Baranof Island

Baranof Island is an island in the Alexander Archipelago of southeastern Alaska. It is characterized by mountainous terrain, dense temperate rainforest and a rugged island coastline.

The island’s largest community is Sitka, which serves as the regional economic and cultural centre and retains significant Russian-era heritage. The island supports fishing, tourism and subsistence activities and contains areas of Tongass National Forest.

Baranof Island was long inhabited by Indigenous Tlingit peoples and later became a focal point of Russian colonial activity in Alaska; Sitka was an important colonial capital before the Alaska Purchase of 1867. Modern Baranof Island combines native communities, small towns and protected natural areas.

Geographically the island lies off the southeastern Alaskan coast among other large islands of the Alexander Archipelago, a short distance from the Gulf of Alaska and accessed by ferry or air to Sitka.

• Setting: Part of the Alexander Archipelago in southeastern Alaska and within Tongass National Forest; the island features rugged, forested terrain and coastal fjords.
• Historical significance: Site of historical Russian presence in Alaska prior to the 1867 Alaska Purchase; Sitka was once the colonial capital.

What to See #

• Sitka: The island's principal settlement and historic administrative centre, located on the western coast and serving as the island's main harbour and service hub.