| At 5.6 million acres, the Chugach National Forest (pronounced "Chew'gatch") is the second largest forest in the National Forest System. Roughly the same size as the states of Massachusetts and Rhode Island combined, the Chugach National Forest is the most northern of National Forests, only 500 miles south of the Arctic Circle. One third of the Chugach National Forest is composed of rocks and moving ice. The remainder is a diversity of land, water, plants and animals. The mountains, lakes, and rivers of the Kenai Peninsula, the islands and glaciers of Prince William Sound, and the wetlands and birds of the Copper River Delta make this National Forest a retreat for adventurers.There are few places today where glaciers still clash against the land. One-third of this land is rock and moving ice. However, the slow, persistent force of glacial ice has not been the only land shaping agent. Volcanic forces, as well as earthquakes, have played a role in creating one of the most diverse landscapes in Alaska, if not America.Whether visitors are anglers, hikers, hunters, skiers, mountain bikers or simply love to drive for pleasure, Alaska's Kenai Peninsula is a place of opportunities. Just 50 road miles southeast of Anchorage, the Chugach National Forest portion of the Kenai begins. Portage Valley, the most visited recreation site in the state, is 55 miles southeast of Anchorage at the northeastern tip of the peninsula. The valley has icebergs, glaciers and wildlife.In Prince William Sound, blue-white glaciers grind to the sea through spruce forests. Visitors come in kayaks, cruise ships, powerboats, sailboats, ferries and floatplanes to explore the sound's 3,500 miles of coastline.The 700,000-acre delta of the Copper River is a unique wetlands ecosystem and the largest contiguous wetland on the west coast of the United States. Millions of waterfowl and shorebirds spend part of their lives on the Delta. |
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