Petersburg Borough / Tongass National Forest

Swan Lake Cabin Petersburg

Open — Open year-round for reservations via Recreation.gov. The lake is typically frozen from November through early June, limiting access to helicopter only. Contact floatplane companies before booking to ensure lake access, especially during fall, winter, and early spring. The cabin may be inaccessible in some years until July. Weather delays are common; plan for extended stays.

About

Swan Lake Cabin is a remote backcountry A-frame cabin located on the southeast shore of alpine Swan Lake in the Tongass National Forest, 18 miles from Petersburg. Rebuilt in 2005-06, the cabin sits at 1,524 feet elevation surrounded by the steep peaks of the Cosmos Range, offering some of the most spectacular scenery and photographic opportunities in southeast Alaska. The cabin accommodates up to seven people with two wooden bunks and a sleeping loft. It is equipped with a clean-burning oil heater (guests must supply their own No. 1 stove oil or kerosene, which burns at approximately one gallon per day), a wooden table and benches, and an outhouse with pit toilets. Two rowboats with oars are available for use on the lake. No water is provided; guests must treat or boil lake water or bring their own drinking water. Guests must bring sleeping bags, cooking gear, stove, food, and all other personal items. The area offers exceptional recreational opportunities. Rainbow trout fishing is excellent in the lake. The Cascade Creek Trail, accessible by boat from the cabin's west end, leads to Falls Lake and a three-sided shelter one mile away, continuing five miles to Cascade Creek Cabin in Thomas Bay. The surrounding terrain provides favorable conditions for rock, ice, and glacier climbing. Mountain goats inhabit the steep talus slopes, and alpine wildflowers are abundant. A sandbar is available for tent camping or picnicking. The lake is typically frozen from November through early June, limiting access to helicopter only during winter months. Guests should be prepared for weather delays and extended stays.

Directions

Accessible only by float plane or helicopter, 18 miles northeast from Petersburg. Located on Swan Lake at 1,524 feet elevation, east of Thomas Bay on the mainland. Refer to USGS topographic maps Sumdum A3 and A2. The lake is typically frozen from November through early June; contact floatplane services to verify access conditions before booking.

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