Nature & Science Though relatively small (113 acres), the park
contains a variety of habitat types including temperate
rainforest, open meadow, estuary, anadromous river, and semi-
protected marine intertidal shoreline. The park’s vegetation is
dominated by the coastal temperate rainforest typical of
southeastern Alaska and is characterized by the Sitka
spruce/western hemlock closed-canopy forest type. The
northeastern corner of the park exhibits old-growth
characteristics such as multiple canopy layers, trees of varying
diameters, snags, and woody debris. Non-forested areas in the
park include the Indian River estuary and associated wetlands,
the beach fringe, and the historic Tlingit fort site, which is a
maintained grassy opening enclosed by the surrounding forest.
The marine intertidal area is unusually diverse and productive.
Pink and chum salmon enter the intertidal and lower floodplain
channel segments of the Indian River to spawn from mid-July
through September. Coho and chinook salmon, Dolly Varden ch