Chichagof Island is directly north of Baranof Island, with Peril Strait separating the two islands. It is bounded by Chatham Strait to the east, Icy Strait to the northeast, Cross Sound to the northwest, and the Gulf of Alaska to the west.
The communities of Hoonah, Pelican, Tenakee Springs, and Elfin Cove are all located on the northern half of Chichagof Island, in the Hoonah-Angoon Census Area. The southern half of the island comprises the northern part of the City and Borough of Sitka. Only eight persons were counted in this portion of Sitka at the 2000 census. The primary economic sources for all these communities come from either Chichagof Island or the waters and fjords surrounding it. Commercial Fishing, guided hunting trips, charter fishing and logging are all vital economic facets of the local economies.
This island is named after Admiral Vasili Chichagov, a Russian Arctic explorer who never visited Alaska. The entire island lies within the limits of Tongass National Forest. The western coastal portion has been officially designated as the West Chichagof-Yakobi Wilderness.
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