The nation’s largest forest is the Tongass National Forest with 17 million acres – so designated by Teddy Roosevelt in 1917. Nestled inside the Tongass in Southeast Alaska is some of the lushest vegetation found anywhere on the planet. It’s part of the largest temperate rainforest region in the world. It stretches from central California to southeast Alaska.
The Tongass contains nearly one-third of the old-growth temperate rainforest remaining in the world, as well as the largest tracts of old-growth forest left in the United States. Old-growth temperate rainforests hold more biomass (living stuff) per acre than any other type of ecosystem on the planet, including tropical jungles. The Tongass alone holds 8 percent of all carbon stored in U.S. national forests and is recognized as a globally significant carbon storage reserve.
It’s a forest of islands and trees and rain—lots of islands and trees and rain. It also abounds in animals and birds and fish, with unsurpassed scenery and hardy people. It’s a place where eagles are commonplace, almost every road is a deer crossing, and bears use the trails, too. The Tongass is a wild place, where the natural world is a strong presence that nurtures spiritually and materially and demands respect. Tongass has healthy fish and wildlife populations, clean water, trees to support local industry, recreation opportunities unique to Alaska, and plenty of unspoiled beauty and solitude.
The waterways of Tongass National Forest produce a huge number of pink, sockeye, Coho and king salmon that help sustain local fishing communities. In fact, one-quarter of the entire West Coast’s annual commercial salmon harvest comes from the Tongass, earning it the unofficial designation “America’s Salmon Forest.”
A big reason the forest’s watershed and others in this part of the state are so prolific is that they’re much more intact and undamaged by human activity than elsewhere in the Pacific Northwest.
Most watersheds that overlap with Roadless areas provide drinking water to the public (in all, the Forest Service estimates that about 180 million Americans rely on national forest lands to capture and filter their drinking water). Though relatively far removed from sizable cities and towns, Tongass is no exception, providing clean water to several communities in Southeast Alaska. Keeping the very wildest forests in the Tongass protected from development helps ensure the wellbeing of those communities.
According to Jason Amundson, a geophysicist at the University of Alaska Southeast, glaciers in the Tongass, like all glaciers across the globe, are melting rapidly. Loss of glaciers would disturb the flow of cool water from snow melt to rivers and streams. This disruption, coupled with increased logging may have significant impacts on rivers and fish populations within the Tongass.
There’s evidence of human settlement in Tonga as far back as 1000 BCE and Tonga was once the most powerful country in the South Pacific region, led by the legendary 12th century chief T’ui Tonga. Approximately 70,000 people live in the Tongass National Forest today. Included in this figure, is the population of Juneau, which is situated within the Forests’ bounds. As surprising as it may sound, the Tongass is not just pristine wilderness, but contains towns and logging areas as well. Dutch sailors landed on these shores in the 17th century, followed by British explorer Captain Cook, who first visited the islands in 1773, calling them the ‘Friendly Islands’. In 1900 Tonga became a British protectorate, remaining part of the British Empire until 1970. Even during this colonial period, Tonga retained its indigenous governance, and the Tongan royal family is one of the longest running hereditary monarchies anywhere in the world.
Tongan culture is typically Polynesian and Tongans are welcoming, relaxed and known for their hospitality. As with most countries in the region, family is the central unit of Tongan life, with elders commanding the most respect. Traditional dress and dance still feature heavily in Tongan culture, and tapa cloth making and mat weaving is an everyday part of Tongan life, with women gathering in small groups to weave and chat – a bit like a Tongan version of a knitting circle. Thanks to the country’s colonial heritage around 98 percent of the population is Christian and the vast majority of Tongans go to church every Sunday.
Many people visit Tonga with one purpose in mind only – swimming with whales. Humpbacks visit the calm, clear waters off Tonga from July to October each year to breed and to birth their young. Small group tours let you get up close and personal with these impressive beasts, with full briefings and professional guides provided for your undersea adventure, who’ll not only guide you through the waters, but give you the low down on humpback whale behavior.
Make sure you are always prepared for wildlife encounters. The forest is filled with black bears, brown bears, wolves, bald eagles, Sitka black-tailed deer, moose, humpback whales, orcas, sea otters and stellar sea lions.
With over 1 million visitors to the Tongass National Forest each year, hiking has quickly become one of the very most popular activities in this extensive rainforest in Alaska. Visitors to the Tongass National Forest enjoy hiking on well-groomed paths, boardwalks and even bushwhacking up into the mountains.
Waterfalls are oh-so prevalent in the Tongass National Forest. Enjoy many opportunities to hear the large, booming rush as the water jolts down at vast speeds from the melting snow and glacial runoff.
Tonga has traditional markets, boutiques and modern shopping centers spread across the main island groups, where you can easily bargain for handicrafts such as renowned wood and bone carvings and Tapa, a decorative cloth adorned with traditional designs. Many artisans work in-store and are happy to show you their craft!
Tonga packages mean food—and lots of it. Think fine fresh seafood harvested daily from the islands’ clean tropical waters and piled high on your plate. You’ll find restaurants right on the beach, hidden in the jungle or dotted through the downtown district of the capital Nuku’alofa. You can also count on a variety of international cuisines, including French, Italian, Chinese, German, Taiwanese and Japanese.
The Tongass National Forest has around 150 rustic cabins that are super inexpensive and readily accessible for adventurers to take advantage of. All are accessible by either trail, boat or floatplane.
