Hammer Slough is the tidal channel that winds through Petersburg's oldest neighbourhood, lined with the weathered wooden cannery buildings and fish houses on pilings that have become the most photographed image of the town. At high tide, the reflections of the old buildings in the still water make for excellent photographs; at low tide, the mudflats expose the working underbelly of a genuine fishing community.
A footbridge crosses the slough in the main town area, giving a good vantage point. The walk along the slough's edge passes historic homes, the Sons of Norway Hall, and working waterfront facilities that have not been prettified for tourism. This is Southeast Alaska at its most authentic — a functioning fishing town that happens to be beautiful.