Tongass National Forest, Alaska. Photo by John Schoen.

The Southeastern panhandle of Alaska is a uniquely remote, stunning place — a network of more than 1,000 islands, jagged coastlines, and dense, mist-shrouded forests that have been home to thriving human, animal, and plant communities for millennia. Nearly 80% of this wild region, 16.8 million acres, is the Tongass National Forest, the largest primarily intact temperate rainforest in the world. Region:  Alaska Read more

Tongass National Forest in southeast Alaska stands ancient and giant. Encompassing 17 million acres that stretch across thousands of islands and cliffs, including rivers surging with salmon, the Tongass is the nation’s largest national forest and the world’s largest remaining temperate rainforest. Its lands provide habitat to hundreds of species, including brown bears, whales, wolves, and bald eagles. And for the people of southeast Alaska, the Tongass provides food, recreation opportunities, and the foundation that keeps cultural richness alive. Read more