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

Forest Service cabin or lookout

Tanis Mesa Cabin

Forest Service cabin or lookout in Tongass National Forest, Yakutat County, Alaska. 159 feet.

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

Overview

This brand new red cedar panabode style cabin (completed August 2024) is tucked between Tanis Mesa and the Brabazon Mountain Range, offering year-round relaxation and recreation.

With epic views of Mt Fairweather and several peaks in the Brabzon Range this cabin offers a unique opportunity for fly in remote Big Alaskan adventure.

The cabin has a Nordic oil stove ( Kerosene / #1 stove oil only) renters are responsible for bringing there own fuel.

There is a nice deck with both steps and a ramp, a redwood picnic table and a large "A"frame style shed perfect for keeping your game or additional gear out of the weather.

The site can be accessed by wheeled plane or helicopter, depending on weather and ground conditions. The cabin is connected to the airstrip by a short 300 foot trail.

Visitors are responsible for their own travel arrangements and safety, and must bring several of their own amenities.

Recreation

Tanis Lake is 2 miles north of the cabin and can be hiked to the last quarter mile, which is dense brush.

Hikers are rewarded with views of Fassett Glacier cascading into the lake's northeast end.

The Brabazon Mountains offer opportunities for excellent mountain goat hunting. Moose and bear hunting is good around the cabin.

This is also a world class site to just get away from it all and enjoy Big Alaskan Views and scenery

Facilities

The cabin is a 15x17-ft. panabode style cabin. It comes equipped with four single bunks. The cabin also has a table and benches, oil heater, broom, picnic table, fire ring and outhouse. A 12x12-ft. meat shed is located outside. Water, heating oil and electricity are not provided. Visitors must supply #1 stove oil for the heater, as well as their own drinking water. Other items to bring include sleeping bags, sleeping pads, food, a cooking stove, cookware, plates, utensils, lanterns or flashlights, toilet paper, garbage bags, a fire extinguisher and fire starter. Visitors are expected to pack out trash and clean the cabin before leaving. Click here for more cabin details.

Natural Features

The cabin sits on mostly flat terrain surrounded by blueberry bushes. Interspersed stands of cottonwood, alder and willow begin about half a mile from the cabin.

Visitors can enjoy views of Tanis Mesa, which sits half a mile to the southwest. Tanis Mesa is a unique geologic feature that stands about 500 feet above the cabin. The peaks of the Brabazon Range are a mile to the northeast, with elevations of over 3,000 feet.

Wildlife in the Brabazon Mountain Range includes moose, brown & black bear and mountain goats.

Mt Fairweather can often bee seen to the south east on clear days.

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

What people do here

  • camping
  • hiking
  • hunting
  • wildlife viewing

The land around Tanis Mesa 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.