Is Alaska's Prince of Wales Island a hidden treasure trove of rare earth metals?

Countries & Cities · Published 30 September 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: As the fourth-largest island in the United States, Prince of Wales Island is a rugged landscape defined by dense forests, karst limestone, and a complex history of resource extraction. Once a logging powerhouse, the island now balances its industrial legacy with tourism and a unique, mineral-rich future in rare earth metals.

Located in the Alexander Archipelago, Prince of Wales Island spans 2,577 square miles. Its terrain is dominated by the Tongass National Forest and dramatic geological features, including El Capitan Pit, which may be the deepest vertical shaft in the country. The island’s climate is defined by maritime conditions, regular fog, and a marine layer that blankets its forested, steep-sided mountains.

The island’s economic history has shifted dramatically over the last century. Mining for gold, copper, and uranium began in the late 19th century, with the Ross-Adams mine serving as Alaska’s only producing uranium site. Today, attention has turned to Bokan Mountain, which holds the largest deposit of heavy rare earth elements in the United States. While still in planning stages as of August 2019, the site contains significant quantities of dysprosium, attracting interest from the Pentagon for mineralogical studies.

Logging was the island's primary economic driver for most of the 20th century, leading to extensive road construction and legal battles over forest management. In 1975, a court injunction briefly halted clearcutting on 400,000 acres, though the National Forest Management Act later removed these restrictions. As the logging industry declined, the island pivoted toward commercial fishing and tourism. The development of the Inter-Island Ferry Authority and the repurposing of old logging roads have improved access for visitors, while communities like Craig and Klawock continue to rely on the region's abundant salmon, halibut, and shellfish populations.

The island is the traditional territory of the Tlingit people, who call it Taan, meaning sea lion. Haida people migrated to the area in the late 18th century. European exploration began in 1741 with Aleksei Chirikov, followed by Spanish, British, and French expeditions. George Vancouver named the archipelago in 1793 after the future King George IV. Today, the island remains a site of both indigenous heritage and ongoing federal land management, with four federally recognized Alaska Native tribes residing there.

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