Mckinley Lake Cabin
This site is closed for all reservations due to public health concerns. McKinley Lake Cabin offers guests recreation, relaxation and a remote lodging experience in southcentral Alaska. Located on the northwest end of McKinley Lake in the Chugach National Forest, guests will find fishing, hiking, hunting and wildlife viewing all within the vicinity. Access to the cabin is by hiking, float plane or canoe. Visitors are responsible for their own travel arrangements and safety, and must bring several of their own amenities.
Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗
Site mix
| Cabins | 1 |
Site guide
1 site. Tap a filter to narrow the list; the map follows.
| Site | Surface | People / vehicles |
|---|---|---|
| C14 | Gravel | 6 / – |
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
| Fees | 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. |
The 16-by-20 cabin is equipped with wooden bunks that sleep up to six guests. The cabin is equipped with a table, benches, wood stove for heat, saw, axe, splitting maul, a rainwater catchment barrel 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
Getting there
Access to the cabin is by float plane, canoe or a 2.25-mile hike through dense forest. Hiking access begins at McKinley Lake Trail, a signed trailhead located at Mile 21 of the Copper River Highway. Access by boat or canoe is up Alaganik Slough to McKinley Lake, approximately 2 miles.
| Nearest town | Cordova, Alaska |
| Coordinates | 60.4686° N, 145.1928° W · Directions ↗ |
Explore
Trails nearby
- 0.3 miMcKinley Lake Trail2.7 mi trail · hiking
- 0.9 miPipeline Lakes Trail1.9 mi trail · hiking
- 2.4 miMuskeg Meander Trail3 mi trail · snowshoe, ski
- 2.5 miMuskeg Meander Spur Loop Trail0.7 mi trail · snowshoe, ski
- 2.5 miSaddlebag Glacier Trail3.1 mi trail · hiking
- 3.1 miHaystack Trail0.8 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
This campground sits inside Wrangell-Saint Elias Wilderness.
- inWrangell-Saint Elias Wilderness ↗Wilderness · National Park Service · 9,432,000 acres
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.
Other campgrounds nearby
Cabin and lookout rentals nearby
Natural features
The cabin is situated on McKinley Lake and is surrounded by a dense spruce and hemlock forest. Steep mountainous terrain encircles the area. Visitors will be treated to an abundance of wildlife. Loons and other waterfowl find habitat on the lake, while sockeye salmon splash and spawn in the nearby creek. Sitka black-tailed deer, moose, black and brown bear also inhabit the forest. Learn more about bear and moose safety in Alaska.
Recreation
McKinley Trail provides access to both the McKinley Trail Cabin, located just 100 yards from the trailhead, and this cabin, which is about 2.25 miles from the trailhead. The trail meets the shoreline of the lake at its southern lobe and at the cove at its upper end. 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. At 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. Anglers will find cutthroat trout near inlet creeks and gravel shoals near the cabin, and more healthy coho and sockeye at the mouth of the lake outlet. Many anglers concentrate on the Dolly Varden that follow the sockeye to eat their eggs. Walking up the Pipeline Lakes Trail, anglers will discover a series of five small lakes with resident cutthroat trout and some Dolly Varden. Using dry flies is the best bet in these lakes.
Guidebooks for Alaska
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Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
Do I need a reservation at Mckinley Lake Cabin?
Sites at Mckinley Lake 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 Lake 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 Lake Cabin?
Check-in 12:00 PM, checkout 12:00 PM.
Source: Recreation.gov
How many sites does Mckinley Lake Cabin have?
1 site, including 1 cabin.
Source: Recreation.gov
What is there to do at Mckinley Lake Cabin?
McKinley Trail provides access to both the McKinley Trail Cabin, located just 100 yards from the trailhead, and this cabin, which is about 2.25 miles from the trailhead. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.
Source: Recreation
What is the nearest town to Mckinley Lake Cabin?
Cordova, Alaska.
Source: Getting there
What if Mckinley Lake Cabin is full?
The nearest public campgrounds are Childs Glacier Recreation Area And Campground (20 mi, first-come).
Source: Campgrounds nearby