Whether you're a tent camper, an RVer, or just passing through, Wrangell, AK has a lot to offer. Wrangell is filled with the activities, sights, and experiences to make everyone in your crew a happy camper. At The Dyrt, campers like you share their favorite spots, plus tips and photos. No matter where you're headed in Wrangell, you'll find the best spot for you and your camping crew.
Berg Bay Cabin's location on saltwater and close to the freshwater and tideflats of Aarons Creek provides for a variety of recreational activities, including fishing, crabbing, hunting, paddling and hiking. Its secluded location within Alaska's Inside Passage makes it an ideal retreat for those in search of a back country experience, while being only 22 miles by boat from the town of Wrangell. The site can be accessed by float plane or boat, depending on conditions. Visitors are responsible for their own travel arrangements and safety, and must bring several of their own amenities.
Hikers have access to two trails. The 0.4-mile boardwalked Aaron Creek Trail extends from Berg Bay to Berg Creek and provides access to the grassflats. Berg Creek Trail is an unmaintained 4-mile trail that leads from the mouth of Berg Creek to Berg Basin. Aaron and Oerns Creeks offer opportunities to fish for pink salmon from mid-July to mid-August, silver and chum salmon from August to September, and steelhead in April and May. Crabbing is possible in Berg Bay and in saltwater in front of Aaron Creek tidal flats. Hunting is also available in the area during designated seasons. The tideflats are a popular waterfowl hunting area. Guests can bring canoes or kayaks to explore around Berg Bay. The entrance to Berg Bay is shallow and may dry out at low tide, so local tide charts should be consulted before taking any boating excursion in the area.
This 16-by-16 cabin (A-frame style) was built in 1965 and has two single bunks (one with a trundle bed) and a second-floor loft, to accommodate up to seven people. The cabin also has a table with benches, oil stove (No.1 oil required), a fire grill, broom, mooring float and outhouse toilet. The partially covered front porch has a wooden cooler box for food storage. Water and electricity are not provided. Water is available from a small stream next to the cabin, but guests should be sure to treat water before drinking or cooking with it ( water safety tips ). It is recommended that guests bring their own water supply. Heating oil is not supplied by the Forest Service. In addition to bringing a supply of #1 stove oil, guests should pack sleeping bags, sleeping pads, a cooking stove, lanterns or flashlights, cookware, plates, utensils, food, toilet paper, garbage bags, a fire extinguisher and matches, among other necessities. Guests are expected to pack out trash and clean the cabin before leaving ( click here for more cabin details ).
The cabin sits on a gentle slope overlooking Berg Bay, Blake Channel and the mountains beyond. The surrounding rainforest is primarily Sitka spruce and western hemlock with scattered cedar and muskeg. The nearby Aaron Creek tide flats have extensive grass sedges and wildflowers. This area is habitat for brown and black bears, moose, sea otters, grouse, ptarmigan and waterfowl (bear safety information). Mountain goats can sometimes be spotted on the surrounding ridges.
$40 / night
The Three Sisters Overlook Campsite is a fully accessible, single occupancy site on the Nemo-Skip Loop Road on Wrangell Island. Site overlooks Zimovia Strait, with spectacular views of the "three sister peaks" (Virginia, Bessie, and Helen) on Etolin Island.
Entry and Information site for the Nemo Campsites on Wrangell Island. Site is occupied by Wrangell Island Host Volunteers, and used for evening campground programs in the summer months. Available for camping when not occupied by island hosts. Information boards provide posted information for the public.
The Upper Salamander Creek campsite is a fully accessible, single occupancy site on Wrangell Island. Access to site is via a 700 foot gravel path from the parking area on the road to the site overlooking Salamander Creek.
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.
The Thoms Creek Crossing Campsite is a fully accessible, single occupancy campsite on the south end of Wrangell Island. Access is via a short footpath from the parking area at the bridge to the site on the shore of Thom's Creek.
A 100 foot gravel trail leads from parking area to site. Site has view of Eastern Passage and mountains on the mainland. A marine access facility (MAF) is located below the site and provides a boat ramp for saltwater access. Caution: Commercial use of MAF may occur during periods of timber harvest.
Site is located next to Salamander Creek. There are 3 separate covered picnic shelters each with a picnic table and fire ring. A small sandy beach is located next to the shelter closest to the creek and swimming opportunities exist at higher water levels.
Middle Ridge Cabin is wheelchair accessible and located on the Wrangell Island road system. The cabin is open year-round and offers opportunities for both summer and winter recreation. It is unique to Tongass National Forest because it is accessible by vehicle in the summer months from the town of Wrangell, and by snowmobile, off-road vehicle or cross-country skis in the winter. When making reservations, please be aware that the timing of spring/summer road access depends on winter snow levels (some years the road to the cabin will have snow until June). Please contact the Wrangell Ranger District for current road condition report. Guests are responsible for their own travel arrangements and safety, and must bring several of their own amenities.
Summer opportunities include berry picking, exploring the expansive muskeg, mountain biking on the road system, and sightseeing by vehicle or off-road vehicle. The lake offers opportunities for swimming, small craft boating and fishing. A skiff with oars is provided at the lake, but guests must bring their own personal flotation devices. Hunting for deer or upland birds is possible in the fall, with the proper permits. The landscape is ideal for snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and snowmobiling during the winter months.
Middle Ridge is a young-growth log cabin constructed of 35- to 40-year-old spruce logs. The logs were hand-scribed and joined together by students in a cabin building class offered at the University of Alaska Southeast-Sitka during May 2009. The logs were then shipped to Wrangell and reassembled at the Middle Ridge Cabin site in September 2009. The 16-by-20 log cabin has one double bunk, one single bunk and a loft to accommodate up to eight people. It is also equipped with a table with benches, a wood stove for heat and counter space for cooking gear. The cabin is fully accessible, with the exception of the sleeping loft. The loft offers floor space for up to four adults. Natural light flows into the loft via two gable-end windows and two skylights. Two picnic tables, an accessible tent platform, a campfire ring and a woodshed with firewood are located outside. An outhouse with accessible toilets is about 40 feet from the front door of the cabin. Wheelchair-friendly pathways connect all outdoor facilities to the cabin. Electricity and water are not provide at the cabin. In addition to water for drinking, cooking and cleaning purposes, guests will need to bring their own cooking gear, sleeping bags and pads, food, toilet paper, garbage bags, cooking gear, matches and flashlights or lanterns ( click here for more cabin details). Guests are expected to pack out all their trash and food, as well as clean the cabin before leaving.
The cabin sits at approximately 1,500 feet in elevation, on a landscape comprised primarily of muskeg. The surrounding forest is a mix of spruce, hemlock, cedar and lodgepole pine. The cabin overlooks a small lake and is surrounded by gently sloping, evergreen-forested mountains. Wrangell Island wildlife includes brown and black bears, moose, porcupines and Sitka black-tailed deer ( bear safety information ). Eagles and a variety of other birds also make their home here.
$45 / night
The Deep Bay Cabin is a fully ADA accessible, large group recreation cabin located on Zarembo Island. It is popular for hunting and exploring Zarembo Island's remote road sytem. The cabin can be accessed by float plane or boat from Roosevelt Harbor, where there is a float dock, ramp and parking area, or by beach access from Deep Bay. Visitors are responsible for their own travel arrangements and safety, and must bring their own amenities.
The cabin is located on Zarembo Island's extensive road system which provides access and opportunities for recreation and subsistence gathering. There are excellent hunting and berry gathering opportunities. Open roads allow for use of both vehicles and ATVs. There are ATV trails on the island including the Whale Trail, where humpback whales can be observed from the shore. Zarembo's road system is remote-all vehicles and ATVs are brought to the island by boat.
The Deep Bay Cabin is fully accessible and includes a wheelchair ramp from the parking lot to the cabin. It is a large group cabin and can accommodate up to 12 people. It consists of two buildings connected by a partially covered large deck with a picnic table. Each building has sleeping rooms and a common room. There is an oil stove for heat in each building. There is a small storage shed, an outside fire grill, picnic table, and outhouse. The wooden furnishings in the cabins were built by Wrangell High School's industrial arts class in 2017. Water and electricity are not provided. Water is available from a small nearby stream, but guests should be sure to treat water taken from any outside source prior to consumption ( water safety tips ). It is recommended that guests bring their own water supply. Fuel oil is not provided. Guests should bring their own #1 fuel oil for the stove. Cooking facilities are also not available. Guests should bring all of their own camping amenities. Guests are expected to pack out trash and clean the cabin before leaving.
The cabin sits on small bench above Deep Bay in an opening in the forest. The surrounding terrain is mountainous and densely forested, with occasional muskegs. The area has abundant wildlife and marine life. Roosevelt elk are occasionally seen on the island.
$75 / night
