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–Not graded
Outdoors in Thorne Bay

More than half of Thorne Bay’s land is conserved: 90%

90% of Thorne Bay’s land is conserved, about 15,341 acres. The biggest trail networks: Tongass National Forest (7.4 mi). 7.4 miles of mapped trail cross Thorne Bay, 0.3 per square mile of land.

Conserved land
90%
15,341 acres · of 26.7 sq mi of land
Trails
7.4 mi
0.3 per sq mi of land
Near a park
under 1%
of residents within ½ mile
Lakes & rivers
8
The map

Conserved land, trails & bike routes

Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.

1
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 7.4 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.

Tongass National Forest

Managed by United States Forest Service
16,486 acres7.4 mi of trail
2030952 Road TrailNational Forest Development Road 3015Wilder Lake 3018100 Rd TrailGravelly Creek Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Who protects it

15,341 conserved acres

90% of Thorne Bay’s land. Water is left out: Thorne Bay has 26.7 square miles of land and 3.0 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Thorne Bay’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.

State natural resources11,522 ac
U.S. Forest Service3,878 ac
State Other or Unknown · 11,522 acNational Forest · 3,878 ac
Good to know

Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. Public access isn’t recorded for 5 of 6 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.

The biggest protected parcels
Parcel (PAD-US)Managed byAcresPublic access
State Land Disposals - Municipal Entitlements, Mun
State Other or Unknown
State natural resources4,449Unknown
Tongass National Forest
National Forest
U.S. Forest Service3,878Open
State Patented
State Other or Unknown
State natural resources2,582Unknown
State Land Disposals - Other Than Municipal
State Other or Unknown
State natural resources2,351Unknown
State Tentatively Approved (ta)
State Other or Unknown
State natural resources2,136Unknown
State Tentatively Approved (tad)
State Other or Unknown
State natural resources4Unknown
Things to do

3 places to go in Thorne Bay

Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.

Waterfalls in Thorne Bay

3 waterfalls without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.

Trails & water

4 named trails and 8 lakes & rivers

Named trails
Unpaved · 4.2 mi
2030952 Road Trail1.0 mi
National Forest Development Road 30150.3 mi
Wilder Lake 3018100 Rd Trail0.3 mi
Gravelly Creek Trail0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Copper Center LakeLindeman LakeLoon LakeSetter LakeWater LakeGoose CreekGravelly CreekThorne River
When to get out

The best walking months in Thorne Bay: June to 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.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Daylight (h)7.69.511.614.116.217.517.015.012.610.38.27.1
High (°F)384043505763666559514238
Rain (in)8.25.56.35.13.54.15.37.08.612.110.59.1

May is the driest month (3.5 in) and July the warmest (highs of 66 °F). 12.1 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Thorne Bay →

Questions about parks and trails in Thorne Bay

Where can I hike in Thorne Bay?

The longest trail networks: Tongass National Forest, 7.4 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.

Are dogs allowed on Thorne Bay’s trails?

Tongass National Forest doesn’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.

Is there public land near Thorne Bay?

99,020 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Thorne Bay or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 3,910 of them inside the city line.

Trail talk

Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Thorne Bay neighbors.

Town Square →
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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 →