With its seemingly endless miles of rugged coastline, thousands of islands, towering mountains, dense forests, abundant wildlife, rich salmon runs, hot springs and extreme remoteness, West Chichagof is a wild place beyond compare. By boat, plane, on foot or in a kayak, you’ll not find a better place to experience true wilderness.

This Wilderness Area was created through a citizen’s proposal after a group of Sitka teachers and concerned community members suggested that it would be a stellar place to preserve. This was especially significant at a time when ancient forests of the region were being cut down at an alarming rate.

The West Chichagof – Yakobi Wilderness was officially designated, in 1980, under the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA). It now stands as an absolute national treasure, on the outer-coast edge of our 17 million acre Tongass National Forest.