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

Forest Service cabin or lookout

Salmon Bay Lake Cabin

Forest Service cabin or lookout in Tongass National Forest, Prince of Wales-Hyder County, Alaska. 100 feet. 13.4 miles from Whale Pass.

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

Overview

Salmon Bay Lake Cabin offers visitors a unique Alaskan lodging experience on Prince of Wales Island. Located on the northern part of the island, the remote site offers a scenic setting for recreation and relaxation in the Tongass National Forest.

Access to the site is by float plane or a boating/hiking combination, only at high tide. Visitors are responsible for their own travel arrangements and safety, and must bring several of their own amenities.

Recreation

Salmon Bay Lake provides good fishing opportunities for cutthroat, Dolly Varden, pink, chum, coho, and sockeye salmon.

Swimming and beachcombing on the large sandy beach outside the cabin during the warmer summer months is popular, as the cabin receives southern sun exposure.

Hikers may be interested in Salmon Bay Lake Trail which extends from the saltwater flats of Salmon Bay to the cabin. This 1.5 mile hike accesses the skiff that is used to access the cabin for those traveling by boat and trail. The trail is rated more difficult because of muddy areas and bad footing on the trail. At the north end of the trail there is some moderate climbing.

Facilities

The cabin is a 12 x 14 foot log cabin ( pan-abode style ) furnished with wooden bunkbeds (without mattresses) that sleep up to six people. The cabin is equipped with a table, benches, a wood stove for heat and an outdoor toilet. Other amenities include a cooking bench, axe, splitting maul, saw and a broom.

The cabin does not have running water or electricity. Visitors 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.

Firewood may be available, but the supply cannot be guaranteed. Visitors are asked to be conservative with wood and use their cook stoves for cooking. 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 visitors may choose to bring a long shaft motor for boat use. Visitors are responsible for bringing and using their own personal floatation devices.

Click here for more cabin details.

Natural Features

The cabin sits back on the rolling, forested shore of Salmon Bay Lake, beneath a towering canopy of old-growth spruce, hemlock and cedar trees. A large sandy beach extends from the front of the cabin.

Wildlife in the area abounds, including a a variety of waterfowl, eagles, Sitka black-tailed deer and black bears ( 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
  • hiking
  • hunting

The land around Salmon Bay 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.