Kuiu Wilderness
Kuiu Wilderness is bordered on the east by Sumner Strait and on the west by Chatham Strait and near the southern end of Kuiu Island. The northern boundary is shared with Tebenkof Bay Wilderness. Three major bays (Port Malmesbury, Port Beauclerc and Affleck Canal) indent a coastline of smaller bays, coves and canals and offer some safe anchorages. Several small offshore islands are included in this Wilderness of forest and muskeg. Several peaks rise to over 2,000 feet.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Alaska |
| Size | 60,183 acres |
| Designated | 1990, by Congress |
| Center point | 56.29° N, 134.12° W |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 7) |
Boundary map
Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees
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
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.
Trails
1 named Forest Service trail enters this wilderness, 2 miles in all.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Affleck Canal Portage Trail | 1.9 |
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.
Explore
Nearby on the other atlases
- 13.6 miHansen, Karl, House ↗Port Alexander, AK
- 14.8 miCape Decision Light Station ↗Sitka, AK
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Guidebooks for Alaska
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Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Kuiu Wilderness?
60,183 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Kuiu Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Kuiu Wilderness in?
Alaska.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Kuiu Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1990.
Source: Wilderness Connect
How do I get to Kuiu Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 56.294° N, 134.116° W. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Are there historic places near Kuiu Wilderness?
The National Register has 2 listings within 15 miles, including Hansen, Karl, House and Cape Decision Light Station.
Source: Register Atlas
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.