Petersburg Creek-Duncan Salt Chuck Wilderness
The Petersburg Creek-Duncan Salt Chuck Wilderness is made up of two watersheds divided by the alpine covered peaks of Portage Mountain. On the east side of the Wilderness, Petersburg Creek spills down a U-shaped glacier-cut valley with mountain peaks overlooking the valley. The mountains reach their highest point at 3,577 feet and slope down to the sea-level grass flats of the Petersburg Creek estuary, a popular place for sheltered sea kayak day trips beginning in Petersburg. The creek is known for its salmon and trout, as well as for the uplands wildlife of black bears, wolves, black-tail deer and moose. A 6.5-mile rugged trail connects Petersburg Lake with a saltwater trailhead four miles west of Petersburg.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Alaska |
| Size | 46,756 acres |
| Designated | 1980, by Congress |
| Center point | 56.85° N, 133.20° W |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 8) |
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.
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.
Trailheads and sites
The Forest Service lists 2 recreation sites inside this wilderness, among them 2 cabins. Each links to its page on fs.usda.gov, which carries the season, fees and current status.
- 2 mi
- 5 mi
Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.
Trails
3 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 25 miles in all.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Portage Mountain Loop Trail ↗ | 11 | |
| Petersburg Lake Trail ↗ | 10.4 | |
| Petersburg Mountain Trail | 3.6 |
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
- 2 miF/v Charles W (Schooner) ↗Petersburg, AK
- 2.1 miChugach (Ranger Boat) ↗Petersburg, AK
- 2.1 miSons of Norway Hall ↗Petersburg, 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 Petersburg Creek-Duncan Salt Chuck Wilderness?
46,756 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Petersburg Creek-Duncan Salt Chuck Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Petersburg Creek-Duncan Salt Chuck Wilderness in?
Alaska.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Petersburg Creek-Duncan Salt Chuck Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1980.
Source: Wilderness Connect
How do I get to Petersburg Creek-Duncan Salt Chuck Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 56.855° N, 133.199° W. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Are there historic places near Petersburg Creek-Duncan Salt Chuck Wilderness?
The National Register has 3 listings within 15 miles, including F/v Charles W (Schooner) and Chugach (Ranger Boat).
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.