Russell Fjord Wilderness
From Disenchantment Bay, at the upper end of Yakutat Bay, heavily glaciated Russell Fjord penetrates about 35 miles inland, but the advance of Hubbard Glacier is slowly squeezing it off from the sea. Russell Fjord and narrow, 15-mile Nunatak Fiord are the most dramatic features of the ice-carved shoreline of this Wilderness. Within the area, which lies between the Fairweather and Brabazon Ranges, you'll find forested river valleys rising to alpine meadows and snowcapped peaks. From the peaks of the Puget Peninsula, Malaspina Glacier, the largest piedmont glacier in North America, dominates the lowlands on the other side of Yakutat Bay. Above the Malaspina rises Mt. Saint Elias.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Alaska |
| Size | 348,626 acres |
| Designated | 1980, by Congress |
| Center point | 59.76° N, 139.22° W |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 19) |
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 1 recreation site inside this wilderness, among them 1 cabin. Each links to its page on fs.usda.gov, which carries the season, fees and current status.
- 11 miSituk Lake Cabin ↗Cabin · Year round
Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.
Trails
5 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 13 miles in all.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Situk Lake ↗ | 5.9 | |
| Vonderheide Trail | 3.4 | |
| Mountain Lake | 2 | |
| Russell Fiord | 0.8 | |
| Harlequin Lake | 0.7 |
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
- 14 miNew Russia Site ↗National Historic Landmark
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Guidebooks for Alaska
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Russell Fjord Wilderness?
348,626 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Russell Fjord Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Russell Fjord Wilderness in?
Alaska.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Russell Fjord Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1980.
Source: Wilderness Connect
How do I get to Russell Fjord Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 59.761° N, 139.222° W. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Are there historic places near Russell Fjord Wilderness?
The National Register has 1 listing within 15 miles, including New Russia Site.
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.