Salmon Lake Cabin Thorne Bay
Salmon Lake Cabin offers guests recreation, relaxation and a unique lodging experience on Prince of Wales Island in southeastern Alaska. The remote site offers a scenic wilderness setting for fishing, hiking and wildlife viewing, all within the vicinity of the cabin. The site can either be accessed by float plane or a combination of boating and hiking in. Visitors 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 | People / vehicles |
|---|---|
| T10 | 4 / – |
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 | 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. |
The cabin is a 15 x 20 foot single story, one-room structure with a gabled roof, built entirely of cedar. Hand hewn beams, wooden door hinges, and a shake floor combine to make a uniquely attractive wilderness cabin. The structure is furnished with wooden bunkbeds (without mattresses) that can sleep up to four people. The cabin is equipped with a table, benches, a wood stove for heat and an outside toilet. Other amenities include a cooking counter, shelves, cupboard space, axe, splitting maul, fire extinguisher 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.
Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.
Weather by month
Getting there
Salmon Lake Cabin is accessible by float plane, or by boating 10 miles from Hollis to Karta Bay, and hiking 5 miles on difficult terrain to reach the cabin. By plane, the cabin is located approximately 42 air miles from Ketchikan and 14 air miles from Thorne Bay.
| Nearest town | Thorne Bay, Alaska |
| Coordinates | 55.5817° N, 132.6686° W · Directions ↗ |
Explore
Trails nearby
- 2.6 miKarta River Trail ↗4.8 mi trail · hiking, horse
- 2.7 miKarta Falls Trail0.2 mi trail · hiking, horse
- 3 miRush Peak West Valley3 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 2 more
- 3.3 miKarta Bay Trail0.5 mi trail · hiking, horse
- 4.6 miAngel Lake 2030790 Rd0.9 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.
Public land it sits in
This campground sits inside Karta River Wilderness.
- inKarta River Wilderness ↗Wilderness · Forest Service · 39,917 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 sits on the northern shore of Salmon 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. Learn more about bear safety in the Tongass National Forest. Native Alaskans, particularly the Haida, historically lived around the bay and utilized the rich food sources of this area.
Recreation
Anglers will find the forested shoreline and sandy beach extending from the front of the cabin to be quite scenic while fishing for rainbow and cutthroat trout, Dolly Varden, pink, silver and sockeye salmon. Guests should contact the Alaska Department of Fish and Game for fishing regulations as catch and release orders may be in effect. Swimming and beachcombing at the large sandy beach outside the cabin during the warmer summer months is popular among visitors. An aluminum skiff with oars available for use, however, guests are responsible for bringing and using their own personal floatation devices. Hikers may enjoy the 5-mile Karta River Trail, which follows the Karta River up from Karta Bay to Salmon Lake, allowing excellent access to the river for steelhead, sockeye and coho salmon runs. Hiking to McGilvery Creek and Anderson Creek is possible as well, but there are no developed trails. Hikers should be well prepared with maps and developed orienteering skills.
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 Salmon Lake Cabin Thorne Bay?
Sites at Salmon Lake Cabin Thorne Bay 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 Salmon Lake Cabin Thorne Bay?
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 Salmon Lake Cabin Thorne Bay?
Check-in 12:00 PM, checkout 12:00 PM.
Source: Recreation.gov
How many sites does Salmon Lake Cabin Thorne Bay have?
1 site, including 1 cabin.
Source: Recreation.gov
Is there cell service at Salmon Lake Cabin Thorne Bay?
FCC coverage maps show AT&T 4G LTE at the campground point. Terrain changes that from one site to the next.
Source: FCC Broadband Map
What is there to do at Salmon Lake Cabin Thorne Bay?
Anglers will find the forested shoreline and sandy beach extending from the front of the cabin to be quite scenic while fishing for rainbow and cutthroat trout, Dolly Varden, pink, silver and sockeye salmon. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.
Source: Recreation
What is the nearest town to Salmon Lake Cabin Thorne Bay?
Thorne Bay, Alaska.
Source: Getting there
What if Salmon Lake Cabin Thorne Bay is full?
The nearest public campgrounds are Lake No. 3 Campground (5.9 mi, first-come), Eagles Nest Campground (10 mi), and Harris River Campground (10.8 mi).
Source: Campgrounds nearby