Tongass National Forest
Managed by United States Forest Service
1,825,439 acres46.2 mi of trail
Mt. Edgecumbe TrailSalmon Lake - Redoubt Lake TrailHarbor Mountain - Gavan Hill TrailFoot Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailhead
Sheldon Jackson School · Photo: Jet Lowe · Public domainB+Outdoors
Outdoors in Sitka
More than half of Sitka’s land is conserved: 100%
100% of Sitka’s land is conserved, about 1,834,469 acres. The biggest trail networks: Tongass National Forest (46.2 mi), West Chichagof-Yakobi Wilderness (2.6 mi), Sitka National Historical Park (2.4 mi). 90% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Ahead of 74% of U.S. towns · #13 of 41 in Alaska. What drives it
Conserved land
100%
1,834,469 acres · of 2,870.2 sq mi of land
Trails
77 mi
0.0 per sq mi of land
Park land
224 ac
27 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
90%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
5,390 ft
5390
Lakes & rivers
74
10 beaches · 6 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Sitka?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Sitka have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Sitka is ahead of 74% of U.S. towns, #13 of 41 in Alaska. Conserved land holds the grade up; trail miles pull it down.
B+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Sitka’s overall grade.
Conserved land100% of the land · typical AK town 15% · U.S. 4%A+Trails0.0 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (77 mi) · AK 0.5 · U.S. 0.4C−Park land27 acres of park per 1,000 residents (224 acres) · AK 15 · U.S. 13B+Parks close to home90% of residents within a half mile of a park · AK 36% · U.S. 72%B+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 74%
LessMore
Alaska towns of 2,500+ (41)Ahead of 70%
Alaska towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 15%; the U.S., 4%), so Sitka’s 100% is ahead of 100% of Alaska towns, while its trails per square mile lead 0% of them.
Water is 40% of Sitka’s area (1904 of 4774 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 60%.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from B− to A. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Tongass National Forest, with 46.2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
West Chichagof-Yakobi Wilderness
Managed by United States Forest Service
195,638 acres2.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Sitka National Historical Park
Park
73 acres2.4 mi of trail
Totem Park Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Kimsham Sports Complex
Park
24 acres0.4 mi of trail
Sitka Cross Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 7 parks & preserves
Tongass National Forest1,825,439 acres · 46.2 mi of trail · United States Forest Service
DirectionsWest Chichagof-Yakobi Wilderness195,638 acres · 2.6 mi of trail · United States Forest Service
Sitka National Historical Park73 acres · 2.4 mi of trail
DirectionsKimsham Sports Complex24 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsSouth Baranof Wilderness309,808 acres · United States Forest Service
Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge49 acres · United States Fish and Wildlife Service
Saint Lazaria Wilderness49 acres · United States Fish and Wildlife Service
Who protects it
1,834,469 conserved acres
100% of Sitka’s land. Water is left out: Sitka has 2,870.2 square miles of land and 1,904.3 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Sitka’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
U.S. Forest Service1,811,601 ac
State natural resources23,186 ac
Town or city220 ac
Bureau of Land Management146 ac
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service98 ac
National Park Service49 ac
Other state land24 ac
National Forest · 1,811,601 acState Other or Unknown · 18,841 acState Conservation Area · 4,344 acLocal Recreation Area · 220 acNational Public Lands · 146 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. Public access isn’t recorded for 4 of 19 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tongass National Forest National Forest | U.S. Forest Service | 1,811,601 | Open |
| State Land Disposals - Municipal Entitlements, Mun State Other or Unknown | State natural resources | 8,152 | Unknown |
| State Tentatively Approved (ta) State Other or Unknown | State natural resources | 8,078 | Unknown |
| Magoun Islands State Marine Park State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 2,489 | Restricted |
| Big Bear/baby Bear Bays State Marine Park State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 1,855 | Restricted |
| State Patented State Other or Unknown | State natural resources | 1,635 | Unknown |
| State Land Disposals - Other Than Municipal State Other or Unknown | State natural resources | 976 | Unknown |
| Glennallen Field Office National Public Lands | Bureau of Land Management | 146 | Open |
| Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | 98 | Restricted |
| Makhnati Island Causeway Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 49 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
132 places to go in Sitka
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Sitka
Sage Beach
DirectionsSandy Beach
DirectionsPlus 8 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Sitka
Xóots Elementary Playground
DirectionsPlus 8 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Sitka
6 boat launches without a name on the map.
Waterfalls in Sitka
Bear Mountain WaterfallIn Tongass National Forest
DirectionsIndian River FallsIn Tongass National Forest
DirectionsPlus 1 waterfall without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Scenic views in Sitka
Gavan LookoutIn Tongass National Forest
DirectionsGavan ViewpointIn Tongass National Forest
DirectionsPlus 3 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Sitka
53905,390 ft elevation · In Tongass National Forest
DirectionsAnte Peak4,931 ft elevation · In Tongass National Forest
DirectionsMount Bassie4,446 ft elevation · In Tongass National Forest
DirectionsMount Ada4,344 ft elevation · In South Baranof Wilderness
DirectionsMount Radamaker4,321 ft elevation · In South Baranof Wilderness
DirectionsMount Katlian4,304 ft elevation · In Tongass National Forest
DirectionsAnnahootz Mountain4,301 ft elevation · In Tongass National Forest
DirectionsBear Mountain4,065 ft elevation · In Tongass National Forest
Directions22 more peaks
Cupola Peak3,976 ft elevation · In Tongass National Forest
DirectionsEast Sister3,822 ft elevation · In Tongass National Forest
DirectionsNorth Sister3,724 ft elevation · In Tongass National Forest
DirectionsMount Furuhelm3,609 ft elevation · In Tongass National Forest
DirectionsRudakof Mountain3,537 ft elevation · In Tongass National Forest
DirectionsMount Yanovski3,461 ft elevation · In South Baranof Wilderness
DirectionsMount Elizabeth3,451 ft elevation · In South Baranof Wilderness
DirectionsMount Muravief3,310 ft elevation · In Tongass National Forest
DirectionsMount Verstovia3,294 ft elevation · In Tongass National Forest
DirectionsArrowhead Peak3,261 ft elevation · In Tongass National Forest
DirectionsMount Lydonia3,261 ft elevation · In West Chichagof-Yakobi Wilderness
DirectionsLucky Chance Mountain3,251 ft elevation · In Tongass National Forest
DirectionsHirst Mountain3,241 ft elevation · In West Chichagof-Yakobi Wilderness
DirectionsMount Emma3,232 ft elevation · In South Baranof Wilderness
DirectionsMount Hagemeister3,222 ft elevation · In South Baranof Wilderness
DirectionsPinnacle Peak3,215 ft elevation · In Tongass National Forest
DirectionsMount Cecil3,202 ft elevation · In South Baranof Wilderness
DirectionsHarbor Mountain3,159 ft elevation · In Tongass National Forest
DirectionsBig Chief Mountain3,074 ft elevation · In West Chichagof-Yakobi Wilderness
DirectionsFreeburn Mountain3,074 ft elevation · In West Chichagof-Yakobi Wilderness
DirectionsHirst Mountain3,009 ft elevation · In West Chichagof-Yakobi Wilderness
DirectionsSouth (Middle) Sister2,992 ft elevation · In Tongass National Forest
Directions90 peaks are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Picnic areas in Sitka
1 picnic area without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in Sitka
Falls Lake CampIn South Baranof Wilderness · US Forest Service and Organized Village of Kake
DirectionsGut Bay Field CampIn South Baranof Wilderness · US Forest Service and Organized Village of Kake
DirectionsRW Cabins
DirectionsPlus 5 campgrounds without a name on the map.
Trails & water
25 named trails and 53 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 6.2 miHorses · 2.9 miUnpaved · 21.6 mi
Mt. Edgecumbe Trail7.2 mi
Salmon Lake - Redoubt Lake Trail5.4 mi
Indian River Trail3.9 mi
Harbor Mountain - Gavan Hill Trail3.8 mi
Foot Trail3.5 mi
Starrigavan Multi-Use Trail3.1 mi
Sea Lion Cove Trail2.5 mi
Sitka Cross Trail2.5 mi
Mount Verstovia Trail2.4 mi
Bear Lake Route2.1 mi
15 more trails
Camp Lake Trail
2.0 miThimbleberry-Heart Lake Trail
1.6 miLake Eva Trail
1.6 miMosquito Cove Trail
1.4 miShelikof Beach Trail
1.3 miGavan-Harbor Trail
1.2 miBeaver Lake Loop Trail
1.1 miBeaver Lake-Herring Cove Trail
1.1 miHigh Cross Trail
1.0 miCross Trail
0.9 miTotem Park Trail
0.8 miBeaver Lake-Campground Trail
0.7 miCross Trail - Baranof Access
0.6 miMedvejie Trail
0.5 miCross Trail - Peter Simpson Access
0.3 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
420pond2021lakeAntipatr LakelakeAvalanche pondlakeAvoss LakeBanner LakeBaranof LakelakeBaturin LakelakeBear LakeBeaver LakeBenzeman LakelakeBetty LakelakeBlanchard LakelakeBlue LakelakeBlue PoolpondBorodino LakelakeBrentwood LakelakeCamp LakelakeCarbon LakelakeClarks PondpondCliff LakelakeCold Storage LakeDavidof LakeDeep LakeDeer LakelakeEagle Dip LakelakeFalls LakelakeFawn LakelakeFinger LakelakeFour Falls LakelakeGlacier LakeGoat LakeGoulding LakeGreen LakeHeart LakelakeHogan LakeIndigo LakelakeJetty LakelakeKaelke PondpondKasnyky LakeKhvostof LakelakeLake DianalakeLake EkaterinalakeLake EvalakeLake IrinaLake JamesLake LeolakeLake MorrisLake SuloialakeLake SurpriseIndian RiverIndian River - KaasdahéenMaksoutof River
Biking & sports
0.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Courts & fields
8Baseball
3Basketball
1Skate park
1Soccer
1Football
1Tracks
1Tennis
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →22 places on the National Register, 8 of them National Historic Landmarks
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 33 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
★
Sitka Naval Operating Base and US Army Coastal DefensesNational Historic Landmark · District · listed 1986
About itSitka National Historical ParkDistrict · listed 1966
About itW. P. Mills HouseBuilding · listed 1977
About itEmmons HouseBuilding · listed 1977
About itMills HouseBuilding · listed 1978
About it10 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Sitka: July and August
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 7.3 | 9.4 | 11.6 | 14.2 | 16.5 | 17.9 | 17.3 | 15.2 | 12.7 | 10.2 | 7.9 | 6.7 |
| High (°F) | 41 | 41 | 43 | 48 | 53 | 58 | 60 | 62 | 58 | 51 | 44 | 42 |
| Rain (in) | 8.2 | 5.9 | 5.6 | 4.3 | 3.8 | 2.9 | 4.6 | 7.3 | 11.7 | 11.8 | 9.9 | 8.4 |
June is the driest month (2.9 in) and August the warmest (highs of 62 °F). 11.8 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Sitka →
Next door
Sitka and its neighbors
Sitka has the most mapped trails of the 2 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sitka | 100% | under 0.1 | 27 | 90% | B+ |
| Port Alexander | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Sitka
Where can I hike in Sitka?
The longest trail networks: Tongass National Forest, 46.2 miles; West Chichagof-Yakobi Wilderness, 2.6 miles; Sitka National Historical Park, 2.4 miles; Kimsham Sports Complex, 0.4 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Sitka is conserved land?
100% of its land, against a typical 15% for an Alaska town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Sitka’s trails?
Tongass National Forest and West Chichagof-Yakobi Wilderness don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Sitka?
294,087 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Sitka or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 216,457 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Sitka have?
Ahead of 74% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #13 of 41 in Alaska. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Sitka neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →