Ketchikan–Hollis ferry: one sailing each way, every day, to Prince of Wales Island

Three hours, $60 for an adult, $116.50 for a 15-foot car and $20 for every fish box: those four figures shape most journeys between Ketchikan and Prince of Wales Island. The Inter-Island Ferry Authority sails the route every day, leaving Hollis at 8:00 a.m. and Ketchikan at 3:30 p.m., so islanders can spend most of a day in town and be home the same evening, while anyone starting in Ketchikan needs at least one night on Prince of Wales.

The authority was set up in 1994 and began sailing in 2002 with the M/V Prince of Wales, after the Alaska Marine Highway stopped calling at the island regularly. A sister ship, the M/V Stikine, joined in 2006, spent three summers on a northern route to Petersburg and Wrangell, and now does the daily Hollis run, with the Prince of Wales kept as the backup.

On the island side the boat lands you at the start of a drive rather than the end of one. The IFA counts Prince of Wales as the fourth-largest island in the United States, and from the Hollis terminal it is about 23 miles to Klawock and about 30 to Craig, the largest community.

Morning boat from the island, afternoon boat from town

Daily departures as stated on the IFA's travel-information and booking pages, read on October 13, 2026   Inter-Island Ferry Authority — Travel Information · 2026-10-13

Sixty dollars a seat, and vehicles priced by the foot

Passengers pay by category and vehicles by length, always one way and in US dollars. Vehicle prices cover the vehicle alone; the IFA advertises 'driver goes free' offers only for select promotional periods, so plan on buying the driver a passenger fare as well.

Coolers and fish boxes are charged separately at $20 each and do not count towards the baggage allowance, which matters on the return leg of a fishing trip.

One-way fares as published by the IFA, subject to change; checked October 13, 2026   Inter-Island Ferry Authority — Fares & Pricing · 2026-10-13

Tongass Avenue in town, Mile 31 at Clark Bay

Three hours west from Ketchikan to the island's eastern shore

Hollis lies on the east coast of Prince of Wales, so the line on the map runs west from the Ketchikan waterfront to Clark Bay, a passage the IFA allows about three hours for. The authority sells the time aboard as part of the trip: a heated solarium deck, a play area for children and a galley serving breakfast on the morning sailing and lunch, dinner and ice cream on the afternoon one.

Alaska's other ferry pages here show how unusual that simplicity is. The Juneau–Haines crossing belongs to the state's Marine Highway, which publishes its sailings as a calendar that changes by the date; the island authority keeps the same two departures every day of the week.

Getting yourself and a vehicle onto the Hollis boat

• Reserve the vehicle space

  Room on the car deck is limited and the IFA strongly recommends booking a vehicle in advance, online or on 866-308-4848.

• Photo ID, not Real ID

  Everyone 18 or older needs valid government-issued photo ID; the IFA does not require a Real ID.

• An hour ahead, no exceptions

  Passengers and vehicles must be ticketed and ready to board one hour before departure.

• Count your coolers

  Each fish box, cooler or tote costs $20, separate from the baggage allowance.

• Leave cannabis ashore

  Marijuana is banned on IFA vessels and in its terminals; the IFA points out that federal law governs maritime travel.

• Help for veterans

  Since September 15, 2026 the IFA has again taken part, for a 12th year, in the VA's Highly Rural Transportation Grant; travelers must return a VA appointment card at the port of return.

Why Prince of Wales Island ended up with its own ferry authority

The IFA's own history explains its existence in one line: when the state's Marine Highway discontinued regular service, the island needed a dependable link of its own, and a regional authority was the vehicle chosen. Twenty-four years after the first sailing it still runs two boats, both operating under U.S. Coast Guard rules, with wheelchair-accessible terminals and vessel restrooms.

Some of what it offers sits outside the fare table. Memberships give frequent travelers lower passenger and vehicle fares, a disability discount program works on application, and non-profit youth groups can travel at reduced rates, all of it arranged through the reservations team rather than online.

A working boat and its spare

Before you book Ketchikan to Hollis