A gravel road curving into a high mountain valley at first light, the peaks catching the sun.

Forest Service cabin or lookout

Honker Lake Cabin

Forest Service cabin or lookout in Tongass National Forest, Prince of Wales-Hyder County, Alaska. 235 feet. 11.9 miles from Coffman Cove.

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

Overview

Honker Lake Cabin offers visitors recreation, relaxation and a unique lodging experience on Prince of Wales Island in southeastern Alaska. The remote site offers a scenic setting for fishing, canoeing and wildlife viewing, all within the vicinity of the cabin.

The site can either be accessed by float plane or canoe. Canoeing is a common way to access the cabin as it is located on the Honker Divide Canoe Route. Visitors are responsible for their own travel arrangements and safety, and must bring several of their own amenities.

Recreation

The Honker Divide Canoe Route is Prince of Wales Island's longest trail. It extends 30 miles on the Hatchery Creek/Thorne River system through the heart of the island, affording glimpses of mountain views, expansive muskegs and open river.

The Honker Divide Canoe Route is a challenging combination of river and lake paddles. The first 7 miles are against the current and the portages are on natural tread and may be muddy, but the trip is well worth the effort. Boaters should plan ahead and prepare for changing weather conditions and always wear personal floatation devices when boating.

Anglers will find that the area is quite scenic while fishing for rainbow and cutthroat trout, Dolly Varden, coho and sockeye salmon. Hikers can hike extensively on primitive trails along the lake's edge.

Facilities

The cabin is a 12 x 12 foot primitive, pre-cut cedar log cabin ( pan-abode style ) furnished with wooden bunkbeds (without mattresses) that sleep up to six guests. 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, an axe, splitting maul, and a broom. Firewood may be available, but the supply cannot be guaranteed.

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. Water is available from the lake, but must be filtered, boiled or chemically treated before drinking.

There is 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.

Click here for more cabin details.

Natural Features

The cabin sits on the gently rolling shoreline of Honker Lake. It is surrounded by a temperate rainforest of old-growth spruce, hemlock and cedar, and an understory of dense huckleberry and salmonberry bushes.

Wildlife in the area abounds, including a variety of waterfowl. The site is named after the migrating Canada geese ("honkers") that frequent the area. Bald eagles, wolves, Sitka black-tailed deer and black bears are also in the area. Learn more about bear safety in the Tongass National Forest.

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
  • hunting
  • wildlife viewing

The land around Honker Lake 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.