Pleasant Island (Alaska)
Encyclopedia
Pleasant Island is the largest island in the Icy Strait
between northern Chichagof Island
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
. Pleasant Island has a land area of 49.192 km² (18.993 sq mi) and had no population at the 2000 census
.
Location: The 23151 acres (93.7 km²) 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 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 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. Many people kayaking to and from the park stop at Pleasant Island for lunch or a campover.
Lemesurier Island
, to the west of Pleasant, appears different because it rises out of Icy Strait to 2180 feet (664.5 m) 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.
Caution should be taken when traveling through this unique area in Icy Strait. The Strait is a passage way for a major portion of the water that travels through to the areas of Chatham Strait
, Lynn Canal
, 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
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 Cross Sound and Glacier Bay to its east side at Chatham...
between northern Chichagof Island
Chichagof Island
Chichagof Island, 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 the 109th largest island in the world. It's coastline measures 742 miles. There was a 2000...
and the mainland of the Alaska Panhandle
Alaska Panhandle
Southeast Alaska, sometimes referred to as the Alaska Panhandle, is the southeastern portion of the U.S. state of Alaska, which lies west of the northern half of the Canadian province of British Columbia. The majority of Southeast Alaska's area is part of the Tongass National Forest, the United...
. It lies southeast of the mainland city of Gustavus
Gustavus, Alaska
Gustavus is a city in Hoonah-Angoon Census Area in the U.S. state of Alaska. At the 2000 census the population was 429.-Geography:Gustavus is located at ....
and southwest of the mainland community of Excursion Inlet
Excursion Inlet, Alaska
Excursion Inlet is a census-designated place in Haines Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. The population was 10 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Excursion Inlet is located at ....
. Pleasant Island has a land area of 49.192 km² (18.993 sq mi) and had no population at the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
.
Location: The 23151 acres (93.7 km²) 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
Tongass National Forest
The Tongass National Forest in southeastern Alaska is the largest national forest in the United States at 17 million acres . Most of its area is part of the temperate rain forest WWF ecoregion, itself part of the larger Pacific temperate rain forest WWF ecoregion, and is remote enough to be home...
. 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 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. Many people kayaking to and from the park stop at Pleasant Island for lunch or a campover.
Lemesurier Island
Lemesurier Island
Lemesurier Island is the second-largest island in the Icy Strait between Chichagof Island and the mainland of the Alaska Panhandle in Alaska, USA...
, to the west of Pleasant, appears different because it rises out of Icy Strait to 2180 feet (664.5 m) 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.
Caution should be taken when traveling through this unique area in Icy Strait. The Strait is a passage way for a major portion of the water that travels through to the areas of Chatham Strait
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 and Kuiu Island on its east.It is long and extends...
, Lynn Canal
Lynn Canal
Lynn Canal is an inlet into the mainland of southeast Alaska.Lynn Canal runs about from the inlets of the Chilkat River south to Chatham Strait and Stephens Passage...
, 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