U.S. Forest Service · Tongass National Forest · Sitka, AK

Kook Lake Cabin

Kook Lake Cabin sits on the west end of Kook Lake, approximately 45 miles northeast of Sitka, Alaska. The cabin is available May through November, weather permitting, and makes an excellent base for experiencing and exploring this corner of Alaska. The cabin is remote and accessible by floatplane, weather permitting, 30 minutes from either Sitka or Juneau. The cabin can also be reached by a boat and hiking trip. The cabin is about an 8-mile hike from Corner Bay. Visitors are responsible for their own travel arrangements and safety, and must bring their own amenities.

Reservable · Recreation.gov1 site

More like this: reservable in Alaska

Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗
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Photos courtesy of USFS · Recreation.gov

Site mix

Standard, no hookups1
This site is booked as a single unit on Recreation.gov. The booking page shows which dates are open and how far ahead they release. How the booking window works

Site guide

1 site. Tap a filter to narrow the list; the map follows.

SitePeople / vehicles
S038 / –

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

FeesOnly 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 wood A-frame cabin measures 16 by 16 feet and has one double plywood bunk on the main level, and an upstairs sleeping loft with no bunks reached by climbing a vertical ladder. A wood stove for heat, a table with benches, a cooking counter, a broom, an axe or splitting maul and an outdoor screened cooler box are provided. An outhouse toilet is close to the cabin. The cabin does not include mattresses or cooking gear. Visitors should bring sleeping bags and pads, a cooking stove, pots, pans, plates, utensils, food, toilet paper, a lantern, garbage bags, fire extinguisher, fire starter and personal flotation devices (PFDs). Rain gear and rubber boots are a necessity. Water is available from the lake or a nearby stream, but must be treated before using. It's recommended that visitors bring their own water. A small but heavy square-bowed skiff (rowboat) is provided. Each person using the skiff should wear a Coast Guard approved personal flotation device (PFD). Be sure plug is in before launching boat.

Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Kook Lake Cabin30°40°50°60°January: 13.57 inches of precipitationFebruary: 9.27 inches of precipitationMarch: 10.66 inches of precipitationApril: 8.11 inches of precipitationMay: 4.77 inches of precipitationJune: 4.03 inches of precipitationJuly: 5.06 inches of precipitationAugust: 6.90 inches of precipitationSeptember: 12.94 inches of precipitationOctober: 15.96 inches of precipitationNovember: 18.98 inches of precipitationDecember: 17.83 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 31.3°F averageFebruary: 32.0°F averageMarch: 34.0°F averageApril: 39.6°F averageMay: 46.8°F averageJune: 52.3°F averageJuly: 55.0°F averageAugust: 55.0°F averageSeptember: 50.5°F averageOctober: 43.1°F averageNovember: 35.6°F averageDecember: 32.9°F average0 in5 in10 in15 in20 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Hidden Falls Hatchery, 31 miles from the campground at 22 feet, station USC00503605 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 128 inches a year.

Getting there

Accessible May through November. Located near the eastern shore of Chichagof Island between the outlets of Tenakee Inlet and Peril Strait, about 45 miles northeast of Sitka. Access is by floatplane, 30 minutes from Sitka or Juneau; or by boating to Corner Bay and hiking 7 miles on logging road and 0.7-miles on Kook Lake Trail to the cabin.

Nearest townSitka, Alaska
Coordinates57.6652° N, 135.0094° W · Directions ↗

Good to know

  • The trail is not maintained and crosses through many muskegs.
  • A long-shaft 2-10 horsepower outboard motor enhances the use of the skiff, but is not provided.

Explore

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →
  • 0.1 mi
    Kook Lake
    0.7 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 2.3 mi
    Trap Bay 5 Road
    0.6 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 3 more
  • 2.3 mi
    Chatham View Road
    1 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 3 more

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

On Wilderness Atlas →

Kootznoowoo Wilderness begins about 2.4 miles away, and it is the closest of these.

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.

Natural features

The cabin sits in a beautiful stand of spruce and hemlock, surrounded by flat terrain with a sandy beach in front. North of the lake, the land gradually rises to 1,500 feet (455 meters), then ascends sharply to alpine. On the south, slopes are fairly steep, rising from the lake to 2,500 feet (762 meters). Brown bear frequent the area.

Recreation

Visitors enjoy hiking on a network of old logging roads of the Corner Bay road system near the cabin. The 0.7-mile Kook Lake Trail begins behind the cabin and ends at Forest Road 7540, part of the Corner Bay road system. It can be very wet, muddy and hard to follow. On Road 7540, it is a 7-mile hike to Tenakee Inlet and Corner Bay, the site of a former logging camp, now uninhabited. Tenakee Springs is located across Tenakee Inlet. Cutthroat and Dolly Varden fishing is available year-round in the lake. Good runs of sockeye occur during July and August, and coho salmon during late August and early September. Seasonal deer and bear hunting is also available.

Guidebooks for Alaska

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Reference

Questions people ask

Do I need a reservation at Kook Lake Cabin?

Sites at Kook 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 Kook 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 Kook Lake Cabin?

Check-in 12:00 PM, checkout 12:00 PM.

Source: Recreation.gov

How many sites does Kook Lake Cabin have?

1 site, including 1 standard site without power.

Source: Recreation.gov

What is there to do at Kook Lake Cabin?

Visitors enjoy hiking on a network of old logging roads of the Corner Bay road system near the cabin. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.

Source: Recreation

What is the nearest town to Kook Lake Cabin?

Sitka, Alaska.

Source: Getting there

What if Kook Lake Cabin is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Sitkoh Lake (East) Cabin (10.6 mi), Sitkoh Lake (West) Cabin (11.4 mi), and Appleton Cove Cabin (16.8 mi).

Source: Campgrounds nearby