Covering portions of Prince William Sound, the Kenai Peninsula and the Copper River Delta, it was formed in 1907 from part of a larger forest reserve.

It hosts numerous bird, mammal and marine species, including extensive shorebird habitat and a bald eagle population larger than the contiguous 48 states combined.

[3] It is located in the mountains surrounding Prince William Sound including the eastern Kenai Peninsula and the delta of the Copper River.

This includes 3,500 mi (5,600 km) of shoreline, 22 tidewater glaciers, and the Nellie Juan-College Fiord Wilderness Study Area, which covers 2,200,000 acres (8,900 km2).

Portions of the Copper River Delta cover approximately 31 percent of the forest, and include the "largest contiguous wetlands complex on North America's Pacific coast".

Cannery Creek is a weather station in the Chugach National Forest, located along the shore of the Unakwik Inlet.

Instead, the forest infuses money into local communities through tourism, recreation, mining and commercial fishing.

There are over 7 million annual visitors to the Chugach National Forest, including kayakers, boaters, hikers, skiers, birders and anglers.

Mining, including coal and hard rock operations, and oil and gas development are found in the forest.