Sitka / Tongass National Forest

Sawmill Creek Group Campground

Closed — Closed for winter. Blue Lake Road is accessible by vehicle from May 15 to November 1. The campground remains accessible year-round by foot, cross-country skis, or bikes. Limited to 14 consecutive days per calendar year.

About

Sawmill Creek Group Campground is a recently renovated USDA Forest Service facility located in the temperate rainforest of Tongass National Forest, 7 miles southeast of Sitka on Baranof Island. The campground sits 1.5 miles up gravel Blue Lake Road along scenic Sawmill Creek, surrounded by old-growth spruce and hemlock with views of surrounding mountains. The facility features one group campsite with a 30-person capacity, access to a covered picnic shelter, and serves as a trailhead for the Beaver Lake/Herring Cove Trail. The campground provides basic amenities including picnic tables, fire rings, bear-proof food lockers, garbage bins, and a vault toilet. Visitors must bring their own potable water or treat water collected from Sawmill Creek. There is no campground host on site and firewood is not available for sale. Brown bears can be present at any time, making proper food storage in the provided bear-proof lockers essential. The group site can be reserved in advance via Recreation.gov for a fee; otherwise it operates as free first-come, first-served when not reserved. A 14-day overnight stay limit per calendar year is monitored and enforced year-round. Fishing opportunities are available in Sawmill Creek, and the campground provides access to nearby hiking trails including the Beaver Lake Trail within the campground and Thimbleberry/Heart Lake Trails on Blue Lake Road.

Directions

Located on Baranof Island 7 miles southeast of Sitka. From downtown Sitka, follow Sawmill Creek Road 5.2 miles to Blue Lake Road. Turn left on graveled Blue Lake Road for 1.5 miles to the Sawmill Creek Campground sign and turn right to enter the campground.

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