Inside Passage

Along the Pacific coast of North America are a collection of islands that weave through the coastline and are referred to as the Inside Passage. The passage resides in the United States from the southeastern parts of Alaska, throughout the western Canadian region of British Columbia, to Washington state in the northwestern area of the US. Heavy traffic from cruise ships, freighters, tugboats and tows, fishing crafts and ferries (such as the Alaska Marine Highway, BC Ferries, and Washington State Ferries) keep these waters continuously busy. The term "Inside Passage" also refers to the waters that surround the islands rather than the term just being used for the passage itself. The passage is commonly regarded as the Northwest Passage between the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean. The Inside Passage begins in Washington state in Puget Sound and continues north along the British Columbia Coast (up to 25,000 miles long)—all the way down to the Alaska panhandle extending out an additional 500 miles. The area in Alaska includes over 1,000 islands and 15,000 miles of shoreline with thousands of bays and coves.