Chuck River Wilderness
Located at the head of Windham Bay approximately 70 miles southeast of Juneau, this small Wilderness is adjacent to the Tracy Arm Fords Terror Wilderness. Elevations range from sea level to about 5,000 feet on the eastern boundary. The Chuck River flows from its headwaters near Port Houghton northward through dense riparian forest with thick vegetation before emptying into Windham Bay where the historic Chuck Mining Camp once operated. The river is a major producer of salmon, especially pink salmon. There is private land in the lower river and in portions of the bay where there was once a small settlement.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Alaska |
| Size | 75,031 acres |
| Designated | 1990, by Congress |
| Center point | 57.56° N, 133.33° W |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 9) |
Boundary map
Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees 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.
Where to camp
No federal campground is within ten miles of the boundary in the Campsite Atlas index. Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from trails and water, with no facilities; the managing agency page has the permit and group-size rules.
Trailheads and sites
The Forest Service lists 1 recreation site inside this wilderness, among them 1 trailhead. Each links to its page on fs.usda.gov, which carries the season, fees and current status.
- 4 miTaylor Lake Trailhead ↗Trailhead
Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.
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Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Chuck River Wilderness?
75,031 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Chuck River Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Chuck River Wilderness in?
Alaska.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Chuck River Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1990.
Source: Wilderness Connect
How do I get to Chuck River Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 57.556° N, 133.326° W. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
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.
- 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.