Prince of Wales Island
Prince of Wales Island is the third largest island in the United States behind Kodiak (2nd) and the Big Island of Hawaii (1st). Located just to the west of Ketchikan across the Inside Passage, the island measures 135 miles north to south by 45 miles east to west. The island is mountainous and heavily forested with a cool, moist, maritime climate. Prince of Wales Island has a permanent population of around 5,700 people spread out amongst twelve communities. Despite its isolation, the island has the most extensive road system in Southeast Alaska. Designated a State Scenic Byway in 2010, the 100 miles of paved road offers visitors a unique experience as it passes through old growth forest, mountain views, and coastal islands. When the paved road ends, there are even more miles of well-maintained gravel logging roads which reach the far corners of the island. Logging remains a major industry on Prince of Wales Island, especially the harvest of Western red cedar, and there are several mills on the island.
Since it’s an island, visitors either have to take the ferry or fly to Prince of Wales Island (POW to the locals). The inter-island ferry transports passengers and vehicles between Ketchikan and Hollis on POW over a 3-hour crossing of the Inside Passage. My trip aboard the MV Stikine was very pleasant and the weather for the afternoon voyage couldn’t have been better. We even spotted several humpback whales and an orca as we made our way through the numerous smaller islands on our way to Hollis. Upon arriving on the island in the early evening, I drove fifteen minutes to my campsite in the Tongass National Forest. Most of Prince of Wales Island is within Tongass National Forest, the largest national forest in the nation comprising 16.9 million acres. On the island, the Forest Service manages 5 designated wilderness areas, as well as public-use cabins, campgrounds, hiking trails, and canoe trails.
Many visitors to Prince of Wales Island come for the world-class fishing during the summer and hunting in the fall. There are numerous lodges on the island that provide accommodations, especially in Craig which is the largest community on POW. Almost all the communities are on the coast and have harbors where fishing charters can be arranged. Both Thorne Bay and Coffman Cove are quaint fishing communities with nice harbors. Other visitors come to POW to explore the interesting geology of the island including the numerous caves. It is estimated that there are thousands of caves on Prince of Wales Island. With more than 13,000 feet of passageways, El Captain Cave on the north end of the island is the largest known cave in Alaska. During the summer months, Forest Service rangers led guests on tours of the cave but unfortunately, they were over for the summer when I visited.
Prince of Wales Island is also abundant with wildlife and many visitors, myself included, come to the remote island for wildlife viewing which includes black bears, bald eagles, and Sitka black-tailed deer. There are approximately 400 black bears on the island and they are a common sight even from the road. I drove out to both Cable Creek and Dog Salmon fish passes hoping to spot bears, but the salmon run appeared to be ending and there were no bears. While driving south towards the community of Hydaburg, I spotted a large black bear down in the river bed. After parking along the road and taking position on the bridge, I was able to watch several large black bears emerge from the woods and walk the river bed. One bear that appeared to be an older adult male, patiently waded in the water until he bounced on a salmon and fetched his meal.
Originally, Prince of Wales Island wasn’t even on my radar when I was planning my Alaska adventure. I had heard many good things about Ketchikan and knew I wanted to visit that coastal community after Juneau, but the ferry only stops in Ketchikan once a week. It was a representative at the Alaska Marine Highway System who suggested a visit to Prince of Wales Island during my week-long stop in Ketchikan. I ended up staying on the island four nights where I camped in the Harris River and Eagle’s Nest national forest campgrounds. I literally had the entire campgrounds to myself, even on a Labor Day weekend. I really enjoyed the serene quiet and natural beauty of Prince of Wales Island which I would highly recommend to any visitor to Southeast Alaska.
