Kuiu and Tebenkof Bay Wildernesses
Kuiu Wilderness: A view over Port Malmesbury
The US Forest Service administers Kuiu and Tebenkof Bay Wildernesses as though they were one parcel... and they should have been. The only difference between the two is Tebenkof Bay Wilderness was designated in 1980 and Kuiu Wilderness was designated in 1990. Tebenkof Bay Wilderness contains 66,812 acres, Kuiu Wilderness 60,581 acres. Between the two they protect most of the southern end of Kuiu Island. There are no established trails in either wilderness. Most visitors come by sea kayak and camp on the shore well above the predicted high tide for the night.
The land is carpeted in a thick rainforest of cedar, hemlock and spruce intersperesed in the lowlands with deep muskegs of sphagnum peat. Elevations range from sea level to more than 2,000 feet. Rainfall averages 160 inches per year...
Tebenkof Bay and Kuiu Wilderness Areas map
Photos and map courtesy of the US Forest Service