Russell Fiord

Russell Fiord extends northward into Disenchantment Bay, featuring steep cliffs, icy waters, and a surrounding forest of Sitka spruce trees along its shoreline.

The United States Geological Survey named the fjord in 1901 after Israel Russell, who discovered this water formation during his 1891 Yakutat region exploration.

The Russell Fjord Wilderness, protected under the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act of 1980, encompasses 348,701 acres within Tongass National Forest.

The fjord requires a one-mile hike from the gravel road to access its waters, where visitors can observe Arctic terns, mergansers, and hummingbirds.

Hubbard Glacier periodically blocks the fjord's entrance, transforming it into a freshwater lake that rose 85 feet above sea level during a five-month closure in 1986.

Location: Alaska

GPS coordinates: 59.80111,-139.32417

Latest update: March 10, 2025 10:32