A gray 4x4 Sprinter with a roof rack on a two-track through a wildflower meadow, cloud sitting on the mountains behind.

Forest Service cabin or lookout

Cascade Creek Cabin

Forest Service cabin or lookout in Tongass National Forest, Petersburg County, Alaska. 66 feet. 14 miles from Kupreanof.

Managed by
Forest Service Tongass National Forest
Elevation
66 ft USGS elevation model, at the mapped point
Sites
1 1 cabin non-electric
Hookups
None listed
Reservations
Recreation.gov

Overview

Cascade Creek Cabin is located on the mainland in Thomas Bay, south of Cascade Creek and east of Spray Island. It offers access to a variety of recreational activities, including fishing, boating, hiking, hunting and viewing wildlife.

The cabin can be accessed by either a float plane or boat from Petersburg. Guests are responsible for their own travel arrangements and safety, and must bring several of their own amenities.

Recreation

The Cascade Creek Trail begins near the cabin and offers an array of hiking experiences. The trail is moderate for the first mile, then gains elevation and becomes more challenging. The trail provides access to waterfalls, a whitewater canyon, pristine lakes and alpine areas frequented by mountain goats. The trail connects to Falls Lake and Swan Lake, where rowboats with oars are available. Life jackets are not provided. During the summer months cruise ships also take advantage of the hiking opportunities and often anchor near or in front of Cascade Creek Cabin. This increases the amount of traffic in the bay and on the trail during those months.

Facilities

The hunter-style cabin has wooden bunks and can accommodate up to six people. It is equipped with a table, benches and an oil stove and wood stove for heat. An outhouse with a pit toilet is provided.

Water for drinking, cooking and cleaning is not provided at the cabin. It is available from a small stream north of the cabin. Water taken from the stream should be treated or boiled before consumption. Guests are encouraged to bring their own drinking water if possible.

Guests will need to bring their own sleeping bags and pads, cook stove and cooking gear, towels, food and clothing, fire starter and garbage bags, among other necessities. Guests are advised to bring enough kerosene or No. 1 heating oil for the oil heater. It burns at a rate of approximately one gallon per day. Oil is not supplied at the cabin.

A broom, dustpan, axe and splitting maul are generally provided, but may be missing or damaged. Please report damaged items to the Petersburg Ranger District. Firewood is generally provided, but not guaranteed.

Click here for more cabin details and maps.

Natural Features

The cabin is located at the edge of a second growth spruce-hemlock forest, along a gravel beach, near the mouth of Cascade Creek. The beach fringe in front of the cabin is flat. Forested slopes directly behind the cabin become steeper with elevation, eventually rising to Cosmos Peak, which is at 5,000 feet.

A variety of wildlife make its home in the area, including deer, moose, mountain goats and black bears (learn about bear safety ).

The description, directions and fees are the Forest Service’s own words, from its record on Recreation.gov.

What people do here

  • boating
  • camping
  • fishing
  • hiking
  • hunting
  • wildlife viewing

The land around Cascade Creek Cabin

The ringed pin is this cabin or lookout; the others are its nearest neighbours. Switch on forest roads or BLM routes to see the way in.

Interactive map. Drag to pan, scroll or pinch to zoom, and select any point to see which agency manages the land. Arrow keys pan and the plus and minus keys zoom when the map has focus. A list of every state with its share of federal land is on the Explore page.

Map layers

Layers
Base map
Legend

Federal land, by managing agency

  • Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
  • US Forest Service (USFS)
  • National Park Service (NPS)
  • US Fish and Wildlife (USFW)
  • Bureau of Reclamation (USBR)
  • Department Of Defense (DOD)
  • Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
  • Other Federal
  • State
  • Local
  • Alaska Native Lands (Patented or Interim Conveyed)
  • Alaska Native Allotment

Federal campgrounds, by agency

  • Forest Service
  • Bureau of Land Management
  • National Park Service
  • Army Corps of Engineers
  • Reclamation, Fish and Wildlife and others

State and local land (USGS PAD-US)

  • State land
  • County and city land
  • Regional agency or district
  • Land trust or conservancy

Gaps with no tint inside public land are private parcels, often old mining claims and homesteads. They are not open to the public.

Dashed clay lines on the base map are unpaved tracks from OpenStreetMap. They show what exists on the ground, not what is legal to drive.

Select any point to see who manages the land.

Boundaries are approximate and land status changes. This map is a planning aid, not a survey or a statement of access. Confirm routes, closures and camping rules with the managing office.

Source: Recreation Information Database (Recreation.gov), record updated February 25, 2026. Elevation from the USGS 3D Elevation Program. Seasons, fees, water and fire rules change; the managing office has the final word.