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

Eight Fathom Cabin

Eight Fathom Cabin was constructed in 2009. It is located 15 miles from Hoonah, Alaska in the protected waters of Port Frederick. It is generally available year-round and makes an excellent base for experiencing this corner of Alaska, offering recreational options and abundant wildlife. The cabin is remote. It is accessible only by boat or float plane. From Hoonah, the boat ride is 45 minutes. By float plane, the flight is 30 minutes from Juneau and less than 10 minutes from Hoonah. This is a primitive cabin with no electricity, indoor plumbing or cell phone coverage. Visitors are responsible for their own travel arrangements and safety, and must bring several of their own amenities.

Cabin rentalReservable · Recreation.gov1 sitePets okFires ok
Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗
Eight Fathom Cabin4Eight Fathom CabinEight Fathom Cabin1Eight Fathom Cabin2
Photos courtesy of Eight Fathom Cabin · 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.

SiteShadeWaterfrontPeople / vehiclesFiresAccessibleRating
EIGHT FATHOM CABINPartialOceanfront8 / –YesYesPrime

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

PetsAllowed
CampfiresAllowed, subject to restrictions
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.
AccessibilitySite EIGHT FATHOM CABIN is listed accessible

The 15x17-ft. milled cedar log cabin has a sleeping loft and an outside deck. The cabin accommodates up to 8 people and has single over double bunk beds, a table and benches, a cooking counter, a broom and dust pan. A wood burning stove is provided for heat. The beach access trail, first level floor, outside deck and outhouse are handicap-accessible. The outhouse is located close to the cabin. It is recommended that visitors bring their own water, but water is available from a small stream nearby (learn about water safety). Visitors must bring seasoned dry firewood to burn in the woodstove, in addition to mattresses, cooking gear, sleeping bags, lanterns or flashlights, food, toilet paper, garbage bags, a fire extinguisher and fire starter. Rain gear and boots are recommended. Visitors are expected to pack out trash and clean the cabin before leaving ( additional cabin details ). Cutting trees around the cabin site is prohibited.

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

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Eight Fathom Cabin30°40°50°60°January: 6.75 inches of precipitation, 25.0 inches of snowFebruary: 5.02 inches of precipitation, 12.3 inches of snowMarch: 4.43 inches of precipitation, 20.0 inches of snowApril: 3.13 inches of precipitation, 1.7 inches of snowMay: 2.51 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJune: 2.67 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJuly: 3.30 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 4.86 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 7.26 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowOctober: 9.19 inches of precipitation, 0.6 inches of snowNovember: 8.81 inches of precipitation, 13.4 inches of snowDecember: 7.86 inches of precipitation, 17.0 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 30.6°F averageFebruary: 31.7°F averageMarch: 34.1°F averageApril: 41.0°F averageMay: 48.6°F averageJune: 54.6°F averageJuly: 57.8°F averageAugust: 57.4°F averageSeptember: 51.3°F averageOctober: 42.9°F averageNovember: 35.0°F averageDecember: 31.9°F average0 in5 in10 in15 in20 in25 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Hoonah, 15 miles from the campground at 130 feet, station USC00503695 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 66 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 90 inches a year on the same inches scale.

Getting there

Eight Fathom Cabin is located 15 miles southwest of the City of Hoonah, Alaska on the north shore of Eight Fathom Bight at the head of Port Frederick. Access is by float plane or boat only. It is a 45-minute boat ride from Hoonah and approximately a 30-minute flight from Juneau, AK. Flight time from Hoonah is less than 10-minutes.

Nearest townHoonah, Alaska
Coordinates58.0014° N, 135.7714° W · Directions ↗

Good to know

  • Drinking water is not available at the cabin.
  • Firewood is not provided.

Explore

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →
  • 1.1 mi
    Lake 132 ↗
    4.6 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 2 more
  • 2.3 mi
    Sore Shoulder Spur
    0.6 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 2 more
  • 3.7 mi
    Salt Lake Bay
    0.8 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 2 more
  • 3.8 mi
    Lake View
    2.4 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

On Wilderness Atlas →

West Chichagof-Yakobi Wilderness begins about 11.1 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 is built on a spur road edging out onto tidal, estuary flats at the head of Port Frederick. This area offers excellent opportunities for viewing scenery and wildlife, which includes whales, brown bear, deer, shorebirds and a variety of small mammals. The front deck of the cabin looks out over the tide flats and the surrounding mountains. The cabin is backed by dense evergreen forest.

Recreation

The cabin has good access to hunting, freshwater fishing, and saltwater fishing areas. A fine gravel beach in front of the cabin is suitable for landing and launching small boats. Tide tables should be consulted prior to any boating excursion. Neka Hot Springs tub is located 9 miles from the cabin. Visitors can access the hot springs from National Forest System road 8580.

Nearby

Neka Hot Springs

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 Eight Fathom Cabin?

Sites at Eight Fathom 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 Eight Fathom 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 Eight Fathom Cabin?

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

Source: Recreation.gov

How many sites does Eight Fathom Cabin have?

1 site, including 1 cabin.

Source: Recreation.gov

Are pets allowed at Eight Fathom Cabin?

Yes, pets are allowed at Eight Fathom Cabin. Leash rules apply.

Source: Recreation.gov

Can I have a campfire at Eight Fathom Cabin?

Fires are allowed in the provided rings under normal conditions.

Source: Recreation.gov

Are there accessible sites at Eight Fathom Cabin?

Site EIGHT FATHOM CABIN is listed accessible on Recreation.gov. What that covers (a paved pad, an accessible table, a nearby accessible restroom) is on each site's booking page.

Source: Recreation.gov

What is there to do at Eight Fathom Cabin?

The cabin has good access to hunting, freshwater fishing, and saltwater fishing areas. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.

Source: Recreation

What is the nearest town to Eight Fathom Cabin?

Hoonah, Alaska. Neka Hot Springs

Source: Getting there

What if Eight Fathom Cabin is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Goulding Lake Cabin (19.3 mi), Moser Island Cabin (20.8 mi), and White Sulphur Springs Cabin (25 mi).

Source: Campgrounds nearby