The Tongass National Forest is without question the paragon of America's 155 national forests. Nearly the size of Maine, it is by far the largest forest and shelters a vast swath of virgin temperate rain forest dominated by old-growth spruce and hemlock. Imposing fjords serve as gateways into a labyrinth of ice-blue water veins that penetrate deep into the forest's remote and rugged interior. Sea kayaking is the way to explore the Tongass. Paddle your way past knife-blue glaciers that occasionally calve into the sea. Gently stroke through a maze of floating icebergs that harbor lazy Steller sea lions and seals at play. And keep a keen eye out for killer whales that prowl the cold waters for unsuspecting sea otters.
Ninety percent of southeast Alaska falls within the boundaries of the Tongass. The monster national forest is three times larger than the nation's second-largest forest, Alaska's Chugach National Forest. The Tongass is also vaster than any one of America's national parks. Stretching for 500 miles along the coast, the forest encompasses the beguiling karst region of Prince Wales Island, 700 square miles of limestone and marble caverns created by subterranean streams.
On a recent episode of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, a contestant was asked to identify the state in which the Tongass National Forest is located. He didn't know. It was for $32,000. Don't let this happen to you. Let GORP serve as your lifeline to outdoor adventure.
Just the Facts
Size: 17 million acres
Number of wilderness areas: 19
Length of the Mendenhall Glacier: 12 miles
Features: Watch Alaskan brown bears feed on salmon at the Pack Creek estuary on Admiralty Island. Spelunkers will not want to miss the El Capitan Cave Trail on Prince of Wales Island. Outside the town of Sitka, the waters of Peril Strait lure fishermen for its abundant varieties of salmon, including king, red, chum, silver, and pink. A good place to chill is the Mendenhall Glacier, a river of ice near Juneau that formed about 3,000 years ago.
from Away.com
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