Tongass National Forest

The Tongass National Forest is the largest national forest in the United States, covering approximately 17 million acres across the Alaska Panhandle — the Inside Passage coastline of Southeast Alaska stretching from Ketchikan in the south to Yakutat in the north. It encompasses the majority of the world's remaining intact coastal temperate rainforest, a biome dominated by Sitka spruce, western hemlock, and red cedar growing over a dense understory of ferns, devil's club, and mosses. The wettest areas of the Tongass receive more than 200 inches of precipitation annually. The forest contains 11 federally designated wilderness areas, 3 national monuments — including Admiralty Island National Monument and Misty Fjords National Monument — and thousands of miles of fjord coastline and salmon rivers. Admiralty Island National Monument, accessible by floatplane or boat from Juneau, holds the highest density of brown bears in North America and thousands of nesting bald eagles; Pack Creek on the island's eastern shore is a premier bear-viewing site. Misty Fjords National Monument near Ketchikan is characterized by 3,000-foot vertical granite walls rising directly from fjord water, accessible by floatplane or boat tour from Ketchikan harbor. Within Juneau, Tongass recreational areas including the Mendenhall Glacier Recreation Area and the trails of Douglas Island are accessible by road or short ferry. Hiking, sea kayaking, sport fishing, and wildlife watching are the primary activities; most wilderness access requires floatplane, charter vessel, or Alaska Marine Highway ferry planning.