Prince of Wales-Hyder

Overview

Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area is a vast wilderness region in Southeast Alaska's Alexander Archipelago, encompassing Prince of Wales Island (the 4th largest island in the US), the remote exclave of Hyder, and Annette Island. The area sits within the Tongass National Forest—America's largest national forest at nearly 17 million acres. The region is accessible via the Inter-Island Ferry Authority, which runs daily service departing Ketchikan at 3:30 PM and arriving in Hollis at 6:30 PM. Prince of Wales features over 1,500 miles of roads (mostly paved or improved gravel, some logging roads) designated as an Alaska Scenic Byway, making it exceptionally accessible for vehicle-based camping compared to most Southeast Alaska destinations. The Forest Service maintains 20+ public use cabins available through Recreation.gov, plus two developed campgrounds: Eagle's Nest (Thorne Bay Road) and Harris River (Craig-Klawock-Hollis Highway), both operating on a first-come, first-served basis at $8/night. The island offers extensive backcountry opportunities within designated wilderness areas including Karta River, South Prince of Wales, Maurille Islands, and Warren Island wilderness areas. The region experiences a temperate rainforest climate with significant precipitation year-round. Hyder, the easternmost town in Alaska, has no direct road access to other Alaskan communities but connects to the road system only via Stewart, British Columbia. The state is currently studying the possibility of a ferry terminal at Hyder. Major communities include Craig, Metlakatla, Thorne Bay, Klawock, and Coffman Cove. Recent news indicates the Tongass is undergoing Land Management Plan Revision, and communities recently received nearly $2 million in federal funding for infrastructure improvements.