Tongass National Forest

American  

[tong-guhs nash-uh-nl fawr-ist, for-, nash-nuhl] / ˈtɒŋ gəs ˈnæʃ ə nl ˈfɔr ɪst, ˈfɒr-, ˈnæʃ nəl /

noun

1. a temperate rainforest in southeastern Alaska that also harbors more than two dozen communities, including Juneau: largest U.S. national forest. 16.7 million acres (6.8 million hectares; 26,100 square miles; 68,000 square kilometers).

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Etymology

Origin of Tongass National Forest

First recorded in 1905–10; probably from Tsimshian Tamgas, the Tsimshian name for the Taanta Kwáan or Taant'a Ḵwáan “Sea Lion People,” a Tlingit people who lived near Ketchikan in southeastern Alaska

Example Sentences

The 2.5-hour tour took us out along the Tongass National Forest, with heated indoor seating we enjoyed while en route, before hopping outside to get a closer look.

From Salon • Jul. 20, 2025

Unlike California’s towering redwoods and the red cedars of Alaska’s Tongass National Forest, these trees built to survive in the high desert are often left out of discussions of iconic old growth.

From Washington Post • Apr. 20, 2023

Joel Jackson, the president of the Organized Village of Kake, a tribal community, has lived within the Tongass National Forest in Alaska his entire life.

From BBC • Jan. 30, 2023

“As our nation’s largest national forest and the largest intact temperate rainforest in the world, the Tongass National Forest is key to conserving biodiversity and addressing the climate crisis,” Mr. Vilsack said in a statement.

From New York Times • Jan. 25, 2023

The Tongass National Forest could easily supply one-third of this amount indefinitely.

From The School Book of Forestry by Pack, Charles Lathrop