Big John Bay Cabin
Big John Bay Cabin is located at the north end of Big John Bay in Rocky Pass (Keku Strait) on Kupreanof Island. It provides access to great recreational activities and spectacular scenery in southeastern Alaska. Visitors enjoy fishing, hiking, hunting and viewing wildlife. The cabin can be accessed by boat or trail from the town of Kake, or by float plane from Petersburg. Tides can impact access, requiring up to a mile hike from the boat at low tide. The trail can be affected at high tide. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| P15 | Full | 4 / – |
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 seven consecutive nights per party for any one reservation between May and September, and 10 consecutive days from Oct. 1 through April 30. |
The hunter-style cabin has bunks to sleep up to four people. It is equipped with a table, benches and an oil stove for heat. An outhouse with a pit toilet is provided. Water taken from the nearby stream should be treated or boiled before consumption. Guests are encouraged to bring their own drinking water if possible. 1 heating oil for the oil heater. One gallon lasts about one day. Visitors also need to bring their own sleeping bags and pads, cook stove and cooking gear, towels, food, clothing, fire starter 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 28 miles by float plane. From Kake, it is 18 miles by boat or 1.75 miles from the roadside near Kake. A 15-foot tide is required for boats or float planes to directly access the cabin. A 1-mile hike across mudflats is warranted at lower tides.
| Nearest town | Petersburg, Alaska |
| Coordinates | 56.8456° N, 133.6886° W · Directions ↗ |
Good to know
- Water for drinking, cooking and cleaning is not provided at the cabin.
- Heating oil is not supplied at the cabin, so visitors must bring enough kerosene or No.
Explore
Trails nearby
- 0.1 miBig John Bay Trail2.1 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
- 2.4 miHamilton Creek Trail0.6 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
- 4 miCathedral Falls Trail0.3 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 13.7 miles away, and it is the closest of these.
- 13.7 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 a tidal flat which becomes an islet at high tide, and sits on a small wooded point that faces a large expanse of tidal grass and saltwater flats. A small stream a quarter-mile north of the cabin is the nearest water source. A variety of wildlife makes its home in the area, including waterfowl, grouse and black bears (learn about bear safety).
Recreation
The cabin provides access to good waterfowl hunting opportunities. Fishing in the Hamilton and Big John Creeks are activities that are also enjoyed by visitors to the area. Trout, as well as pink and coho salmon, can be found there. The Big John Bay Trail can be difficult to follow, but provides access to the cabin from the community of Kake. There is no trail access during high tide (local tide tables). The route follows tide flats and then parallels a small creek until reaching the logging road. Additional hikes in the area include the Hamilton Bay, Goose Lake and Cathedral Falls Trails.
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 Big John Bay Cabin?
Sites at Big John Bay 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 Big John Bay Cabin?
Reservations can be made the day of arrival or up to 180 days in advance and are restricted to a maximum stay of seven consecutive nights per party for any one reservation between May and September, and 10 consecutive days from Oct. 1 through April 30.
Source: Recreation.gov
What time is check-in at Big John Bay Cabin?
Check-in 12:00 PM, checkout 12:00 PM.
Source: Recreation.gov
How many sites does Big John Bay Cabin have?
1 site, including 1 cabin.
Source: Recreation.gov
Is there cell service at Big John Bay 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 Big John Bay Cabin?
The cabin provides access to good waterfowl hunting opportunities. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.
Source: Recreation
What is the nearest town to Big John Bay Cabin?
Petersburg, Alaska.
Source: Getting there
What if Big John Bay Cabin is full?
The nearest public campgrounds are Ohmer Creek Campground (40.5 mi, first-come), Davidof Lake Cabin (46.4 mi), and Plotnikof Lake Cabin (47.8 mi).
Source: Campgrounds nearby