

A quick overview of the most notable things you can find in Loring.

Naha Bay shoreline

Sheltered coastal water gives Loring its setting and provides the approach to the settlement.

Naha River

The river meets the bay near Loring and anchors the area’s fishing and outdoor recreation.

Naha River Trail

This forest trail leads inland from the bay along the Naha River corridor.

Tongass rainforest

Dense, rain-soaked coastal forest surrounds the settlement and its nearby waterways.

Cannery-era history

Loring’s origins as a salmon-canning settlement remain central to understanding the place.

What to see in Loring?

Notable places and attractions connected to Loring.

01

Naha Bay

The bay is Loring’s waterfront setting and the natural starting point for seeing the surrounding coast.

02

Naha River

Close to the settlement, the river is a defining feature of the local landscape and a draw for anglers and nature-focused trips.

03

Naha River Trail

The trail follows the river corridor into Tongass forest, offering a more direct experience of the area than a brief stop at the shore.

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • ✓Direct access to Naha Bay and the Naha River area.
  • ✓A quiet setting away from Ketchikan’s busiest visitor areas.
  • ✓Rainforest scenery close to the shoreline.
  • ✓A distinct connection to Southeast Alaska’s cannery history.

Cons

  • −No road connection to Ketchikan.
  • −Very limited visitor services in the settlement.
  • −Rain and changing conditions can complicate travel and hiking.
  • −Not well suited to travelers seeking conventional sightseeing or nightlife.

Location

Loring is located in Alaska.

Loring, Alaska, United States
55.606677, -131.639977
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