Pleasant Island (

Lingít The Tlingit ( or ; also spelled Tlinkit) are indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast of North America. Their language is the Tlingit language (natively , pronounced ),

: ''Wanachích'') is the largest island in the

Icy Strait The Icy Strait is a strait in the Alexander Archipelago in southeastern Alaska, at about . The strait separates Chichagof Island to the south and the Alaska mainland to the north. The strait is from its west side at the intersection of the Cros ...

between northern

Chichagof Island Chichagof Island (russian: Остров Чичагова), or Shee Kaax, is an island in the Alexander Archipelago of the Alaska Panhandle. At long and wide, it has a land area of , making it the fifth largest island in the United States and ...

and the mainland of the Alaska Panhandle. It lies southeast of the mainland city of Gustavus and southwest of the mainland community of

Excursion Inlet Excursion Inlet (Lingít: ''Ḵuyeiḵ’ L’e.aan'') is a census-designated place (CDP) in Haines Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. The population was 40 at the 2020 census, up from 12 in 2010. Geography The community of Excursion Inlet i ...

. Pleasant Island has a land area of 49.192 km² (18.993 sq mi), had no population at the 2000 census, Colter Barnes is the only person who lives here.

Location

The Pleasant/Lemesurier/Inian Islands Wilderness is located in Icy Strait between Chichagof Island and the mainland on the north end of the

Tongass National Forest The Tongass National Forest () in Southeast Alaska is the largest U.S. National Forest at . Most of its area is temperate rain forest and is remote enough to be home to many species of endangered and rare flora and fauna. The Tongass, which i ...

. The Wilderness is made up of three large islands and a few small islands adjacent to them.

Access

The wilderness is accessible by boat, kayak or float plane.

Area Description

This grouping of relatively small islands is unique in that the three largest islands are very different in topography, use and character. Pleasant Island is fairly flat and has a mixture of

old-growth forest An old-growth forestalso termed primary forest, virgin forest, late seral forest, primeval forest, or first-growth forestis a forest that has attained great age without significant disturbance, and thereby exhibits unique ecological featur ...

and muskeg. The island has a couple of small lakes that can be hiked to from the shoreline. The island has many beaches friendly to small boats or kayaks and several areas that are used for camping. Pleasant Island is located just a couple of miles from Gustavus, Alaska, and

Glacier Bay National Park Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve is an American national park located in Southeast Alaska west of Juneau. President Calvin Coolidge proclaimed the area around Glacier Bay a national monument under the Antiquities Act on February 26, 1925. C ...

. Many people kayaking to and from the park stop at Pleasant Island for lunch or a campover.

Lemesurier Island Lemesurier Island is the second-largest island in the Icy Strait between Chichagof Island and the mainland of the Alaska Panhandle in the U.S. state of Alaska. The island lies about midway between the mainland city of Gustavus and the northwest Ch ...

, to the west of Pleasant, appears different because it rises out of Icy Strait to above sea level. The top of the island is not forested like the rest, but is in the sub-alpine. There is one small lake on the south side of the island which can be hiked to from shoreline. There are half a dozen nice beaches around the south and north sides of the island where small boats or kayaks can approach and these coves are also good for camping. There are two small private parcels of land on the south side of this island. The lnian Islands are even further west and are nearest the Pacific Ocean. They receive the high energy seas on the west side, characteristic of the outer coast. This grouping of half a dozen small islands offers refuge to boats from the swells, winds, and tides between the open ocean and Icy Strait. Caution should be used in traveling through the narrow openings between islands. The notorious laundry chute is an appropriate name as your boat can be swiftly drawn through this pass at certain tides. There are also two small private parcels of land on the main island. The Strait is a passageway for a major portion of the water that travels through to the areas of

Chatham Strait Chatham Strait, or Shee ya xhaak in the Tlingit language, is a narrow passage of the Alexander Archipelago in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of Alaska. It separates Chichagof Island and Baranof Island to its west from Admiralty Island ...

Lynn Canal Lynn Canal is an inlet (not an artificial canal) into the mainland of southeast Alaska. Lynn Canal runs about from the inlets of the Chilkat River south to Chatham Strait and Stephens Passage. At over in depth, Lynn Canal is the deepest fjord ...

, and beyond. The higher the tides, the more the water moves through. Although this has a disadvantage in planning travel, it is also a key reason there is so much marine life in Icy Strait. This is an excellent place in southeast Alaska to watch for marine mammals. Humpback whales and Orca can be seen in abundance in Icy Strait as well as seals, Steller sea lions, sea otters, and porpoises. An abundance of sea and land birds can also be seen near the shores including murrelets, gulls, terns and bald eagles. The islands host brown bears, Sitka black-tailed deer, marten, mink, land otter, red squirrels, ptarmigan, gray squirrels, and grouse. The lnian Islands were used for fox farms in the 1920s and still provide harbor for commercial fishing vessels.

Facilities

There are no public cabins, shelters or maintained trails on the islands

References

Pleasant Island: Block 1047, Census Tract 3, Skagway-Hoonah-Angoon Census Area, Alaska
United States Census Bureau * {{authority control Islands of the Alexander Archipelago Islands of Hoonah–Angoon Census Area, Alaska Uninhabited islands of Alaska Islands of Alaska Islands of Unorganized Borough, Alaska