Prince William Sound

On a sailing expedition in 1778, George Vancouver named the area after the future king of England, William IV. This explains why many of the landmarks bear British names, along with many Native names. Bligh Island, for example, was named after Lieutenant William Bligh before his fateful journey on the HMS Bounty.

Named after the native Alaskan Chugach culture, the Chugach Mountains and Chugach National Forest surround Prince William Sound to the west, north, and east. Chenega Island, off the coast, once boasted the Chugach village of Chenega. For over 400 years the village thrived, until the 1964 Good Friday Earthquake hit, killing over one-third of the villagers. The remaining Chugach people relocated to Evans Island in Chenega Bay where the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill unfortunately devastated their community once again. But to this day, villagers continue to inhabit Evans Island.

To the south of Prince William Sound, Montague and Hinchinbrook Islands buffer the wild temper of the Gulf of Alaska. These protected waters harbor the most diverse habitat of the entire northern Pacific Coast. Over two hundred species of birds inhabit the sky and coastline, while deer, mountain goats, and bears roam the land. Take to the sea and vistors find humpback and killer whales, sea lions, and seals, not to mention some of the most productive salmon runs in the world.

The Chugach National Forest, the nation’s most northerly National Forest, is a temperate rain forest in the Pacific temperate rain forest region. Here the forest occupies only a very narrow strip between the ocean and the icy alpine zone. The dominant trees include Sitka spruce, western hemlock, and mountain hemlock.

This stunning landscape stretches across south-central Alaska, from the salty waters and snowy peaks of Prince William Sound to the fabulous salmon and trout streams of the Kenai Peninsula, covering an area the size of New Hampshire. It is one of the few places left in the world where glaciers still grind valleys into the hard rock of the earth. Tidewater glaciers still spill out of fjords into Prince William Sound.
Its geographic diversity is unique among national forests. The three distinct landscapes of the Copper River Delta, the Eastern Kenai Peninsula, and Prince William Sound are destinations for adventurers and nature enthusiasts the world over.

Prince William Sound provides excellent opportunities for backcountry adventure, solitude, and wildlife observation. The Sound has more tidewater glaciers than any other region in North America and is encompassed by the 5.4 million acre Chugach National Forest. Though Congress has not yet designated any Wilderness on the Chugach National Forest, 1.9 million acres of the western Sound is designated as the Nellie Juan College Fiord Wilderness Study Area to preserve its unique wilderness character.

Immense ice fields surround this inland waterway and give rise to magnificent tidewater glaciers that tumble into the sea. Icebergs and postglacial terrain are hallmarks of the landscape, offering a unique glimpse of geology and post-glacial reforestation in action.

The links below provide more great information about Prince William Sound. Click on them to learn more. Then come back to register for a great trip!