USDA Forest Service Celebrating Wildflowers

Alaska Region

Graphic displaying Alaska superimposed over the lower 48 United States.
Relative size of Alaska and the Region's National Forests compared to the lower 48 United States.

The Alaska Region occupies the rugged, mountainous coast of the northeast Pacific Ocean. The maze of fjords and islands, streams and mountains characterizing the Region support a wide array of vegetation types ranging from vast wetlands to luxuriant temperate rainforests to magnificent alpine ecosystems.

There are only two national forests in the Alaska Region, the Tongass National Forest and the Chugach National Forest; however, they are the largest national forests in the Country. The Chugach surrounds Prince William Sound and is near Anchorage, Alaska's largest city. The Tongass National Forest includes the islands and mainland of southeastern Alaska and surrounds the towns of Ketchikan, Sitka, Juneau, Petersburg, Wrangell, Yakutat and Skagway.

Many of the plants in the Alaska Region produce spectacular wildflowers and colorful foliage, providing excellent opportunities to enjoy native plants from spring through autumn.

Wildflower Viewing Areas for the Alaska Region

Viewing Area National Forest or Grassland Region State
Alaganik Slough Chugach Alaska Alaska
Trail of Blue Ice Chugach Alaska Alaska
Turnagain Pass Chugach Alaska Alaska
Balls Lake Trail Tongass Alaska Alaska
Harbor Mountain Tongass Alaska Alaska
Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center Tongass Alaska Alaska
Ohmer Creek Tongass Alaska Alaska
Starrigavan Recreation Area Tongass Alaska Alaska

Rare Plant Conservation Success Stories

Regional Information

Lichens of Alaska's South Coast brochure cover.

Lichens of Alaska's South Coast (PDF, 1.8 MB)
This brochure highlights 31 of the more than 1,000 lichens found across the south coast of Alaska (from Kodiak Island to Ketchikan). This region includes the Tongass and Chugach national forests, the Glacier Bay, Lake Clark, Katmai, and Wrangell-St. Elias national parks and preserves, the Klondike Gold Rush and Sitka national historical parks, Kenai Fjords National Park, and the US Fish and Wildlife Service Kodiak, Kenai, and Maritime national wildlife refuges.

This brochure was prepared by the botany program of the Forest Service, Alaska Region. Photographs are by Karen L. Dillman unless otherwise noted. Drawings are by Alexander Mikulin.

Wildflower Photographs

White marsh marigold, Caltha leptosepala.
White marsh marigold (Caltha leptosepala. Kenai Peninsula, Chugach National Forest. Photo by Mary Stensvold.

Nootka Lupine, Lupinus Nootaktensis.
Nootka Lupine (Lupinus Nootaktensis). Yakutat, Tongass National Forest. Photo by Mary Stensvold.

Forget me not, Myosotis alpestris.
Forget me not (Myosotis alpestris). Alaska State Flower. Chugach National Forest. Photo by Mary Stensvold.

Devil's club, Oplopanax horridus.
Devil’s club (Oplopanax horridus). Prince of Whales Island, Tongass National Forest. Photo by Mary Stensvold.

Cooley's buttercup, Ranunculus cooleyae.
Cooley’s buttercup (Ranunculus cooleyae). Juneau alpine, Tongass National Forest. Photo by Mary Stensvold.

Salmonberry, Rubus spectabilis.
Salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis). Sitka, Tongass National Forest. Photo by Mary Stensvold.

U.S. Forest Service
Rangeland Management
Botany Program
1400 Independence Ave., SW, Mailstop Code: 1103
Washington DC 20250-1103

USA.gov logo

Location: http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/regions/alaska/index.php
Last modified: March 05, 2012