Twelvemile Cabin

About

Twelvemile Cabin sits on Twelvemile Inlet on Prince of Wales Island within the Tongass National Forest. Unlike most Alaska public-use cabins that require floatplane or boat access, this one is reachable by vehicle via Forest Road 21 and a 900-foot accessible gravel trail from the parking area. The surrounding landscape includes young Sitka spruce and western hemlock forest, with views across the inlet to an old-growth reserve. The one-story, 16x20-ft cabin accommodates up to six people on wooden bunkbeds (no mattresses). Amenities include a table, benches, and a wood stove for heat, with firewood typically available but not guaranteed. A fully accessible outdoor toilet is located 40 feet from the cabin. Visitors must bring their own drinking water, food, sleeping bags, cook stove and fuel, lantern, toilet paper, and garbage bags, as there are no services on site. Recreation opportunities abound. Twelvemile Creek supports runs of coho, chum, and pink salmon, plus cutthroat trout, rainbow trout, and Dolly Varden. The estuary south of the cabin draws sandhill cranes, eagles, wolves, black bears, and Sitka black-tailed deer. Dog Salmon Fish Pass, about 10 miles away, offers bear viewing in August during salmon runs.

Directions

From Craig or Klawock, take the Craig/Klawock-Hollis Highway toward Hollis. Turn right on Hydaburg Road (State Route 913) and travel 8 miles. Turn left onto Forest Road 21 (Polk Inlet and Twelvemile Road) and follow it for 5 miles, then turn left toward Twelvemile Inlet. The cabin parking area is about 1.5 miles ahead on the left. A 900-foot accessible gravel trail leads from the parking area to the cabin. The cabin is approximately 35 miles from Craig and 18 miles from Hydaburg.