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

Kanga Bay Cabin

Kanga Bay Cabin overlooks a secluded cove off Redoubt Bay on Baranof Island, and was built in 1998 by local volunteers. It's available year round, weather permitting, and makes an excellent base for experiencing and exploring this corner of Alaska. The site is remote. It can only be accessed by floatplane or boat. It's 10-minute plane ride or a 40-minute boat ride from Sitka. Visitors are responsible for their own travel arrangements and safety, and must bring several of their own amenities.

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
S246 / –

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 wooden, Pan abode-style cabin measures 15 by 17 feet and can accommodate up to six people. A large deck extends across the front of the cabin. One double plywood bunk and one single plywood bunk are furnished on the main level. A staircase accesses the open sleeping loft, which has two single plywood bunks and overlooks the main level. Amenities include a wood stove for heat, a table with benches, a cooking counter, broom and an axe or splitting maul. An outhouse toilet is close to the cabin. A mooring buoy is available on a first-come, first-served basis for boat anchorage. Cabin reservation does not include exclusive use of the buoy. Mooring buoys are configured using a 4200-lb concrete block with 90 feet of 7/8th-inch stud link chain. Mariners are responsible for determining how suitable an anchoring system is for the size of their craft. 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, a fire extinguisher, fire starter, raingear and rubber boots.

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

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Kanga Bay Cabin30°40°50°60°January: 8.22 inches of precipitationFebruary: 5.93 inches of precipitationMarch: 5.60 inches of precipitationApril: 4.31 inches of precipitationMay: 3.81 inches of precipitationJune: 2.92 inches of precipitationJuly: 4.62 inches of precipitationAugust: 7.25 inches of precipitationSeptember: 11.69 inches of precipitationOctober: 11.78 inches of precipitationNovember: 9.91 inches of precipitationDecember: 8.43 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 36.5°F averageFebruary: 36.7°F averageMarch: 37.5°F averageApril: 42.6°F averageMay: 48.1°F averageJune: 53.0°F averageJuly: 56.5°F averageAugust: 57.3°F averageSeptember: 53.2°F averageOctober: 46.4°F averageNovember: 40.0°F averageDecember: 37.5°F average0 in5 in10 in15 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Sitka Airport, 12 miles from the campground at 14 feet, station USW00025333 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 84 inches a year.

Getting there

Accessible year round, weather permitting. Located 12 air miles south of Sitka on Baranof Island within Kanga Bay. From Sitka, floatplane access is 10 minutes, boat access is 40 minutes. For geographic features surrounding the cabin, refer to USGS topographicmaps Port Alexander D-5 and D-4.

Nearest townSitka, Alaska
Coordinates56.8788° N, 135.3428° W · Directions ↗

Explore

Worth a stop

Popular Goddard Hot Springs is about a 20-minute boat ride to the south, where soaking pools are open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis.

  • 2.2 mi
    Kizhuchia Creek Road
    1.6 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 →

South Baranof Wilderness begins about 6.8 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 faces southeast, overlooking a cove, with distant views possible of the snow-capped peaks over Redoubt Bay. A spruce and hemlock forest surrounds the cabin, which sits just above a sloping, sand pebble beach. Deer, brown bear and a variety of seabirds inhabit the area.

Recreation

Visitors enjoy fishing for sockeye and coho salmon during August at Redoubt Lake, about 30 minutes away by boat. The bay offers a great location for kayaking, but visitors must provide their own kayaks.

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 Kanga Bay Cabin?

Sites at Kanga 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 Kanga Bay 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 Kanga Bay Cabin?

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

Source: Recreation.gov

How many sites does Kanga Bay Cabin have?

1 site, including 1 standard site without power.

Source: Recreation.gov

What is there to do at Kanga Bay Cabin?

Visitors enjoy fishing for sockeye and coho salmon during August at Redoubt Lake, about 30 minutes away by boat. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.

Source: Recreation

What is the nearest town to Kanga Bay Cabin?

Sitka, Alaska. Popular Goddard Hot Springs is about a 20-minute boat ride to the south, where soaking pools are open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis.

Source: Getting there

What if Kanga Bay Cabin is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Sevenfathom Bay Cabin (6.1 mi), Samsing Cove Cabin (7 mi), and Salmon Lake Cabin Sitka (9.3 mi).

Source: Campgrounds nearby