Barber Cabin
Barber Cabin offers a remote lodging experience on the Eastern Kenai Peninsula of south-central Alaska. The rustic cabin has few amenities, but provides access to the great outdoors and a scenic mountain lake. There is great fishing in Lower Russian Lake, and hiking and biking trails abound. Wildlife viewing is good in the area as well, though visitors should watch out for bears. The cabin can be accessed by hiking, biking, skiing, horseback or floatplanes. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| S16 | Gravel | 8 / – |
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, for three consecutive days maximum per person from May 15 to Aug. 31. Only one change per reservation for all Alaska cabins is allowed. |
The accessible log cabin has bunk space for six and a maximum occupancy of eight people. It is equipped with counter space, table, benches and a wood stove for heat. A splitting maul and hand saw are available. An outhouse is also provided. There is no electricity, potable water, mattresses, bedding, cooking utensils or cut firewood at the cabin. Visitors should bring sleeping bags and pads, a cook stove, cooking gear and food. Water taken from the lake should be treated or boiled before consumption.
Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.
Weather by month
Getting there
At mile 52.6 of the Sterling Highway turn into Russian River Campground and travel 1 mile to Russian Lakes Trailhead, follow the Russian Lakes Trail 3.3 miles turning onto the Barber Cabin Spur trail at mile 2.5.
| Nearest town | Seward, Alaska |
| Coordinates | 60.4374° N, 149.9866° W · Directions ↗ |
Explore
Trails nearby
- under 0.1 miBarber Cabin Trail1.7 mi trail · hiking, snowshoe, ski
- 1 miRendezvous Creek Trail0.1 mi trail · hiking
- 1.2 miRussian River Anglers Trail3.1 mi trail · hiking
- 1.2 miRussian River Falls Trail1.4 mi trail · hiking, snowshoe, ski
- 2.9 miRussian Lakes Trail ↗21.8 mi trail · hiking, bike
- 3.2 miRussian River Angler Access Tr0.2 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 Kenai Wilderness, which overlaps Kenai National Wildlife Refuge.
- inKenai Wilderness ↗Wilderness · Fish and Wildlife Service · 1,354,247 acres
- inKenai National Wildlife Refuge ↗National Wildlife Refuge · Fish and Wildlife Service · 1,943,006 acres
- inChugach National Forest ↗National Forest · Forest Service · 6,244,689 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
On the National Register nearby
- Cooper Landing Historic DistrictHistoric district · Cooper Landing · 6.3 mi
- Cooper Landing Post OfficeBuilding · Cooper Landing · 6.3 mi
Natural features
The cabin is close to Cooper Landing off the Sterling Highway, in a fairly flat area on the east shore Lower Russian Lake. It is surrounded by a scattered spruce forest, and meadows with shrubs and brush, providing scenic mountain views. A variety of wildlife make its home in the area, including moose, black and brown bears and wolves. The surrounding area has a particularly high concentration of bears.
Recreation
Visitors enjoy boating and rainbow trout fishing on Lower Russian Lake. A rowboat with oars is provided at the cabin.The lake freezes during winter months. A variety of trails and unexplored areas exist near the cabin. Hikers and bikers can explore varying terrain, including muskeg, meadows and high-canopied forest along the 21-mile Russian Lakes Trail, toward the Upper Russian Lake Cabin. There is a high avalanche hazard on Russian Lakes Trail in the winter ( learn about avalanche safety ). Snow can remain on the trail until early June. Hunting is popular along the trail and in the surrounding area.
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 Barber Cabin?
Sites at Barber 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 Barber Cabin?
Reservations can be made the day of arrival or up to 180 days in advance, for three consecutive days maximum per person from May 15 to Aug. 31. Only one change per reservation for all Alaska cabins is allowed.
Source: Recreation.gov
What time is check-in at Barber Cabin?
Check-in 12:00 PM, checkout 12:00 PM.
Source: Recreation.gov
How many sites does Barber Cabin have?
1 site, including 1 cabin.
Source: Recreation.gov
What is there to do at Barber Cabin?
Visitors enjoy boating and rainbow trout fishing on Lower Russian Lake. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.
Source: Recreation
What is the nearest town to Barber Cabin?
Seward, Alaska.
Source: Getting there
What if Barber Cabin is full?
The nearest public campgrounds are Russian River (3.2 mi), Cooper Creek South (4.8 mi), and Hidden Lake Campground (7.2 mi, partly first-come).
Source: Campgrounds nearby