In 1978, President Jimmy Carter proclaimed over 2,200,000 acres as the Misty Fiords National Monument. In 1980, this acreage got reduced to 2,142,243 acres but was now congressionally designated as Misty Fjords National Monument Wilderness (sometimes spelled Misty Fjords) and still remains the largest wilderness area on the Tongass National Forest. Due to this designation, it is now strategically managed to continue the preservation of this undeveloped, enduring ecosystem for the enjoyment of present and future generations.

17,000 years ago Misty Fjords National Monument would have been covered with only one thing, massive bodies of ice. As the ice disbanded, it carved away gloriously long, deep fiords with cliffs that rise for thousands of feet. They are considered the skyscrapers of this wilderness wonderland. Travel either by boat or floatplane in Behm Canal, the major waterway through the heart of the area, and sightings of killer whales, porpoises, mountain goats, and bears could be possible. Step on the edge of the wilderness boundary, walk inward, and be surrounded by Sitka spruce, western hemlock, and cedar trees. Unique geological features such as mineral springs and volcanic lava flows can be found deep within this wilderness monument. Voyage closer toward the Canadian border through the many king salmon spawning streams, or through the sky and see what remains of the ice (now only in the form of glaciers) that once created this current mystic landscape.

Source: USFS Website (May 2023)

Establishment Misty Fjords National Monument — December 2, 1980 Misty Fiords National Monument — December 1, 1978

For More Information Please Visit The OFFICIAL USFS WEBSITE

The contents of brochures, site bulletins and trading cards (denoted with a colored caption) can be viewed by clicking on the cover. Most modern-day brochures, however, are cover only (denoted by a white caption) due to photograph copyrights. These items are historical in scope and are intended for educational purposes only; they are not meant as an aid for travel planning. The dates under each brochure do not reflect the complete range of years that a particular brochure was issued.

cover only 1992	cover only Date Unknown
Misty Fiords National Monument Wilderness 2010

An Inventory of Rare Plants of Misty Fjords National Monument, USDA Forest Service, Region Ten (John DeLapp, February 8, 1994)

Enabling Legislation—Misty Fjords National Monument (Public Law 96-487 94 Stat. 2371, 96th Congress, December 2, 1980)

Misty Fjords National Monument Wilderness (November 2008)

Proclamation 4623—Misty Fiords National Monument (Jimmy Carter, December 1, 1978)

Sculptures in Granite: A Guide to the Geology and Glacial History of Misty Fjords National Monument, Alaska U.S. Forest Service R10-RG-243 (Jim Baichtal and Greg Streveler, May 2019)

Misty Fjords National Monument