27px, we want 27. Please register or login . The region is characterized by deep valleys with steep slopes and sharp inter-valley ridges formed by volcanism and carved by glaciation. From the sea the slopes appear to be an unbroken carpet of spruce and hemlock, but the forest floor stands open at numerous muskegs dominated by sphagnum moss.
Ridges rise above timberline to alpine heaths and grasses.
Behm Canal, the longest waterway into the Wilderness, runs for over 100 miles, extraordinary in length and depth. Old lava flows and extensive glaciers add to the wonder. Advance cabin registrations are required. About 15 miles of wet trails punch into the interior. Winter skiing has been increasingly popular, but the avalanche danger often rates as high.