Petersburg Borough / Tongass National Forest

Portage Bay Cabin

Open — Open year-round for reservations through Recreation.gov. Non-peak season rates apply October 1 through April 30, peak season rates May 1 through September 30.

About

Portage Bay Cabin sits on the eastern shore of Portage Bay on Kupreanof Island in the Petersburg Ranger District of Tongass National Forest, accessible only by float plane (15 miles from Petersburg) or boat (25 miles). The single-level hunter-style cabin was originally constructed as an administrative site for Forest Service timber crews and converted to public recreation use in 1987. It accommodates up to six people with four wooden bunks, a table, benches, and a clean-burning oil heater that requires No. 1 heating oil or kerosene. The cabin sits back from the rocky shore with hilly terrain to the east and flat, rolling terrain to the south and west, with Portage Mountain rising 3,577 feet in the background. The area offers excellent halibut fishing in the mouth of Portage Bay, with coho, pink salmon, steelhead, and trout available in nearby Portage Creek. Black bear, waterfowl, and grouse hunting are available per state and federal regulations. High levels of Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning have been recorded in the area. The primitive Portage Mountain Loop Trail connects the cabin with Petersburg Lake Cabin and Salt Chuck East Cabin through Goose Cove, though the trail is especially primitive over to Petersburg Lake and seldom used due to difficulty, with sections flooded by beaver ponds. A small creek 100 feet south of the cabin provides water that must be treated or boiled; guests are encouraged to bring their own drinking water. Access by float plane or boat can only occur at certain tide stages.

Directions

Located on the eastern shore of Portage Bay on Kupreanof Island, due east of Stop Island. Access is by float plane (15 miles from Petersburg) or boat (25 miles from Petersburg). Float plane or boat access can only occur at certain stages of the tide. Refer to USGS topographic maps Petersburg D4, Petersburg D3, and Sumdum A4.

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