Overview
Red Bay Lake Cabin offers visitors a unique Alaskan lodging experience on Prince of Wales Island. Situated on the northern part of the island, the remote site provides a scenic setting for recreation and relaxation in the Tongass National Forest. Access to the site is by float plane or a vehicle/hiking/boating combination. Visitors are responsible for their own travel arrangements and safety, and must bring several of their own amenities.
Recreation
Fishing opportunities are abundant in the area surrounding the cabin. The fish most noted include coho, pink, chum, and sockeye salmon, steelhead, cutthroat, and Dolly Varden. The cabin is also an excellent location for sport fishing in the Red Bay Creek drainage. The cabin provides 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. Red Bay Lake Trail extends from the trailhead on Forest Road #20 to a row boat at the north end of Red Bay Lake, providing visitors an access option other than aircraft. For visitors hiking into Red Bay Lake Cabin, this 3/4 mile trail accesses the row boat that is used to reach the cabin. Rowing across the lake takes approximately 1 hour. The scenic trail is mostly boardwalk and winds between large cedar trees and crossing over a stream.
Natural Features
The cabin sits on the forested shore of Red Bay Lake. The lake is lined with old-growth spruce, hemlock and cedar trees, with a dense understory of brush and rocky outcroppings. Visible from the cabin, the vertical wall of Red Bay Mountain rises 3,000 feet in elevation along with neighboring limestone peaks. Wildlife in the area abounds, including loons, eagles, Sitka black-tailed deer and black bears. (Learn more about bear safety in the Tongass National Forest.)