Misty Fjords

Located in the Tongass National Forest and managed by the United States Forest Service, the breathtaking Misty Fjords National Monument is a national monument and wilderness area. Located roughly 40 miles east of Ketchikan, Misty Fjords is a stunning landscape of sea cliffs, steep fjords, and granite walls that rise an impressive 3000 feet directly out of the water. From the ocean to the tops of the mountains, rainforests grow almost vertically up the sides of the monument, making it a green and beautiful place to look at.

Postcard-perfect scenery can be seen virtually anywhere you point your camera, from the icy blue lakes and waterfalls to the snowy peaks and glacial valleys. You may see the Misty Fjords from above in a floatplane, or you can take a cruise and feel the rumble of nature beneath your feet.

Small glaciers inhabit high regions in the northeastern half of the monument, opposite the Salmon River, the Portland Canal, and the city of Hyder, Alaska. Valleys and high plateaus in the Lincoln and Seward Mountains are covered by the Soule and Through Glaciers.

Mountain goats, brown bears, black bears, moose, martens, wolves, wolverines, river otters, sea lions, harbor seals, killer whales, and Dall porpoises are just a few of the many animals that call Misty Fjords home. Birds include anything from hummingbirds and herons to eagles and trumpeter swans. The five species of Pacific salmon are all here.