Wrangell Narrows
Encyclopedia
The Wrangell Narrows is a winding, 35-km-long (22 mi) channel between Mitkof Island
and Kupreanof Island
in the Alexander Archipelago
in Southeast Alaska. The Wrangell Narrows is one of the six Listed narrows in Southeast Alaska. There are about 60 lights and buoys to mark it because of its winding nature and navigation hazards. It was named "Proliv Vrangelya" (English
: Wrangell Strait) in 1838 by G. Lindenberg after Admiral Baron Ferdinand Petrovich von Wrangell.
The town of Petersburg
is at the north end of the Narrows. The Narrows are created by Mitkof Island to the east and southeast, and the islands of Kuprenof and Woewodski
to the north and west. The Narrows opens up to Frederick Sound
to the north and Sumner Strait
to the south.
The channel is used by fishing boats and Alaska Marine Highway
ferries. Very large ships (such as the largest cruise ships) do not use it because it is too shallow and narrow for them to pass safely. Interestingly, because this is the only safe "Inside Passage" at this latitude, these larger ships must navigate in "outside" waters.
Mitkof Island
Mitkof Island is an island in the Alexander Archipelago in southeast Alaska, at . between Kupreanof Island to the west and the Alaska mainland to the east. It is about wide and long with a land area of , making it the 30th largest island in the United States.The island is relatively flat with...
and Kupreanof Island
Kupreanof Island
Kupreanof Island is an island in the Alexander Archipelago in southeastern Alaska. The island is long and wide with a total land area is , making it the 13th largest island in the United States and the 170th largest island in the world. The Lindenberg Peninsula, on the southeast side of the...
in the Alexander Archipelago
Alexander Archipelago
The Alexander Archipelago is a long archipelago, or group of islands, of North America off the southeastern coast of Alaska. It contains about 1,100 islands, which are the tops of the submerged coastal mountains that rise steeply from the Pacific Ocean. Deep channels and fjords separate the...
in Southeast Alaska. The Wrangell Narrows is one of the six Listed narrows in Southeast Alaska. There are about 60 lights and buoys to mark it because of its winding nature and navigation hazards. It was named "Proliv Vrangelya" (English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
: Wrangell Strait) in 1838 by G. Lindenberg after Admiral Baron Ferdinand Petrovich von Wrangell.
The town of Petersburg
Petersburg, Alaska
Petersburg is a city in Petersburg Census Area, Alaska, in the United States. According to 2009 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 2,824 full time residents.- History :...
is at the north end of the Narrows. The Narrows are created by Mitkof Island to the east and southeast, and the islands of Kuprenof and Woewodski
Woewodski Island
Woewodski Island is an island in the Alexander Archipelago of Southeast Alaska, U.S.A. It is separated from Kupreanof Island to the west by Duncan Canal, and Mitkof Island to the east by the Wrangell Narrows. It is named after Captain Lieutenant Stepan Vasilivich Woewodski, who was chief director...
to the north and west. The Narrows opens up to Frederick Sound
Frederick Sound
Frederick Sound is a passage of water in the Alexander Archipelago in southeastern Alaska that separates Kupreanof Island to the south from Admiralty Island in the north....
to the north and Sumner Strait
Sumner Strait
Sumner Strait is a strait in the Alexander Archipelago in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is about long and wide, extending from the mouth of the Stikine River to Iphigenia Bay on the Gulf of Alaska, separating Mitkof Island, Kupreanof Island, and Kuiu Island on the north...
to the south.
The channel is used by fishing boats and Alaska Marine Highway
Alaska Marine Highway
The Alaska Marine Highway or the Alaska Marine Highway System is a ferry service operated by the government of the U.S. state of Alaska. It has its headquarters in Ketchikan, Alaska....
ferries. Very large ships (such as the largest cruise ships) do not use it because it is too shallow and narrow for them to pass safely. Interestingly, because this is the only safe "Inside Passage" at this latitude, these larger ships must navigate in "outside" waters.