Passengers on Cruise Ships enjoy part of the Tongass National Forest’s 11,000 miles of Southeastern Alaska coastline. 80 percent of Alaska’s southeast panhandle.
The national forest designation was made in 1907 by U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt.
The Tongass National Forest is home to 32 communities and 70,000 people.
Called the “Crown Jewel” by the U.S. Forest Service, the Tongass, a vast forest, is the largest U.S. National forest at nearly 17 million acres. Or, twice the size of the state of Maryland.
For comparison, the second-largest U.S. National forest is the Chugach National Forest, in Southcentral Alaska, with nearly 7 million acres.
Origin of the Name
The name “Tongass” comes from the Tongass clan of the Tlingit peoples in Southeastern Alaska.
It’s Big
The Tongass National Forest is the largest, intact temperate Rainforest in the world.
What Grows There?
The canopy of the forest consists of yellow cedar, spruce, and hemlock trees. While the ground is covered by ferns and moss.
The Tongass National Forest is populated by the biggest trees in Alaska.
It Rains a Lot on the Tongass
Rainfall varies from 26 inches in Skagway, to 225 inches in Little Port Walter on Baranof Island.
In the Good Ol’ Summertime
Temperatures in the Tongass range in the 50s and 60s. So, it’s mild.
Yes, You can Share this Edition
Imagine how amazed your friends and family will be when you share this, Alaska’s Tongass National Forest Facts edition, with them.
They will be so happy that they will send you on an all expense paid, Alaska Cruise, every year, for the next 5 years… well, it could happen.
They Live There
Did you know that more bald eagles live in the Tongass National Forest than any other place on earth?
19 areas of the Tongass are designated as wilderness.
BONUS
Visit Anchorage Memories.com
A treasure chest of memories of Anchorage, Alaska
Take a look at Anchorage Memories and enjoy.
You’ll See a Lot of Fish
Waterways in the Tongass National Forest produce a massive number of Pacific salmon, earning the nickname, “America’s Salmon Forest”.
A View from the Deck
Nearly one million people visit the Tongass National Forest each year. Most are passengers on cruise ships.
From Our North Stars (that’s you)
We received this comment about our Club 25 edition that mentioned tent city.
Avril wrote:
“Thank you so much for the recent history, I had no idea about tent city, I thoroughly enjoyed it.”
Do You Have a Comment?
You can easily send us your comments. Just reply to this email.
Or, you can Contact Us now to say, “I visited the Tongass National Forest”.
Mike and Mary
Can you say, “Wow, the Tongass National Forest is large!”
Have you ever seen the Tongass from the deck of a cruise ship?
Mike and Mary trust that you enjoyed this edition of the Alaska VIP Club and Podcast. Alaska is a gigantic place with many stories to tell.
Until Next Time
Mike and Mary
Alaska VIP Club.com
Alaska's World-Famous Tongass National Forest Facts