Cabin rental · U.S. Forest Service · Tongass National Forest · Thorne Bay, AK

Karta Lake Cabin

Karta Lake Cabin offers visitors recreation, relaxation and a unique lodging experience on Prince of Wales Island in southeastern Alaska. The remote site offers a scenic setting for fishing, hiking and wildlife viewing, within the vicinity of the cabin. The site can either be accessed by float plane or boat and trail. Visitors are responsible for their own travel arrangements and safety, and must bring several of their own amenities. The cabin can be heated using the small wood stove inside.

Cabin rentalReservable · Recreation.gov1 site
Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗
Karta TrailKarta Lake CabinKarta LakeKarta Lake Cabin
Photos courtesy of Staś Moszynski · Recreation.gov

Site mix

Cabins1
This cabin 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
T056 / –

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 cabin is a 12 x 12 foot primitive, pre-cut cedar log cabin ( pan-abode style ) furnished with wooden bunkbeds (without mattresses) that sleep up to six people. The cabin is equipped with a table, benches, a small wood/ biobrick stove for heat and an outside toilet. Other amenities include a cooking counter, shelves, cupboard space, and a broom. The cabin does not have running water or electricity. Visitors must bring their own food, water, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, cook stove, stove fuel, fire starter, cooking gear/utensils, light source (lantern), toilet paper, first aid kit and garbage bags. Wood or biobricks are not provided. Bio bricks can be purchased in Ketchikan and on Prince of Wales. Please contact the district if you need more info. Water is available from the lake, but must be filtered, boiled or chemically treated before drinking.

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

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Karta Lake Cabin30°40°50°60°January: 8.16 inches of precipitationFebruary: 5.46 inches of precipitationMarch: 6.25 inches of precipitationApril: 5.09 inches of precipitationMay: 3.51 inches of precipitationJune: 4.08 inches of precipitationJuly: 5.30 inches of precipitationAugust: 6.98 inches of precipitationSeptember: 8.63 inches of precipitationOctober: 12.12 inches of precipitationNovember: 10.52 inches of precipitationDecember: 9.08 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 33.2°F averageFebruary: 33.9°F averageMarch: 36.2°F averageApril: 41.9°F averageMay: 48.6°F averageJune: 54.4°F averageJuly: 58.1°F averageAugust: 57.8°F averageSeptember: 52.1°F averageOctober: 44.3°F averageNovember: 37.0°F averageDecember: 33.7°F average0 in5 in10 in15 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Thorne Bay, 10 miles from the campground at 286 feet, station USC00509148 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 85 inches a year.

Getting there

Karta Lake Cabin is accessible by float plane or boat and trail from Karta Bay. By boat, the cabin is approximately 10 miles from Hollis, and an additional 1.5 miles by trail from Karta Bay. The cabin is located approximately 34 air miles from Ketchikan.

Nearest townThorne Bay, Alaska
Coordinates55.5614° N, 132.6108° W · Directions ↗

Explore

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →
  • 0.2 mi
    Karta Falls Trail
    0.2 mi trail · hiking, horse
  • 0.9 mi
    Karta Bay Trail
    0.5 mi trail · hiking, horse
  • 1.3 mi
    Karta River Trail ↗
    4.8 mi trail · hiking, horse
  • 4.8 mi
    Salt Chuck
    1.1 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

On Wilderness Atlas →

This campground sits inside Karta River Wilderness.

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 on the eastern shore of Karta Lake in the Karta River Wilderness area on east-central Prince of Wales Island. The Karta River Wilderness is best known for large salmon runs and the scenic quality of the large river drainage system. Wildlife fills the area, including wolves, black bears, Sitka black-tailed deer, beavers, otters, minks, martens and weasels. Trumpeter swans and various other waterfowl are commonly seen on the lakes and rivers in the area as well. The area burned in 1910 and is forested with second growth spruce, hemlock and cedar. Native Alaskans, particularly the Haida, historically lived around the bay and utilized the rich food sources of the area. Learn more about bear safety in the Tongass National Forest.

Recreation

Anglers will find the surrounding snow-capped peaks and forested shoreline to be quite a scenic setting while fishing for rainbow and cutthroat trout, Dolly Varden and a variety of salmon species. Visitors should contact the Alaska Department of Fish and Game for fishing regulations as catch and release orders may be in effect. The 5-mile Karta River Trail follows the Karta River up from Karta Bay to Salmon Lake, allowing excellent access to the river for steelhead, sockeye and coho salmon runs. The trail provides access to Karta River, Karta Lake, and Salmon Lake cabins. For visitors interested in exploring the area by water, there is an aluminum skiff with oars available for use. Visitors are responsible for bringing and using their own personal floatation devices.

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 Karta Lake Cabin?

Sites at Karta 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 Karta 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 Karta Lake Cabin?

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

Source: Recreation.gov

How many sites does Karta Lake Cabin have?

1 site, including 1 cabin.

Source: Recreation.gov

What is there to do at Karta Lake Cabin?

Anglers will find the surrounding snow-capped peaks and forested shoreline to be quite a scenic setting while fishing for rainbow and cutthroat trout, Dolly Varden and a variety of salmon species. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.

Source: Recreation

What is the nearest town to Karta Lake Cabin?

Thorne Bay, Alaska.

Source: Getting there

What if Karta Lake Cabin is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Lake No. 3 Campground (6.4 mi, first-come), Harris River Campground (11.6 mi), and Eagles Nest Campground (12.6 mi).

Source: Campgrounds nearby