Portage Bay Cabin
The Portage Bay Cabin is located on the eastern shore of Portage Bay on Kupreanof Island, due east of Stop Island. It provides access to scenic views as well as a variety of recreational opportunities. Visitors to the area enjoy fishing, hiking and wildlife viewing. It is accessible by boat or float plane only. Guests 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 |
|---|---|---|
| P25 | Full | 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 | 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 between May 1 and September 30, and 10 consecutive days from Oct. 1 through April 30. |
The single-level, hunter-style cabin has four single wooden bunks and can accommodate up to six people. It is equipped with a table, benches and a clean-burning oil heater. An outhouse with a pit toilet is provided. The nearest water source is a small creek 100 feet south of the cabin. Water taken from any outdoor source should be treated or boiled before consumption. Guests are encouraged to bring drinking water if possible. Guests will 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. Guests are advised to bring enough kerosene or No. 1 heating oil for the oil heater. It burns at a rate of approximately one gallon per day.
Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.
Weather by month
Getting there
From Petersburg the journey is 15 miles by float plane or 25 miles by boat. Refer to USGS topographic map Petersburg D4. Petersburg D3. Sumdum A4 may also be helpful. Maps are available online or by calling the Petersburg Ranger District at (907) 772-3871. Float plane or boat access can only occur at certain stages of the tide.
| Nearest town | Petersburg, Alaska |
| Coordinates | 56.9528° N, 133.2769° W · Directions ↗ |
Good to know
- Water for drinking, cooking and cleaning is not provided at the cabin.
Explore
Public land it sits in
Petersburg Creek-Duncan Salt Chuck Wilderness begins about 2.6 miles away, and it is the closest of these.
- 2.6 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 was originally built as an administrative site for Forest Service timber layout crews, but was converted to a recreation cabin in 1987. It sits back from the rocky eastern shore of Portage Bay in southeastern Alaska. The surrounding terrain is hilly along the east and flat and rolling south and west of the bay. Portage Mountain rises 3,577 feet in the background.
Recreation
There is excellent halibut fishing in the mouth of Portage Bay. Coho, pink salmon, steelhead and trout fishing are available in the nearby Portage Creek. The primitive Portage Mountain Loop Trail connects the cabin with Petersburg Lake Cabin and Salt Chuck East Cabin through Goose Cove, south of the bay. The trail is especially primitive over to Petersburg Lake and is seldom used due to the level of difficulty. Sections of the trail are flooded by beaver ponds.
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 Portage Bay Cabin?
Sites at Portage 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 Portage 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 7 consecutive nights per party for any one reservation between May 1 and September 30, and 10 consecutive days from Oct. 1 through April 30.
Source: Recreation.gov
What time is check-in at Portage Bay Cabin?
Check-in 12:00 PM, checkout 12:00 PM.
Source: Recreation.gov
How many sites does Portage Bay Cabin have?
1 site, including 1 cabin.
Source: Recreation.gov
What is there to do at Portage Bay Cabin?
There is excellent halibut fishing in the mouth of Portage Bay. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.
Source: Recreation
What is the nearest town to Portage Bay Cabin?
Petersburg, Alaska.
Source: Getting there
What if Portage Bay Cabin is full?
The nearest public campgrounds are Ohmer Creek Campground (33 mi, first-come), El Capitan Campground (54.6 mi), and Nemo Campsites Entry & Info Site (57 mi, first-come).
Source: Campgrounds nearby