Karta River Wilderness
Karta Bay, one of the western extensions off the head of Kasaan Bay, forms the eastern border of the Karta River Wilderness on east-central Prince of Wales Island. The area includes the drainage of the Karta River system (which empties into the southwest corner of Karta Bay) and two major lakes, Salmon and Karta. Fire burned the area around the turn of the century, but second-growth spruce, cedar, and hemlock stand an average of 60 feet tall. One of Alaska's more recent additions to the National Wilderness Preservation System, Karta River Wilderness is best known for large salmon runs and the scenic quality of the large river drainage system.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Alaska |
| Size | 39,917 acres |
| Designated | 1990, by Congress |
| Center point | 55.56° N, 132.72° W |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 7) |
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
None of the 3 federal campgrounds within ten miles sit inside the boundary. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.
Trailheads and sites
The Forest Service lists 3 recreation sites inside this wilderness, among them 3 cabins. Each links to its page on fs.usda.gov, which carries the season, fees and current status.
- 2 miSalmon Lake Cabin ↗Cabin
- 4 miKarta Lake Cabin ↗Cabin
- 6 miKarta River Cabin ↗Cabin
Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.
Trails
3 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 6 miles in all.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Karta River Trail ↗ | 4.8 | |
| Karta Bay Trail | 0.5 | |
| Karta Falls Trail | 0.2 |
Lengths and allowed uses come from the Forest Service trail layer by way of Trailhead Atlas. This trail list was copied from Trailhead Atlas on November 1, 2026 and is copied again on each weekly run. Trails in plain text have no page there yet.
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Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Karta River Wilderness?
39,917 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Karta River Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Karta River Wilderness in?
Alaska.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Karta River Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1990.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Karta River Wilderness?
Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from roads, with no facilities, and the managing agency page has the permit rules. The federal campgrounds within ten miles are listed under Where to camp.
Source: Where to camp
How do I get to Karta River Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 55.565° N, 132.722° 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.
- 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.