Petersburg Lake Cabin

About

Petersburg Lake Cabin offers a true wilderness experience on the shores of a pristine lake in southeastern Alaska's Tongass National Forest. The wooden pan-abode cabin, built in 2003, sits in the Petersburg Creek-Duncan Salt Chuck Wilderness surrounded by old-growth spruce and hemlock forest. The cabin sleeps six with two bunk beds (double bunks below, singles above) and features both a wood stove and an oil stove for heating, plus a wooden table and benches. Access is challenging: floatplane is the easiest option at 9 miles from Petersburg. The boat-trail combination requires careful tide planning—at high tide (15+ feet), you can boat 4 miles up Petersburg Creek then hike 6.5 miles. At lower tides, expect a 10.3-mile hike from the Kupreanof boat dock. The trail is in poor condition with muddy sections, beaver ponds, downed trees, and rotting boardwalks; a map, compass, and GPS are essential. The area provides outstanding fishing with steelhead, coho, and sockeye salmon in Petersburg Creek, plus cutthroat trout and sockeye in the lake. A rowboat and oars are available at the cabin. Wildlife is abundant—black bears and eagles frequent the creek during salmon spawning. Hunters can pursue game per Alaska regulations. Guests must bring all supplies including drinking water (lake and creek water require treatment), sleeping gear, cooking equipment, and life jackets.

Directions

Accessible by floatplane 9 miles from Petersburg. By boat-trail combination: at high tide (15+ feet), boat 4 miles up Petersburg Creek to the high tide trailhead, then hike 6.5 miles on Petersburg Creek Trail. At lower tides, take a boat to the Kupreanof boat dock on Wrangell Narrows and hike 10.3 miles. Refer to USGS topographic map Petersburg D4.