Garnet Ledge is an area located on the mainland near the mouth of the Stikine River, about 7 miles and a quick boat ride from Wrangell. The Forest Service maintains a cabin at the ledge that is available to rent nightly (see link below). The ledge is composed of a garnet-biotite schist that was formed over 90 million years agon along the western flank of the mountains. Garnet crystals formed as a result of the heat and pressure being applied to the existing rock.

Wrangell Garnets are found in major gem collections around the world and are recognized for their faceted, luminous beauty.

Awareness of the existence of Garnet Ledge dates back to the early gold miners of the 1860s. In 1892, J.D. Dana published his "Analysis of garnet from Wrangell", the earliest known scientific record of the crystals. In 1906, the U.S. Geological survey bulletin by F.E. Wright also mentioned the garnets. At one point in time the ledge was owned and mined by the Alaska Garnet Mining & Manufacturing Co., the first all-woman corporation in the United States. These Minnesotan ladies produced things like hair pins and watch fobs. Eventually it was deeded to the Boy Scout Council of Juneau, who transferred the deed to the First Presbyterian Church of Wrangell in the early 2000s. However, it is still only the children of Wrangell that have free use of the site. Because the area is located in a wilderness area, no power tools are permitted. Kids and their families will take hand tools and buckets to look for garnets in the rocks and streams. Many family traditions have evolved around annual garnet mining and selling.

Right: Garnet Ledge 1991, Mark Kielbaso