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–Not graded
Outdoors in Whale Pass

More than half of Whale Pass’ land is conserved: 91%

91% of Whale Pass’ land is conserved, about 11,596 acres. The biggest trail networks: Tongass National Forest (12.4 mi). 12 miles of mapped trail cross Whale Pass, 0.6 per square mile of land.

Conserved land
91%
11,596 acres · of 19.9 sq mi of land
Trails
12 mi
0.6 per sq mi of land
Near a park
under 1%
of residents within ½ mile
Lakes & rivers
1
1 boat launch
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 12.4 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.

Tongass National Forest

Managed by United States Forest Service
12,352 acres12.4 mi of trail
Twin Island Creek East Ridge TrailCavern Hills 2720100 Rd Trail3062500 Road TrailExchange Spur One 3000550 Rd Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Who protects it

11,596 conserved acres

91% of Whale Pass’ land. Water is left out: Whale Pass has 19.9 square miles of land and 8.2 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Whale Pass’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.

U.S. Forest Service8,680 ac
State natural resources2,990 ac
National Forest · 8,680 acState Other or Unknown · 2,990 ac
Good to know

Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. Public access isn’t recorded for 2 of 3 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.

The biggest protected parcels
Parcel (PAD-US)Managed byAcresPublic access
Tongass National Forest
National Forest
U.S. Forest Service8,680Open
State Patented
State Other or Unknown
State natural resources1,595Unknown
State Land Disposals - Other Than Municipal
State Other or Unknown
State natural resources1,395Unknown
Things to do

3 places to go in Whale Pass

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

Boat launches in Whale Pass
boat launch
Directions
Trails & water

4 named trails and 1 lakes & rivers

Named trails
Unpaved · 5.5 mi
Twin Island Creek East Ridge Trail2.1 mi
Cavern Hills 2720100 Rd Trail1.8 mi
3062500 Road Trail1.0 mi
Exchange Spur One 3000550 Rd Trail0.2 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Big Creek

Questions about parks and trails in Whale Pass

Where can I hike in Whale Pass?

The longest trail networks: Tongass National Forest, 12.4 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.

Are dogs allowed on Whale Pass’ trails?

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

Is there public land near Whale Pass?

109,064 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Whale Pass or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 7,156 of them inside the city line.

Trail talk

Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Whale Pass 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 →