Whether you're an RVer or tent camper, Tongass National Forest, AK is a great place to post up for the weekend—or longer. There's so much to see and do, from exhilarating hikes or bike rides to exploring the local dining and shopping. Find the best campgrounds near Tongass National Forest, AK. Read helpful reviews and tips to find the perfect camping option for you and your crew.
The Portage Bay Cabin is located on the eastern shore of Portage Bay on Kupreanof Island, due east of Stop Island. It provides access to scenic views as well as a variety of recreational opportunities. Visitors to the area enjoy fishing, hiking and wildlife viewing. It is accessible by boat or float plane only. Guests are responsible for their own travel arrangements and safety, and must bring several of their own amenities.
There is excellent halibut fishing in the mouth of Portage Bay. Coho, pink salmon, steelhead and trout fishing are available in the nearby Portage Creek. Hunting for black bears, waterfowl and grouse is also available as per state or federal hunting regulations; click here for more information from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. The primitive Portage Mountain Loop Trail connects the cabin with Petersburg Lake Cabin and Salt Chuck East Cabin through Goose Cove, south of the bay. The trail is especially primitive over to Petersburg Lake and is seldom used due to the level of difficulty. Sections of the trail are flooded by beaver ponds.
The cabin was originally built as an administrative site for Forest Service timber layout crews, but was converted to a recreation cabin in 1987. It sits back from the rocky eastern shore of Portage Bay in southeastern Alaska. The surrounding terrain is hilly along the east and flat and rolling south and west of the bay. Portage Mountain rises 3,577 feet in the background.
$25 - $40 / night
The West Point Cabin is located near the mouth of Portage Bay on Kupreanof Island. It provides a tranquil place to stay amid very scenic surroundings. The cabin also offers access to a variety of recreational activities, including hiking, fishing and boating, as well as whale-watching at Fredrick Sound. The cabin is accessible by boat or float plane only.
The area surrounding the cabin offers various points of exploration and the beach has excellent hiking opportunities. Visitors enjoy fishing and boating. Anglers might catch king salmon in May and June, coho in August through September and halibut in Fredrick Sound. The waters of Frederick Sound and Stephens Passage are primary feeding grounds for migratory humpback whales and provide excellent whale watching opportunities; click here for more information. Hunting is available as per state or federal hunting regulations; click here for more information from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.
The cabin is a barrier-free, modified A-frame structure built in 1994. It is situated west of West Point, just around the point from Fredrick Sound. The cabin overlooks Portage Bay. The surrounding terrain is flat with mixed spruce and hemlock forest. Large expanses of gravel beach are excellent for beach hiking. A variety of wildlife make its home in the area, including black bears, deer, waterfowl and whales in Fredrick Sound. Click here to learn about bear safety.
$35 - $50 / night
The Salt Chuck East Cabin is located on Kupreanof Island on the east side of the Duncan Salt Chuck. It provides access to a variety of recreational opportunities, including fishing, hunting and wildlife viewing. The cabin is accessible by boat or float plane only. Guests are responsible for their own travel arrangements and safety, and must bring several of their own amenities.
The Portage Mountain Loop Trail is a primitive trail leading from the cabin to Portage Bay (Goose Cove) and Petersburg Lake. The trail is especially primitive and hard to follow between Goose Cove and Petersburg Lake, which is why few people hike that section of the trail. Fishing opportunities abound and anglers will find abundant steelhead in April and May, coho salmon in August and September and trout from June to September. A rowboat and oars are available at the cabin, however life jackets are not provided and visitors must bring their own. Guests may also choose to bring a small outboard motor. Hunting is available as per state or federal hunting regulations; click here for more information from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.
The cabin sits within the Petersburg Creek-Duncan Salt Chuck Wilderness, overlooking a large expanse of saltwater grass flats. The terrain behind the cabin is old growth spruce and hemlock forest. A variety of wildlife can be seen in the area, including waterfowl, grouse, deer and black bears (learn about bear safety).
$25 - $40 / night
THIS IS NOT THE PETERSON LAKE CABIN NEAR JUNEAU. Petersburg Lake Cabin offers a tranquil place to stay on the shores of a Wilderness lake in southeastern Alaska. It provides access to outstanding fishing opportunities, as well as hunting and wildlife viewing. This trail is in the process of being maintained, it is difficult to find at times and has many natural features such as large sections of beaver ponds and downed trees to navigate. If you intend on hiking in to this cabin please come prepared with map, compass, GPS and please know your route or discuss trail with Petersburg Ranger District prior to departure. The cabin is accessible by float plane or by a boat-trail combination, dependent on tides. Guests are responsible for their own travel arrangements and safety and must bring several of their own amenities.
The nearby creek offers outstanding steelhead, coho and sockeye fishing, while the lake boasts cutthroat trout and sockeye salmon. A rowboat and oars is available at the cabin, however, life jackets are not provided and guests should bring their own. Guests may also choose to bring a small outboard motor. Attention Hikers: Petersburg Lake Trail is in very poor condition. The middle section of the trail, around mile marker 4 to 9.5, is very muddy, wet and not well marked. If you plan on hiking that part of the trail make sure and bring a map and compass and know how to use those tools. Rubber boots with non-slip soles are recommended. Portions of the trail have rotting and broken boards to beware of. We recommend avoiding this section of the trail if possible. Hiking and hunting are popular activities. Hunting is available as per state or federal hunting regulations; click here for more information from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.
The cabin is located on Kupreanof Island, 9 miles northwest of Petersburg, in the Petersburg Creek-Duncan Salt Chuck Wilderness. The Petersburg Creek Valley is a glacial valley with a broad, flat bottom and steep sides. The area surrounding the lake and creek is flat; otherwise the terrain is steep. The setting is pristine, old-growth spruce and hemlock forest with scattered muskeg. The area abounds with wildlife and wildflowers. The creek and lake are a haven for black bears and eagles, who feed on the spawning salmon there (learn about bear safety).
$25 - $45 / night
Towers Arm Cabin is one of the Petersburg Ranger District's most remote cabins. A large tidal flat in front of the cabin provides excellent waterfowl viewing and hunting opportunities. Visitors also enjoy the area for its fishing and wildlife viewing. The cabin is accessible by boat or float plane only.
The location offers fishing in Towers Creek. Coho salmon is available from August through September, as well as steelhead trout in April through May. Hunting for bears, deer, a variety of waterfowl and grouse is also popular in the area, as per state or federal hunting regulations; click here for more information from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.
The cabin is located on Kupreanof Island, at the mouth of Towers Creek on the west side of Towers Arm in Duncan Canal. Terrain surrounding the cabin is fairly flat, with hills at the rear and a vast tidal flat and the water's edge to the front. A variety of wildlife make its home in the area, including abundant waterfowl from September through November and shorebirds in early May. The region is also home to grouse, deer, wolves and black bears.
$25 - $40 / night
Big John Bay Cabin is located at the north end of Big John Bay in Rocky Pass (Keku Strait) on Kupreanof Island. It provides access to great recreational activities and spectacular scenery in southeastern Alaska. Visitors enjoy fishing, hiking, hunting and viewing wildlife. The cabin can be accessed by boat or trail from the town of Kake, or by float plane from Petersburg. Tides can impact access, requiring up to a mile hike from the boat at low tide. The trail can be affected at high tide. Visitors are responsible for their own travel arrangements and safety, and must bring several of their own amenities.
The cabin provides access to good waterfowl hunting opportunities. Hunting is available as per state or federal hunting regulations; click here for more information from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Fishing in the Hamilton and Big John Creeks are activities that are also enjoyed by visitors to the area. Trout, as well as pink and coho salmon, can be found there. The Big John Bay Trail can be difficult to follow, but provides access to the cabin from the community of Kake. There is no trail access during high tide (local tide tables). The route follows tide flats and then parallels a small creek until reaching the logging road. Additional hikes in the area include the Hamilton Bay, Goose Lake and Cathedral Falls Trails.
The cabin is located on a tidal flat which becomes an islet at high tide, and sits on a small wooded point that faces a large expanse of tidal grass and saltwater flats. A small stream a quarter-mile north of the cabin is the nearest water source. A variety of wildlife makes its home in the area, including waterfowl, grouse and black bears (learn about bear safety).
$25 - $40 / night
The Spurt Cove Cabin is located on the mainland, in a small cove on the north side of Thomas Bay. It makes a good base camp for exploring Thomas Bay, a favorite destination among boaters and kayakers. The cabin provides its own scenic views and also provides access to a variety of recreational activities. The cabin is accessible by boat or float plane only.
Halibut and king salmon fishing is available in the bay, while anglers may find trout in the beaver ponds behind the cabin. Orca whales and porpoises can also often be seen in the area. A moderately difficult 1.1-mile trail to Spurt Lake starts a quarter-mile northeast of the cabin. The trail is marked by red and white diamond stakes. A boat is necessary to access the trailhead. The Thomas Bay area offers numerous options for single and multiple-day trips to Baird, Muddy and Patterson glaciers, Scenery Cove and the Cosmos Mountain Range. Kayaking is popular in the protected waters of Thomas Bay.
The cabin is located in southeastern Alaska's Tongass National Forest, which is the largest national forest in the United States. The terrain surrounding the cabin is predominantly gently sloping with some steep bluffs. Spurt Cove is known for its interesting rock formations.
$25 - $40 / night
The Ohmer Creek Campground is on a minimal maintenance schedule due to budget constraints. Please pack in/pack out your trash and use restroom facilities at neighboring Forest Service recreation areas if a waste containment system is not available on your camping unit. ACTIVITIES Camping: Occupancy of this Forest Service campground is by permit on site ($6 per night per party) from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Picnicking: Campground is available for day use picnicking in addition to overnight camping.
Church Bight Cabin offers guests recreation, relaxation and a unique wilderness lodging experience on the southeast side of Admiralty Island in the Tongass National Forest. The remote site offers a scenic setting for fishing, boating, and wildlife viewing, all within the vicinity of the cabin. Access to the cabin is float plane or boat. Visitors are responsible for their own travel arrangements and safety, and must bring several of their own amenities.
Anglers will enjoy saltwater and freshwater fishing in the area. Fly fishing for Dolly Varden and rainbow trout is popular in nearby streams. Halibut and rockfish are found in further open waters. Wildlife viewing is abundant on land and in water. Gambier Bay is quite remote, yet a good place for bear and humpback whale sightings.
The cabin sits on level ground, only a few steps from Church Bight, a small tidal saltwater cove within Gambier Bay. The shoreline is surrounded by a thick temperate rainforest of old-gowth spruce and hemlock trees, shrubs and grasses. Wildlife in the area abounds, including migratory waterfowl and shorebirds, Sitka black-tailed deer and brown bears (learn more about bear safety).
$35 - $45 / night
Pybus Cabin offers guests recreation, relaxation and a unique wilderness lodging experience on the southeast side of Admiralty Island in the Tongass National Forest. The remote site offers a scenic setting for fishing, boating and wildlife viewing, all within the vicinity of the cabin. Access to the cabin is float plane or boat. Visitors are responsible for their own travel arrangements and safety and must bring several of their own amenities.
Wildlife viewing is abundant on land and in water. Pybus Bay is quite remote, and a good place for humpback whale sightings. A game trail to Donkey Bay is accessible at high tide and seasonal commercial fishing activity is popular in Pybus Bay.
The cabin is about a half-mile north of Donkey Bay in a protected cove within Pybus Bay. The shoreline is surrounded by a thick temperate rainforest of old-growth spruce and hemlock trees, ferns, shrubs and grasses. The end of the bay has large tidal flats. Wildlife in the area abounds, including migratory waterfowl and shorebirds, Sitka black-tailed deer and brown bears.
$35 - $40 / night
Scout
Primitive, but adequate.
Ranger
This is such a beautiful spot! If your brave and the water is high, jumping off the bridge is extremely fun here!
I have a friend that grew up at the hatchery just on the other side - what a blessed spot to grow up.
Always a fun spot for a day picnic
Ranger
the saying “out the road” is commonly used when living the island life.
thankfully ohmer creek isn’t too far out the road and has a lot to offer!
the campsites were well maintained! towards the end there are some that have direct trails to the creek as well.
there are also newly upgraded hiking trails that go through the woods and marsh and loop back around.
the trail is easy enough for small children and makes for a fun event!!
GuideThis place was great. We were able to kayak and hike up to a glacier very very close to the campground. The spaces are ample enough to have more than one tent but we rented 2 spaces just to be safe. A moose and her calves even walked through the site.
Camping near Tongass National Forest, Alaska, offers a unique experience surrounded by stunning landscapes and abundant wildlife. Whether you're looking for a peaceful retreat or an adventure-filled getaway, this area has something for everyone.
Camping near Tongass National Forest, Alaska, is a fantastic way to connect with nature and enjoy the great outdoors. With a little planning and the right mindset, you can have an unforgettable experience in this beautiful region.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular campground near Tongass National Forest?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Tongass National Forest is Portage Bay Cabin with a 5-star rating from 2 reviews.
What parks are near Tongass National Forest?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 1 parks near Tongass National Forest that allow camping, notably Haines State Forest and Kenai Fjords National Park.
