Misty Fjords National Monument Wilderness
Misty Fjords National Monument includes 2,294,343 acres on the southern tip of the Alaska Panhandle, all but about 156,000 acres near the middle have been designated Wilderness. Misty Fjords is part of...
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net), where the full text continues.
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Alaska |
| Size | 2.1 million acres (Wilderness Connect) |
| Designated | 1980, by Congress |
| Center point | 55.5840, -130.4162 |
| Night sky | Very dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 22) |
Boundary map
Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground Forest Service recreation site
The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.
Weather by month
Large units span more than one climate. The station stands in for the center point, and the outer parts of the boundary can be warmer or colder.
Where to camp
10 federal campgrounds sit inside the boundary and 9 more are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.
Show 4 moreHide
7 more within ten miles are not listed here.
Trailheads and sites
The Forest Service lists 23 recreation sites inside this wilderness, among them 14 cabins, 9 trailheads. Each links to its page on fs.usda.gov, which carries the season, fees and current status.
- 12 miNooya Lake Trailhead ↗Trailhead
- 14 miPunchbowl Lake Trailhead ↗Trailhead
- 20 miWinstanley Lake Trailhead ↗Trailhead
- 22 miManzanita Bay Shelter ↗Trailhead
- 22 miWinstanley Creek Buoy Trailhead ↗Trailhead
- 23 miElla Bay Buoy Trailhead ↗Trailhead
- 25 miElla Lake Trailhead ↗Trailhead
- 36 miHugh Smith Trailhead ↗Trailhead
- 39 miHumpback Lake Trailhead ↗Trailhead
- 5 miWilson View Cabin ↗Cabin · April
Show all 23Hide
- 10 miWilson Narrows Cabin ↗Cabin · April
- 13 miNooya Lake Shelter Site ↗Cabin · Year Round
- 14 miPunchbowl Lake Shelter Site ↗Cabin · Year Round
- 17 miChecats Lake Cabin ↗Cabin
- 19 miWinstanley Lake Cabin ↗Cabin · April
- 20 miWinstanley Lake Shelter Site ↗Cabin · Year Round
- 21 miWinstanley Island Cabin ↗Cabin · Year Round
- 24 miBakewell Lake Cabin ↗Cabin · Year Round
- 27 miManzanita Lake Cabin ↗Cabin · April
- 27 miElla Narrows Cabin ↗Cabin · April
- 35 miHugh Smith Lake Cabin ↗Cabin · April
- 38 miAlava Bay Cabin ↗Cabin · Open year round
- 39 miHumpback Lake Cabin ↗Cabin · April
Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.
Trails
11 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 20 miles in all. The 10 longest are listed here.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Manzanita Lake | 3.7 | |
| Humpback Trail | 3.5 | |
| Ella Lake | 2.8 | |
| Winstanley Lake | 2.5 | |
| Gokachin Trail | 2.3 | |
| Low Lake/Big Lake | 2.3 | |
| Checats Lake | 1.1 | |
| Punchbowl Lake | 1 | |
| Nooya Lake | 0.9 | |
| Hugh Smith Lake | 0.1 |
Lengths and allowed uses come from the Forest Service trail layer by way of Trailhead Atlas, refreshed September 18, 2026. Trails in plain text have no page there yet.
Explore
Nearby on the other atlases
- 0 miStorehouse No. 3 ↗Ketchikan, AK
- 10.8 miStorehouse No. 4 ↗Hyder, AK
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Misty Fjords National Monument Wilderness?
2.1 million acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Misty Fjords National Monument Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Misty Fjords National Monument Wilderness in?
Alaska.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Misty Fjords National Monument Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1980.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Misty Fjords National Monument Wilderness?
10 federal campgrounds sit inside the boundary, including Alava Bay Cabin, Bakewell Lake Cabin and Checats Lake Cabin. 19 in all are within ten miles. Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from roads, with no facilities; the managing agency page has the permit rules.
Source: Where to camp
Where are the trailheads in Misty Fjords National Monument Wilderness?
The Forest Service lists 23 recreation sites here, including 14 cabin rentalss and 9 trailheads. Each one links to its Forest Service page.
Source: Trailheads and sites
How do I get to Misty Fjords National Monument Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 55.584, -130.416. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
How dark is the night sky at Misty Fjords National Monument Wilderness?
NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 22 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, very dark ground, a faint glow at most.
Source: NASA Black Marble
Are there historic places near Misty Fjords National Monument Wilderness?
2 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Storehouse No. 3 and Storehouse No. 4.
Source: Register Atlas
Sources
- Boundary, name, acreage, designation year, states and description: Wilderness Connect.
- Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
- Trailheads and sites: the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer, points inside the boundary.
- Trails: the Trailhead Atlas open-data file of Forest Service trails, matched on the wilderness each trail enters.
- Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
- Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.