Southeast Alaska

Southeast Alaska, also known as the Alaska Panhandle, is a picturesque area of mountains, fjords, rainforests and small coastal towns.

The area is popular with visitors for its scenery and mild climate. The inside passage offers activities such as whale watching, kayaking and canoeing. It is also a popular route for cruise ships during the summer.

More than 80 percent of Southeast Alaska is part of the Tongass National Forest, which, at 16.9 million acres, is the largest National Forest in the United States. Almost half of Tongass is covered by ice, water, wetlands and rock. It includes Mendenhall, LeConte and Hubbard glaciers as well as the Alexander Archipelago.

The Alaska portion of the inside passage runs through channels and fjords w