Pavlof Harbor State Marine Park is located on Chicagof Island. Chicagof Island hosts the Alaskan communities of Hoonah, Pelican, Tenakee Springs, and Elfin Cove, all lying in the northern reaches of the island. The main commerce on Chicagof is centered around a water-based local economy consisting of guided hunting trips, fishing, and logging.

Named after Admiral Vasili Chichagov, a Russian Arctic explorer, Chichagof Island is 75 miles long and 50 miles at over 2,000 square miles is the fifth largest island in the United States and the 109th largest island in the world. Lying to the north of Baranof Island, the Chicagof Island is surrounded by Chatham Strait to the east, Icy Strait to the northeast, Cross Sound to the northwest, the Gulf of Alaska to the west and Peril Strait to the south.