Russell Fiord, also spelledRussell Fjord, is afjord in theU.S. state ofAlaska. It extends north toDisenchantment Bay, the terminus ofHubbard Glacier, at the head ofYakutat Bay. The fjord was named in 1901 by Marcus Baker of theU.S. Geological Survey for explorerIsrael Russell, who discovered the estuary in 1891 while exploring theYakutat region.
The opening intoDisenchantment Bay has been periodically blocked by Hubbard Glacier, turning Russell Fiord into a lake collecting freshwater run-off from the glacier. The entrance closed from May to October 1986, and again briefly in 2002.[1]
TheRussell Fiord Wilderness is awilderness area within theTongass National Forest, protecting 348,701 acres (1,411 km2) surrounding the fjord. The wilderness was established by theAlaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act in 1980 and is managed by theU.S. Forest Service. TheWrangell-Saint Elias Wilderness borders it to the northwest.
59°48′04″N139°19′27″W / 59.80111°N 139.32417°W /59.80111; -139.32417
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