Admiralty Island

Admiralty Island National Monument is located on Admiralty Island in Southeast Alaska. This monument is considered a sacred area for the Angoon Tribe of Tlingit people. The land is home to an abundance of wildlife such as brown bears and bald eagles. It has a dominant rainforest vegetation as well as its alpine tundra and rugged coastline. This national monument includes over 1 million acres of land which is why it is home to a variety of temperatures and animals. The Admiralty Island National Monument has something to offer to everyone.

Admiralty Island was created on December 1, 1978 and covers roughly around 1 million acres of the Tongass National Forest. The remoteness of this location led congress to allow all but 18,351 acres as the Kootznoowoo Wilderness making sure that the bulk of the monument will remain undeveloped. The Tlingit people gave the island its name, 'Kootznoowoo' which means Fortress of the Bears. This land has one of the worlds highest population of brown bear ranking in as a home to 1,600 bears, which is more than any other state has combined. The best place to site bears is at Pack Creek located on the northern part of the island. This area has park rangers available to answer questions or tell you which areas to tour. At Pack Creek visitors can take a mile hike and see bear in their natural habitat or see them catching salmon out of the river from the "viewing spit."

Due to the 100 inches of rain that falls each year in Alaska, the streams and greenery stay very hydrated which is a benefit for all the wildlife that reside there. The island offers bays like Mitchell, Whitewater, and Chaik that contain harbors that home seals and sea lions. Visitors not only have the option of walking around Pack Creek they can also floatplane, boat, or kayak around the island by their selves or with a guide depending on experience. Guides can help show certain spots that are popular to visitors. Although the Black bear is highly popular for visitors to see the island is also home to more than 2,500 bald eagles with an average of one nest per every mile along the coastline. Also along the coastline in the ocean visitors can sometimes spot Humpback whales feeding in the Seymour Canal. 

Admiralty Island is home to many types of wildlife and plant life because of its different climates the island experiences. Because of the vast amount of land there is an endless amount of activities you can do here. The island is located only 15 miles southwest of the city Juneau with mountains that rise up to 4,650 feet. The tall mountains have permanent ice-fields while the lower level coastline has rain forest territory. More than 90% of this monument is dedicated to the Kootznoowoo Wilderness home to the Tlingit community. Admiralty Island is the second largest island in Alexandra Archipelago. The island ranks in at 96 miles longs and around 30 miles long. Admiralty Island is unique will all it has to offer to a variety of people and their interests. Permits during season are $50.00 per adult and in off season permits are only $20.00. 

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