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Alaska's Giant Rainforest: More Than Just Trees
24 Jul
Summary
- Tongass National Forest spans 17 million acres in Southeast Alaska.
- It boasts the world's largest remaining intact temperate rainforest.
- The forest contains one-fifth of all US National Forest carbon storage.
Covering 17 million acres across Southeast Alaska, Tongass National Forest is the largest national forest in the United States. It is characterized by a unique blend of temperate rainforest, glaciers, islands, and ocean channels, stretching approximately 500 miles along the panhandle.
Shaped by the last Ice Age, Tongass features over 11,000 miles of coastline, with tidewater glaciers descending into the sea. Frequent rainfall supports towering trees like Sitka spruce and western hemlock, some over 800 years old.
This immense forest plays a vital role in carbon storage, holding nearly one-fifth of the total carbon within the US National Forest System. Its diverse habitats include muskeg, extensive cave systems, and over 17,000 miles of rivers and streams crucial for salmon.
Tongass is a critical ecosystem for wildlife, including large populations of brown and black bears, thousands of bald eagles, and marine mammals like humpback whales. It is also the traditional homeland of the Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian peoples, with several communities integrated into the landscape.
Designated wilderness areas and near-natural watersheds protect this vital temperate rainforest, recognized as one of the largest and most intact globally. Recreation opportunities abound, from hiking trails to remote cabins accessible by seaplane.
