Cabin rental · U.S. Forest Service · Tongass National Forest · Tongass/Wrangell, AK

Garnet Ledge Cabin

Garnet Ledge Cabin provides a basecamp for boaters and paddlers exploring the Stikine River and Delta. It is also known for its location near Garnet Ledge, a garnet bedrock outcropping on private land. The site can be accessed by a shallow draft boat or a float plane, depending on conditions. Boats need a tide of at least 15 feet and float planes require at least 18 feet in order to access the cabin. Visitors are responsible for their own travel arrangements and safety, and must bring several of their own amenities.

Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗
Brown A Frame Cabin, Garnet Ledge, with structure for stacked wood with trees around and two downed logs in front of cabinGarnet Ledge Cabin interior with wooden tables and windowInterior of wood cabin with two wood bunkbeds, window and doorWater with a rocky shoreline and mountains in the background
Photos courtesy of USFS · 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.

SiteShadePeople / vehicles
W12Full7 / –

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

FeesReservations can be made the day of arrival or up to 180 days in advance of cabin arrival. Cabin reservations are restricted to a maximum stay of 7 consecutive nights per party for any one reservation between May 1 and September 30, and 10 consecutive days from Oct. 1 through April 30.

The 16-by-16 cabin (A-frame style) was built in 1964 and can sleep up to seven people. It has two single bunks (one with a trundle bed) and a second-floor loft. The cabin also has a table with benches, a wood stove, a woodshed (firewood not guaranteed), broom and an outhouse. The partially covered front porch has a bear-proof food storage locker available for use. Water and electricity are not provided. Water is available from a stream behind the cabin, but guests should be sure to treat water before drinking or cooking with it ( water safety tips ). It is recommended that guests bring their own water supply. In addition to bringing a cook stove, guests should provide their own firewood, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, lanterns or flashlights, cookware, plates, utensils, food, toilet paper, garbage bags, a fire extinguisher and matches, among other necessities.

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

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Garnet Ledge Cabin30°40°50°60°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 32.5°F averageFebruary: 34.3°F averageMarch: 37.3°F averageApril: 43.4°F averageMay: 50.8°F averageJune: 55.3°F averageJuly: 58.0°F averageAugust: 57.5°F averageSeptember: 52.7°F averageOctober: 45.2°F averageNovember: 37.8°F averageDecember: 33.9°F averageTemp °F
The line is the average temperature at Wrangell AP, 7 miles from the campground at 56 feet, station USC00509919 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020.

Getting there

This cabin is located on the mainland at the mouth of the Stikine River, south of Point Rothsay, and near the Garnet Ledge. It is 8 miles from Wrangell, and a 15-foot tide is generally required for shallow draft boat access, or an 18-foot tide for a float plane to land.

Nearest townTongass/Wrangell, Alaska
Coordinates56.5781° N, 132.3658° W · Directions ↗

Explore

Public land it sits in

On Wilderness Atlas →

Stikine-LeConte Wilderness begins about 0.4 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.

On the National Register nearby

On Register Atlas →

Natural features

The cabin sits on flat land overlooking the Stikine River delta and tidal flats with a backdrop of moderately steep mountains. The surrounding rainforest is primarily Sitka spruce and western hemlock. Brown and black bears, bald eagles, sea lions, harbor seals, gulls and moose inhabit the area ( bear safety information ). Alaska's second largest concentration of bald eagles occurs during the April hooligan (eulachon) run at the mouth of the Stikine River.

Recreation

Garnet Ledge is the source of the garnets sold by children in the town of Wrangell. The ledge is on private property left to the children of Wrangell, held in trust for them by the First Presbyterian Church of Wrangell. An unmaintained trail along the beach leads from the cabin to Garnet Ledge (the old boardwalk trail was destroyed by extensive blowdown in 2005). Contact the Presbyterian Church for information regarding the collecting of garnets. This cabin is also a popular stop for paddlers on their way to Wrangell from floating the Stikine River. Paddlers can explore the area around the cabin, but should check local tide charts first. Anglers can fish for hooligan in the Stikine River in April.

Guidebooks for Alaska

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

Do I need a reservation at Garnet Ledge Cabin?

Sites at Garnet Ledge 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 Garnet Ledge Cabin?

Reservations can be made the day of arrival or up to 180 days in advance of cabin arrival. Cabin reservations are restricted to a maximum stay of 7 consecutive nights per party for any one reservation between May 1 and September 30, and 10 consecutive days from Oct. 1 through April 30.

Source: Recreation.gov

What time is check-in at Garnet Ledge Cabin?

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

Source: Recreation.gov

How many sites does Garnet Ledge Cabin have?

1 site, including 1 cabin.

Source: Recreation.gov

Is there cell service at Garnet Ledge Cabin?

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 Garnet Ledge Cabin?

Garnet Ledge is the source of the garnets sold by children in the town of Wrangell. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.

Source: Recreation

What is the nearest town to Garnet Ledge Cabin?

Tongass/Wrangell, Alaska.

Source: Getting there

What if Garnet Ledge Cabin is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Ohmer Creek Campground (14.2 mi, first-come), Lower Salamander Creek Campground (17.2 mi, first-come), and Yunshookuh Loop Campground (18.6 mi, first-come).

Source: Campgrounds nearby