Chamisso Wilderness, Protected wilderness area in Kotzebue Sound, Alaska, US.

Chamisso Wilderness is a protected area in Kotzebue Sound containing Chamisso Island and Puffin Island, where steep cliffs rise about 226 feet above the Chukchi Sea. The site spans roughly 455 acres and is surrounded by cold Arctic waters.

The area received federal protection as a wilderness section of Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge in 1975. This designation recognized the ecological importance of these remote Arctic islands.

The Inupiat people have used the waters around the islands for generations to gather bird eggs and secure traditional food sources. This practice remains an important part of their way of life and connection to the land today.

Chamisso Island lies off Spafarief Bay at the mouth of Eschscholtz Bay, just south of the Choris Peninsula, and is reached only by boat or aircraft; there are no trails or facilities. The island is roughly triangular, 2.3 km long and 0.2 km wide, with a large sand spit, a low beach zone and tundra with marshy bogs. Iñupiat cross from the mainland to gather kittiwake and murre eggs, so visitors should avoid disturbing nesting birds.

Puffin Island, though smaller than Chamisso Island, holds far more nesting birds: horned puffins, black-legged kittiwakes and thick-billed murres nest on its steep cliffs above Spafarief Bay. Iñupiat still cross from the mainland to gather kittiwake and murre eggs. Walruses, seals and whales are often seen in the bay.