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

Red Bay Lake Cabin

Red Bay Lake Cabin offers visitors a unique Alaskan lodging experience on Prince of Wales Island. Situated on the northern part of the island, the remote site provides a scenic setting for recreation and relaxation in the Tongass National Forest. Access to the site is by float plane or a vehicle/hiking/boating combination. Visitors are responsible for their own travel arrangements and safety, and must bring several of their own amenities.

Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗
Red Bay Lake CabinRed Bay Lake CabinRed Bay Lake Cabin InteriorRed Bay Lake Cabin
Photos courtesy of Stas 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
T088 / –

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 15 x 17-foot, two-story, log cabin ( pan-abode style ) furnished with a sleeping loft and wooden bunkbeds (without mattresses) that sleep up to eight guests. The cabin is equipped with a table, benches, a wood stove for heat and an outdoor toilet. Other amenities include a cooking counter, shelves, counter space, fire extinguisher, axe, splitting maul and a broom. The cabin does not have running water or electricity. Guests 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. Firewood may be available, but the supply cannot be guaranteed. Guests are asked to be conservative with wood and use their cook stoves for cooking.

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

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Red Bay Lake Cabin30°40°50°60°January: 8.36 inches of precipitationFebruary: 5.24 inches of precipitationMarch: 5.06 inches of precipitationApril: 4.79 inches of precipitationMay: 4.79 inches of precipitationJune: 2.91 inches of precipitationJuly: 5.02 inches of precipitationAugust: 6.60 inches of precipitationSeptember: 10.73 inches of precipitationOctober: 11.06 inches of precipitationNovember: 9.33 inches of precipitationDecember: 8.39 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 34.5°F averageFebruary: 35.1°F averageMarch: 36.5°F averageApril: 41.6°F averageMay: 47.2°F averageJune: 51.8°F averageJuly: 54.4°F averageAugust: 54.9°F averageSeptember: 50.7°F averageOctober: 44.4°F averageNovember: 38.4°F averageDecember: 35.3°F average0 in5 in10 in15 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Pt Baker, 14 miles from the campground at 20 feet, station USC00507421 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 82 inches a year.

Getting there

Red Bay Lake Cabin is accessible by float plane or a vehicle/hiking/boating combination. Refer to USGS maps Petersburg A-4 and Petersburg B-4. The trailhead to access the cabin is approximately a 3.5 hour drive from Hollis or 2 hours from Thorne Bay on Forest Road #20.

Nearest townThorne Bay, Alaska
Coordinates56.2411° N, 133.3200° W · Directions ↗

Explore

  • 1.4 mi
    Red Bay Lake Trail
    0.5 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 1.5 mi
    2080100 Road
    3.2 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 2 more
  • 1.9 mi
    2080000 Rd Big Creek
    2.9 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 2 more
  • 2 mi
    20008789 Road
    3 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 2 more
  • 2.1 mi
    Salmon Creek Headwaters
    1.1 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 2 more
  • 2.2 mi
    Spruce Dome Hill North
    1.7 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 2 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.

Natural features

The cabin sits on the forested shore of Red Bay Lake. The lake is lined with old-growth spruce, hemlock and cedar trees, with a dense understory of brush and rocky outcroppings. Visible from the cabin, the vertical wall of Red Bay Mountain rises 3,000 feet in elevation along with neighboring limestone peaks. Wildlife in the area abounds, including loons, eagles, Sitka black-tailed deer and black bears. ( Learn more about bear safety in the Tongass National Forest. )

Recreation

Fishing opportunities are abundant in the area surrounding the cabin. The fish most noted include coho, pink, chum, and sockeye salmon, steelhead, cutthroat, and Dolly Varden. The cabin is also an excellent location for sport fishing in the Red Bay Creek drainage. The cabin provides an aluminum skiff with oars available at the cabin, and guests may choose to bring a long shaft motor for boat use. Guests are responsible for bringing and using their own personal floatation devices. Red Bay Lake Trail extends from the trailhead on Forest Road #20 to a row boat at the north end of Red Bay Lake, providing visitors an access option other than aircraft. For visitors hiking into Red Bay Lake Cabin, this 3/4 mile trail accesses the row boat that is used to reach the cabin. Rowing across the lake takes approximately 1 hour. The scenic trail is mostly boardwalk and winds between large cedar trees and crossing over a stream.

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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 Red Bay Lake Cabin?

Sites at Red Bay 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 Red Bay 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 Red Bay Lake Cabin?

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

Source: Recreation.gov

How many sites does Red Bay Lake Cabin have?

1 site, including 1 cabin.

Source: Recreation.gov

What is there to do at Red Bay Lake Cabin?

Fishing opportunities are abundant in the area surrounding the cabin. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.

Source: Recreation

What is the nearest town to Red Bay Lake Cabin?

Thorne Bay, Alaska.

Source: Getting there

What if Red Bay Lake Cabin is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are El Capitan Campground (5.4 mi), Horseshoe Hole Campground (30.4 mi, first-come), and Staney Bridge Campground (31 mi, first-come).

Source: Campgrounds nearby