Typical of southeastern Alaska, spruce and hemlock fill most of the forest. Thick undergrowth includes the awesome devil's club, whose spikes are known to rip the clothes off careless hikers. Wind and rain are common in summer, and wind and snow in winter, with snow accumulations reaching 200 inches on the area's mountaintops. Wilderness camping is unrestricted. The area lies on northeastern Kupreanof Island, near the small village of Kupreanof, just across the Wrangell Narrows from the town of Petersburg.
Easy access means a lot of people visit to fish, hunt, picnic, hike, and camp.