Misty Fjords National Monument

A Jewel of the Inside Passage

The stunning Misty Fjords National Monument is noted for its steep cliff walls, lush vegetation, and array of Southeast Alaska wildlife species. One of its most unique features is New Eddystone Rock, located near the entrance of Rudyerd Bay. This instantly recognizable island consists of basalt that rose from a volcanic vent through fractures in the floor of Behm Canal. As glaciers advanced, they scoured away most of the flow, leaving behind New Eddystone Rock and several other islands.

In 1793, while in search of the Northwest Passage, Captain George Vancouver sailed his ship Discovery northeast up Behm Canal. In his journal Vancouver penned, “We saw the remarkable rock resembling a ship under sail. I called it New Eddystone.”

Misty Fjords was designated a National Monument in 1978. The granting of Monument status meant this unique wilderness, along with its ecological, cultural, geological, historical, and scientific value would be protected for generations to come.