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

Pybus Bay Cabin

Open — Open year-round with reservations available. Winter access can be difficult due to snow and ice conditions. Floatplane and boat access is tide-dependent.

About

Pybus Bay Cabin provides a true wilderness experience on Admiralty Island, known to the Tlingit as Kootznoowoo or "Fortress of the Bear." This primitive A-frame cedar log cabin sits approximately 50 yards up a hill from the beach in a protected cove about half a mile north of Donkey Bay. The cabin accommodates up to 7 guests with 4 single wooden bunks and a sleeping loft, and includes basic amenities: a cooking counter, table and benches, an oil stove for heat, and a broom. An outdoor pit toilet is provided. The surrounding area features thick temperate rainforest of old-growth spruce and hemlock trees, with large tidal flats at the end of the bay. Wildlife viewing is exceptional, with opportunities to observe brown bears, Sitka black-tailed deer, migratory waterfowl, shorebirds, and humpback whales in the remote waters of Pybus Bay. A game trail to Donkey Bay is accessible at high tide, and the area sees seasonal commercial fishing activity. This cabin is popular with hunters and anglers. Visitors must be self-sufficient and prepared for extreme wilderness conditions. Access is by floatplane or boat only, with tide-dependent landing requirements. Winter access can be particularly challenging due to snow and ice. Guests must bring their own #1 stove oil, sleeping bags and pads, cooking equipment, food, water containers, toilet paper, and all other supplies. Water is available from a nearby stream but must be treated. All garbage must be packed out. This cabin is located in designated Wilderness, making helicopter access illegal.

Directions

Located on the southeast portion of Admiralty Island, on the north shore of a small protected cove approximately half a mile north of Donkey Bay within Pybus Bay. Accessible only by floatplane or boat. Floatplane flight time is approximately 1 hour 15 minutes from Juneau or 30 minutes from Petersburg. Boat access via Stephens Passage or Frederick Sound is approximately 100 miles from Juneau. No mooring facility available. Access is tide-dependent; check tide charts before departure. This cabin is in designated Wilderness area, and helicopter access is illegal.

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