Alaska’s Chuck River Wilderness grows with 28-acre transfer

April 20, 2026-

In Southeast Alaska, the Tongass National Forest covers almost 17 million acres of coastline and temperate rainforest. It is the nation’s largest national forest, and about 35% of it is designated as wilderness in 19 wilderness areas.

Within it, the Trust recently transferred our 28-acre Chuck River Bend property to public ownership to be added to the Chuck River Wilderness.

The property, accessible by boat only at high tide, sits where the Chuck River flows into Windham Bay. Its open meadows are prime pink salmon fishing grounds for Alaskan brown bear, and also have blueberries, salmon berries, and devil’s club, which are other important food sources for bears.

Chuck River Bend is the third property the Trust has protected as wilderness in the Tongass National Forest since we began working in Alaska in 2017.

Learn more about our recent Alaska projects in this virtual site visit video from a few summers ago.