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A dark green Toyota pickup with a roof tent parked in tall dry grass as mist closes in.

Forest Service campground

Polk Camp

Forest Service campground in Tongass National Forest, Prince of Wales-Hyder County, Alaska. 22 feet. 14.8 miles from Kasaan.

Managed by
Forest Service Tongass National Forest
Elevation
22 ft USGS elevation model, at the mapped point
Reservations
First come, first served Claim a site when you arrive. Recreation.gov lists it for Scan and Pay, so the fee can be paid from its app at the campground
County
Prince of Wales-Hyder County

Overview

Polk Camp is a three bedroom cabin located in Polk Inlet on Prince of Wales Island in southeastern Alaska. The site offers recreation, relaxation and a unique lodging experience in the Tongass National Forest.

Polk Camp once served as a remote administration camp for the Craig Ranger District and is now a recreation cabin with limited amenities. The cabin is accessible by vehicle, boat or floatplane.

Although the site is not as remote as others in the area, visitors are responsible for their own travel arrangements and safety, and must bring several of their own amenities.

Recreation

Anglers will find that Dog Salmon Creek, which flows into the inlet, has an excellent run of coho, chum, sockeye and pink salmon, cutthroat trout, rainbow trout and Dolly Varden. Crabbing, beachcombing and wildlife viewing are popular in the area as well.

Dog Salmon Fish Pass is noted as a popular bear viewing site in August. A system of roads for off-road enthusiasts is also in the vicinity.

Hunters can take advantage of the long hunting seasons in the surrounding national forest. Bear season occurs during spring and fall, while deer season begins in late summer and lasts through late fall.

Polk Inlet also has a rich logging history. Log landings and log transfer facilities can be found on the nearby shoreline, but are not visible from the cabin.

Facilities

The Polk Camp has a large kitchen with a fully functional propane stove and oven, a sink (NO RUNNING WATER), and plenty of counter and cupboard space. There are three bedrooms with two moveable beds in each room. Running water is currently inavailable. Please bring your own water. There is a large gathering room, a great deck and exquisite views. Polk Camp is a wonderful spot for a family reunion, a wedding or a weekend with your friends.

Natural Features

The cabin is nestled in a canopy of young Sitka spruce and western hemlock. There are plenty of places to explore in the Polk Inlet area, including an estuary just south of the cabin, where wildlife is abundant, including sandhill cranes, eagles, wolves, black bears, Sitka black-tailed deer and a variety of migratory birds.

Nearby Attractions

Nearby attractions include: Dog Salmon Wildlife Viewing Area; Polk Inlet Road system; Polk Inlet all-terrain vehicle roads (trails); hunting; fishing; crabbing; wildlife viewing.

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

The land around Polk Camp

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

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.

Nearest campgrounds

Camping near

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.

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