Cabin rental · U.S. Forest Service · Chugach National Forest · Cordova, AK

Mckinley Trail Cabin

Located just off the Copper River Highway in the Chugach National Forest, McKinley Trail Cabin offers guests year-round recreation and relaxation. Although the cabin isn't in the remote wilderness, it makes a good base camp for exploring the Copper River Delta and the surrounding areas. Fishing, hiking, hunting and wildlife viewing are within the vicinity. Access to the cabin is by motor vehicle. The trailhead to the cabin is located at Mile 21 of the Copper River Highway. The cabin is approximately 80 yards from the road on the McKinley Lake Trail. Visitors are responsible for their own travel arrangements and safety, and must bring several of their own amenities.

Cabin rentalReservable · Recreation.gov1 site
Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗
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Photos courtesy of MCKINLEY TRAIL CABIN · Recreation.gov

Site mix

Cabins1
This cabin is booked as a single unit on Recreation.gov. The booking page shows which dates are open and how far ahead they release. How the booking window works

Site guide

1 site. Tap a filter to narrow the list; the map follows.

SiteSurfacePeople / vehicles
C07Gravel6 / 3

Per-site records as published by the managing agency on Recreation.gov. Blank cells mean the agency listed nothing for that site. Check-in 12:00 PM, checkout 12:00 PM.

Amenities & rules

FeesOnly one change per reservation for all Alaska cabins is allowed. Change is defined as a modification to the start or end date of the reservation; after one change has been made, if additional changes are desired, the customer must cancel the current reservation and re-book the new dates.

The 12-by-14 log cabin is equipped with wooden bunkbeds that sleep up to six guests. The cabin is furnished with a table, a wood stove for heat and an outdoor pit toilet. The cabin does not have running water, electricity or cut firewood. Visitors must bring their own supply of drinking water and firewood. Visitors must bring food, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, a cook stove, matches, cooking gear, lanterns or flashlights, toilet paper, a first aid kit and garbage bags. All trash and food must be packed out, and visitors are expected to clean the cabin before leaving.

Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Mckinley Trail Cabin20°30°40°50°60°January: 6.22 inches of precipitationFebruary: 5.95 inches of precipitationMarch: 4.69 inches of precipitationApril: 4.48 inches of precipitationMay: 5.41 inches of precipitationJune: 4.58 inches of precipitationJuly: 5.70 inches of precipitationAugust: 9.93 inches of precipitationSeptember: 13.21 inches of precipitationOctober: 10.88 inches of precipitationNovember: 7.16 inches of precipitationDecember: 7.97 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 26.4°F averageFebruary: 29.1°F averageMarch: 30.8°F averageApril: 38.1°F averageMay: 45.5°F averageJune: 51.4°F averageJuly: 54.6°F averageAugust: 54.1°F averageSeptember: 48.4°F averageOctober: 40.1°F averageNovember: 31.6°F averageDecember: 28.9°F average0 in5 in10 in15 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Cordova M K Smith AP, 9 miles from the campground at 31 feet, station USW00026410 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 86 inches a year.

Getting there

Access to the cabin is by motor vehicle and a short walk from the McKinley Trail trailhead. From Cordova, drive 21 miles east on the Copper River Highway. The trailhead for the cabin is located at mile 21. The cabin is approximately 80 yards from the road on the McKinley Lake Trail.

Nearest townCordova, Alaska
Coordinates60.4436° N, 145.2158° W · Directions ↗

Explore

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →
  • 0.1 mi
    McKinley Lake Trail
    2.7 mi trail · hiking
  • 0.3 mi
    Pipeline Lakes Trail
    1.9 mi trail · hiking
  • 2.3 mi
    Muskeg Meander Spur Loop Trail
    0.7 mi trail · snowshoe, ski
  • 2.4 mi
    Haystack Trail
    0.8 mi trail · hiking
  • 2.5 mi
    Haystack Loop
    0.7 mi trail · hiking
  • 2.6 mi
    Alaganik Slough Trail
    0.4 mi trail · hiking

Trail and trailhead records are the Forest Service's. Distances are straight-line to the nearer trail end. Trail conditions are not tracked here.

Public land it sits in

On Wilderness Atlas →

Wrangell-Saint Elias Wilderness begins about 1 mile away, and it is the closest of these.

Each unit is published as a centre point and an acreage rather than a boundary, so this section stands it in for a circle of the same area. Whether a campground is inside, and how far it is from one it is outside, are both approximate.

Natural features

McKinley Trail Cabin is located at the start of the McKinley Lake Trail in a dense spruce and hemlock forest. Steep mountainous terrain surrounds the area. Guests will be treated to an abundance of wildlife near the cabin. Waterfowl, Sitka blacked-tailed deer, moose, black and brown bear find habitat in the surrounding forest and nearby lakes. Learn more about bear and moose safety in Alaska.

Recreation

For hikers and anglers wanting to explore the area, McKinley Trail provides access to nearby lakes and a historical mining site. Approximately 1.25 miles from the McKinley Trail trailhead is the junction for the Pipeline Lakes Trail, which wanders through muskeg meadows and spruce-hemlock forests below steep mountainsides. In the spring, brown bears can be seen grazing on the new grass on the south-facing slopes. The trail also reaches McKinley Lake and McKinley Lake Cabin, about 2.25 miles from the trailhead. The trail meets the shoreline of the lake at both its southern end, and at the cove at its upper area. Hiking approximately a quarter-mile beyond the cabin, visitors will find remnants of the Lucky Strike Mine. Rusting machinery, pipes and a collapsed tunnel are the most obvious evidence of the mine site. The closest fishing area to the McKinley Trail Cabin is just across the highway in the upper part of Alaganik Slough. The highway is a two-lane dirt road with anywhere from 10 to 75 vehicles per day. Coho salmon move into the slough with the high tides downstream. In late August and September, they start moving up the slough to the spawning grounds, passing near the cabin.

Guidebooks for Alaska

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Reference

Questions people ask

Do I need a reservation at Mckinley Trail Cabin?

Sites at Mckinley Trail Cabin are reservable on Recreation.gov. Any walk-up sites are listed on the booking page.

Source: Recreation.gov

How much does it cost to camp at Mckinley Trail Cabin?

Only one change per reservation for all Alaska cabins is allowed. Change is defined as a modification to the start or end date of the reservation; after one change has been made, if additional changes are desired, the customer must cancel the current reservation and re-book the new dates.

Source: Recreation.gov

What time is check-in at Mckinley Trail Cabin?

Check-in 12:00 PM, checkout 12:00 PM.

Source: Recreation.gov

How many sites does Mckinley Trail Cabin have?

1 site, including 1 cabin.

Source: Recreation.gov

What is there to do at Mckinley Trail Cabin?

For hikers and anglers wanting to explore the area, McKinley Trail provides access to nearby lakes and a historical mining site. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.

Source: Recreation

What is the nearest town to Mckinley Trail Cabin?

Cordova, Alaska.

Source: Getting there

What if Mckinley Trail Cabin is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Childs Glacier Recreation Area And Campground (21.8 mi, first-come).

Source: Campgrounds nearby