West Chichagof-Yacobi Wilderness

The 265,286-acre West Chichagof-Yacobi Wilderness came into being with the signing of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act in 11000. The wilderness is located mostly on the western side of Chichagof Island, including smaller Yacobi Island to the north and most of West Chichagof running south to Salisbury Sound. The western edge of the wilderness is lapped by the waves of the Pacific while the eastern boundary is more quiet. There are numerous sheltered bays and islands around the coasts, too.

About 1/3 of the wilderness is treed in western hemlock and Sitka spruce. The rest of the landscape is vegetated with estuarine, alpine and muskeg plants. Brown bears and Sitka black-tailed deer are common. There are six established hiking trails, one geothermal spring and the Forest Service offers four cabins for rent in the wilderness.