Castle Flats Cabin
Castle Flats Cabin is located on Kupreanof Island on the coastal waters of southeastern Alaska. It offers access to a variety of outdoor recreational opportunities, as well as a secluded place to enjoy its beautiful surroundings. The cabin is accessible only by boat or float plane from Petersburg, and tides impact access. During low tides, a 2-mile hike is necessary to reach the cabin. 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 | Shade | People / vehicles |
|---|---|---|
| P10 | Full | 5 / – |
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 | Reservations can be made the day of arrival or up to 180 days in advance and are restricted to a maximum stay of 7 consecutive nights per party for any one reservation from May 1 through September 30 and a maximum stay of 10 consecutive nights per part from October 1 through April 30. |
The hunter-style cabin has four wooden bunks and can accommodate up to five people. It is equipped with a table and benches, wood stove and oil heater. The cabin has a covered porch and an outhouse with a pit toilet. A broom, dust pan, axe and splitting maul are generally available, but may be missing or damaged. The nearest water source is a small stream west of the cabin, but water must be treated or boiled prior to consumption. Visitors may want to bring their own drinking water to avoid the hassle. Visitors need to bring No. 1 heating oil for the clean-burning oil heater, in addition to sleeping bags and pads, a cook stove and cooking gear, towels, food, clothing and garbage bags, among other necessities. 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
From Petersburg, it is 16 miles by float plane or 30 miles by boat. A 15-foot tide is required for float plane access, and a 13-foot tide is required for boat access. At lower tides, there is up to a 2-mile hike along the tide flat to the cabin. Castle Flats Cabin can be found on USGS topographic map Petersburg C-4.
| Nearest town | Petersburg, Alaska |
| Coordinates | 56.6461° N, 133.2500° W · Directions ↗ |
Good to know
- Firewood is generally provided, but is not guaranteed.
- Drinking water is not available.
- Heating oil is not provided.
Explore
Trails nearby
- under 0.1 miCastle River Trail1.1 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
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
Petersburg Creek-Duncan Salt Chuck Wilderness begins about 9.7 miles away, and it is the closest of these.
- 9.7 miPetersburg Creek-Duncan Salt Chuck Wilderness ↗Wilderness · Forest Service · 46,756 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 located on southeastern Kupreanof Island, on the edge of the Castle River tide flat in Duncan Canal. The surrounding terrain is predominantly flat, old-growth forest and muskeg. A variety of wildlife makes its home in the area, including moose, deer, black bears, waterfowl and grouse. During spring migration, the flats are host to many bird species.
Recreation
The Castle River Trail is an easy, 1-mile trail that leads first to the Castle River Cabin and continues upstream another half-mile through forest and muskeg. Wildlife can be seen along the trail. Visitors also enjoy fishing for steelhead from April to May, trout from May to October, and coho salmon in mid-August through mid-September. A small rowboat and oars are provided at the cabin. Life jackets are not provided and visitors must bring their own. Visitors may also choose to bring a small, outboard motor. Crossing the tide flats by boat requires at least a 13-foot tide (local tide tables).
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 Castle Flats Cabin?
Sites at Castle Flats 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 Castle Flats Cabin?
Reservations can be made the day of arrival or up to 180 days in advance and are restricted to a maximum stay of 7 consecutive nights per party for any one reservation from May 1 through September 30 and a maximum stay of 10 consecutive nights per part from October 1 through April 30.
Source: Recreation.gov
What time is check-in at Castle Flats Cabin?
Check-in 12:00 PM, checkout 12:00 PM.
Source: Recreation.gov
How many sites does Castle Flats Cabin have?
1 site, including 1 cabin.
Source: Recreation.gov
Is there cell service at Castle Flats Cabin?
FCC coverage maps show AT&T 4G LTE at the campground point. Terrain changes that from one site to the next.
Source: FCC Broadband Map
What is there to do at Castle Flats Cabin?
The Castle River Trail is an easy, 1-mile trail that leads first to the Castle River Cabin and continues upstream another half-mile through forest and muskeg. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.
Source: Recreation
What is the nearest town to Castle Flats Cabin?
Petersburg, Alaska.
Source: Getting there
What if Castle Flats Cabin is full?
The nearest public campgrounds are Ohmer Creek Campground (20 mi, first-come), El Capitan Campground (33.5 mi), and Nemo Campsites Entry & Info Site (41.7 mi, first-come).
Source: Campgrounds nearby