Unorganized Borough / Hoonah-Angoon / Tongass National Forest / Kootznoowoo Wilderness / Admiralty Island National Monument

Big Shaheen Cabin

Open — Open year-round for reservations. The lake is typically ice-free and accessible by floatplane from mid-May through November. During fall, winter, and early spring, the cabin may be inaccessible due to frozen lake surface preventing floatplane landings.

About

Big Shaheen Cabin offers a unique wilderness lodging experience in the central part of Admiralty Island within Tongass National Forest's Kootznoowoo Wilderness. Built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1938, this historic log cabin sits at 300 feet elevation under a canopy of old growth spruce and hemlock forest at the edge of scenic Hasselborg Lake. The cabin features two bedrooms and a living room/kitchen area with wooden bunks that accommodate up to 8 people, a table, benches, cooking counter, oil stove for heat, and an outside pit toilet. Guests must bring sleeping bags, sleeping pads, cooking equipment, No. 1 stove oil (10-20 gallons per week), water or filtration systems, and all food. A small fishing boat with oars is provided for exploring the 7-mile-long lake and fishing for cutthroat trout, Dolly Varden, and kokanee salmon. Several primitive trails extend from the cabin into the wilderness, including a 100-yard trail to Little Shaheen Cabin. Boat-accessible trails from Hasselborg Lake lead to Lake Guerin, Beaver Lake, Lake McKinney, and Hasselborg River, providing access to the Admiralty Island Canoe Route. The area is prime brown bear habitat and offers excellent wildlife viewing opportunities for bears, Sitka black-tailed deer, and bald eagles.

Directions

Access by floatplane (45 minutes from Juneau) or canoe with portage (10 miles from Mole Harbor). Helicopter access is illegal in this designated Wilderness area. Refer to USGS topographic maps Sitka C-1 and C-2.

Nearby Campgrounds