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

Forest Service cabin or lookout

Jims Lake Cabin

Forest Service cabin or lookout in Tongass National Forest, Hoonah-Angoon County, Alaska. 232 feet. 12.3 miles from Angoon.

Managed by
Forest Service Tongass National Forest
Elevation
232 ft As the Forest Service states
Sites
1 1 cabin non-electric
Hookups
None listed
Reservations
Recreation.gov

Overview

Jim's Lake Cabin offers visitors recreation, relaxation and a remote wilderness lodging experience in the Tongass National Forest. The rustic cabin is located on the northwest end of Jim's Lake, an isolated area in the south-central portion of Admiralty Island. The small lake is away from many flight paths.

Access to the cabin is by floatplane only. Visitors are responsible for their own travel arrangements and safety, and must bring several of their own amenities.

Recreation

Hiking, fishing and wildlife viewing are all within the vicinity of the cabin. Anglers will find Jim's Lake to be a scenic setting for catching cutthroat trout, Dolly Varden and kokanee salmon.

Visitors are welcome to use the skiff with oars available at the cabin, and may choose to bring a small outboard motor. The motor must be less than 10 horsepower due to wilderness regulations. Personal floatation devices are not provided.

Facilities

The primitive, pre-cut cedar pan-abode style log cabin sleeps up to six people on wooden bunkbeds without mattresses. The cabin is equipped with a table, benches, a wood stove for heat and an outside toilet. Firewood is generally stacked in a woodshed near the cabin, but it is not guaranteed. The cabin does not have running water or electricity. Visitors must bring their own food, water, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, cook stove, matches, cooking gear/utensils, light source, toilet paper, first aid kit and garbage bags. Water from any natural site must be filtered, boiled or chemically treated before drinking. Click here for more cabin details.

Natural Features

The cabin sits on a small rocky rise overlooking Jim's Lake, at an elevation of 232 feet. It is hemmed in by dense old-growth forest with views to distant glacier-capped peaks

The cabin is located in the Kootznoowoo Wilderness which encompasses 956,255 acres of Admiralty Island. Dense spruce and hemlock forests, lakes and muskeg define the landscape, while distant rocky peaks tower along the island's high crest, reaching elevations of over 3,000 feet.

Wildlife in the area abounds. Sitka black-tailed deer navigate dense forests and bald eagles perch in treetops along most beaches. Brown bear frequent the area as well.

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
  • wildlife viewing

The land around Jims 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.