Tongass National Forest
Managed by United States Forest Service
1,637,864 acres186.2 mi of trail
Berg Creek TrailThoms Lake TrailAaron Creek TrailNorth Wrangell Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailhead
Chief Shakes Historic Site · Photo: James Crippen · CC BY 2.5B−Outdoors
Outdoors in Wrangell
More than half of Wrangell’s land is conserved: 99%
99% of Wrangell’s land is conserved, about 1,622,879 acres. The biggest trail networks: Tongass National Forest (186.2 mi), Stikine-LeConte Wilderness (0.7 mi). 192 miles of mapped trail cross Wrangell, 0.1 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 48% of U.S. towns. What drives it
Conserved land
99%
1,622,879 acres · of 2,556.1 sq mi of land
Trails
192 mi
0.1 per sq mi of land
Park land
12 ac
5.5 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
50%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
6,913 ft
Castle Mountain
Lakes & rivers
62
1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is Wrangell?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Wrangell have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Wrangell is ahead of 48% of U.S. towns. Conserved land holds the grade up; trail miles pull it down.
B−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Wrangell’s overall grade.
Conserved land99% of the land · typical AK town 15% · U.S. 4%A+Trails0.1 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (192 mi) · AK 0.5 · U.S. 0.4CPark land5.5 acres of park per 1,000 residents (12 acres) · AK 15 · U.S. 13CParks close to home50% of residents within a half mile of a park · AK 36% · U.S. 72%C+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 48%
LessMore
Alaska towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 15%; the U.S., 4%), so Wrangell’s 99% is ahead of 98% of Alaska towns, while its trails per square mile lead 7% of them.
Water is 26% of Wrangell’s area (915 of 3471 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 74%.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from C− to B. 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 186.2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Stikine-LeConte Wilderness
Managed by United States Forest Service
278,553 acres0.7 mi of trail
Mallard Slough TrailShakes Hot Springs Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
South Etolin Wilderness
Managed by United States Forest Service
81,961 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Volunteer Park
Managed by Wrangell Parks and Recreation
19 acres0.2 mi of trail
Volunteer Park Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 5 parks & preserves
Tongass National Forest1,637,864 acres · 186.2 mi of trail · United States Forest Service
DirectionsStikine-LeConte Wilderness278,553 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · United States Forest Service
Volunteer Park19 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Wrangell Parks and Recreation
South Etolin Wilderness81,961 acres · United States Forest Service
Misty Fjords National Monument Wilderness19 acres
Who protects it
1,622,879 conserved acres
99% of Wrangell’s land. Water is left out: Wrangell has 2,556.1 square miles of land and 915.0 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Wrangell’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
U.S. Forest Service1,596,707 ac
State natural resources27,345 ac
National Forest · 1,596,707 acState Other or Unknown · 23,250 acState Resource Management Area · 2,290 acState Conservation Area · 1,806 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. Public access isn’t recorded for 5 of 9 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 | 1,596,707 | Open |
| State Patented State Other or Unknown | State natural resources | 17,591 | Unknown |
| State Land Disposals - Other Than Municipal State Other or Unknown | State natural resources | 3,202 | Unknown |
| Earl West Cove State Resource Management Area | State natural resources | 2,290 | Open |
| Thoms Place State Marine Park State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 1,806 | Restricted |
| State Land Disposals - Municipal Entitlements, Mun State Other or Unknown | State natural resources | 1,694 | Unknown |
| State Tentatively Approved (ta) State Other or Unknown | State natural resources | 763 | Unknown |
Things to do
298 places to go in Wrangell
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Swimming spots in Wrangell
Chief Shakes Hot Springs SiteIn Stikine-LeConte Wilderness
DirectionsBoat launches in Wrangell
1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Waterfalls in Wrangell
Rainbow FallsIn Tongass National Forest
Directions246 waterfalls are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Scenic views in Wrangell
Anan viewing deckIn Tongass National Forest
DirectionsPlus 2 scenic views without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Peaks in Wrangell
Castle Mountain6,913 ft elevation · In Stikine-LeConte Wilderness
DirectionsMount Cloud6,099 ft elevation · In Tongass National Forest
DirectionsMount Fawcett6,050 ft elevation · In Tongass National Forest
DirectionsMount Lewis Cass6,037 ft elevation · In Tongass National Forest
DirectionsBlack Crag5,614 ft elevation · In Tongass National Forest
DirectionsMount Waters5,233 ft elevation · In Tongass National Forest
DirectionsMount Whipple5,233 ft elevation · In Tongass National Forest
DirectionsMount Gallatin5,007 ft elevation · In Stikine-LeConte Wilderness
Directions19 more peaks
Marsha Peak4,816 ft elevation · In Tongass National Forest
DirectionsMount Tyee4,698 ft elevation · In Tongass National Forest
DirectionsMount Flemer4,692 ft elevation · In Stikine-LeConte Wilderness
DirectionsBig Mountain4,665 ft elevation · In Stikine-LeConte Wilderness
DirectionsMount Cote4,295 ft elevation · In Tongass National Forest
DirectionsElbow Mountain4,245 ft elevation · In Stikine-LeConte Wilderness
DirectionsMount Stinenia4,098 ft elevation · In Stikine-LeConte Wilderness
DirectionsBerg Mountain3,944 ft elevation · In Tongass National Forest
DirectionsWrangell Peak3,740 ft elevation · In Tongass National Forest
DirectionsGarnet Mountain3,153 ft elevation · In Tongass National Forest
DirectionsSouth Mount3,015 ft elevation · In Tongass National Forest
DirectionsMount Burnett2,867 ft elevation · In Tongass National Forest
DirectionsTable Mountain2,612 ft elevation · In Tongass National Forest
DirectionsChichagof Peak2,579 ft elevation · In Tongass National Forest
DirectionsMount Rynda2,395 ft elevation · In Stikine-LeConte Wilderness
DirectionsMount Basargin2,339 ft elevation · In Stikine-LeConte Wilderness
DirectionsBrownson Peak1,942 ft elevation · In South Etolin Wilderness
DirectionsAtherton Mountain1,352 ft elevation · In Tongass National Forest
DirectionsAlice PeakIn Tongass National Forest
Directions46 peaks are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Picnic areas in Wrangell
Twin Lakes Picnic SiteIn Stikine-LeConte Wilderness
DirectionsTrails & water
25 named trails and 62 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 115.9 mi
Berg Creek Trail10.8 mi
Thoms Lake Trail4.3 mi
Aaron Creek Trail3.6 mi
North Wrangell Trail3.5 mi
Institute Creek Trail2.5 mi
Macnamara Point Trail2.2 mi
Mustang Lake Trail2.0 mi
Vial Pass Trail2.0 mi
Garnet Trail1.8 mi
Vial Divide Trail1.6 mi
15 more trails
Deer Ridge Trail
1.5 miFoot Trail
1.5 miUproot Trail
1.4 miCraig Point Atv Trail
1.2 miKunk Lake Trail
1.2 miSalamander Ridge Trail
1.1 miVolunteer Park Trail
1.0 miLittle Baht Atv Trail
1.0 miMeyers Chuck Trail
0.9 miMill Creek Trail
0.8 miAnan Creek Trail
0.8 miMount Dewey Spur Trail (Shachk Kinaa Deiyi Trail)
0.8 miBig Hollow Trail
0.6 miRainbow Falls Trail
0.6 miLong Lake Trail
0.6 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Anan LakeBarnes LakeBear LakeBoulder LakeBurnett LakeCampbell LakeClay LakeEagle LakelakeFall LakeFigure Eight LakeHatchery LakeHighbush LakeKrogh LakeKunk LakeLake HelenLittle Eagle LakeLong LakeMarten LakeMcHenry LakeNavy LakeOlive LakePats LakeShakes LakeStanding Rock LakeStreets LakeSunrise LakelakeThoms LakeTom LakeTyee LakeUpper Marten LakeVirginia LakeWrangell Lower ReservoirreservoirWrangell Upper ReservoirAaron CreekAndrew CreekAndrew SloughBradfield RiverDry WashEagle RiverEast Fork Bradfield RiverGarnet CreekGoat CreekGovernment CreekGuerin SloughHarding RiverHooligan SloughKatete RiverKetili CreekKetili RiverKikahe RiverKing SloughMallard SloughNorth Arm CreekNorth Arm Stikine RiverNorth Fork Bradfield RiverRed SloughShakes SloughShuktusa CreekSouth Fork Andrew CreekStikine RiverWest Fork Katete RiverWhite 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
2Baseball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →4 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 2 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Questions about parks and trails in Wrangell
Where can I hike in Wrangell?
The longest trail networks: Tongass National Forest, 186.2 miles; Stikine-LeConte Wilderness, 0.7 miles; Volunteer Park, 0.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Wrangell is conserved land?
99% 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 Wrangell’s trails?
Tongass National Forest and Stikine-LeConte Wilderness don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Wrangell?
394,221 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Wrangell or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 204,492 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Wrangell have?
Ahead of 48% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade. 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 Wrangell 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 →