Tongass National Forest Facts
Tongass National Forest Facts
|
| Interesting Tongass National Forest Facts: |
|---|
| Tongass National Forest was named for the Tongass Clan of Tlingit Indians. |
| Tongass National Forest is home to a large population of people that rely on its resources to survive - roughly 75,000 people in total in 32 communities. |
| Tongass National Forest stretches along 11,000 miles of coastline. It encompasses islands, mountains, bays, forests, fjords, glaciers, and important salmon streams, and its forest is the largest temperate rainforest in the world (intact). |
| The Alaskan state capital of Juneau is located in Tongass National Forest. |
| Tongass National Forest contains a variety of trees but the canopy consists of yellow cedar, spruce, and hemlock. The ground is covered by ferns and moss while shrubs and evergreens grow between the canopy and earth floor. |
| Despite having the world's largest intact temperate rain forest, half of Tongass National Forest is covered by rock, wetlands, ice, and water rather than trees. |
| The biggest trees in Alaska and the most valuable in terms of logging are found in Tongass National Forest. |
| Approximately 25% of the old growth trees in Tongass National Forest are protected from logging by the Forest Service, but this is only equal to 241,000 acres. |
| Wildlife that can be found in Tongass National Forest includes black bears, wolves, brown bears, moose, mountain goats, porpoises, humpback whales, killer whales, sea otters, hair seals, and bald eagles. |
| The concentration of bald eagles in Tongass National Forest if higher than any other region on earth. |
| All five species of Pacific salmon can be found in the waters of Tongass National Forest, along with halibut and other fish. |
| Popular places to view bears in Tongass National Forest include Fish Creek, Anan Creek, Park Creek, and Steep Creek. |
| Whale watching is a popular tourist activity which can be done on designated tours on charter boats or on the ferries along the Alaska Marine Highway where staff help point out wildlife to passengers along the way. |
| There are a total of 19 areas in Tongass National Forest designated as wilderness areas. This is equal to more wilderness areas than found in any other national forest. Some of these include Misty Fjords National Monument Wilderness, Kootznoowoo Wilderness, Endicott River Wilderness, Coronation Island Wilderness, and Kuiu Wilderness. |
| Roughly one million people visit Tongass National Forest each year. The most common way tourists visit the park is via cruise ships. |
| Visitors to Tongass National Forest can rent remote cabins that can be reached by floatplanes, boats, or trails. |
|
Related Links: Facts Rain Forests Facts Animals Facts Alaska Facts |