Backcountry Public Wilderness Rental Cabins in Alaska

If you want to get away to a wilderness cabin, state and federal agencies in Alaska give you more than 200 opportunities. Cabins are located throughout Alaska on trails, lakes, streams, ocean shorelines and in alpine areas. These cabins are managed by different public agencies, each with its own guidelines for rental. The following list provides basic information as well as contact numbers and addresses for renting public use cabins in Alaska.



Cabins have rugged accommodations, usually a heating stove, bunks/sleeping platforms, table and chairs, and an outhouse. You are responsible for providing your own food, cookstove and cooking utensils, water, and bedding.



Access to cabins is by plane, boat, trail or a combination of these. You are on your own for arranging transportation to and from the cabins. Usually a list of operators permitted to provide services within the public land unit can be obtained from the managing agency. Most cabins are used year round although rentals may be strongly discouraged during certain times of the year due to avalanche or other danger conditions. Alaska's weather can delay your trip at any time of year, so plan accordingly with extra food, provisions and pick-up plans. For any travel in Alaska's backcountry, you are responsible for your own safety; be prepared with survival skills and proper equipment.



U.S. Forest Service

Location/Access

Chugach National Forest, located in Southcentral Alaska and Prince William Sound, has just over 40 cabins available for public use; the Tongass National Forest in Southeast Alaska has over 150 cabins. The majority of cabins are accessed by plane or boat. Those accessible by trail tend to be more popular and are reserved months in advance. It is best to plan well and make cabin reservations early.



Reservations/Cost

Reservations can be made up to 180 days (six months) in advance of the first night of occupancy. Chugach and Tongass cabin reservations are handled by a phone reservation system at 1-877-444-6777 or on the internet at http://www.recreation.gov http://www.fs.fed.us/r10/ro/recreation



User fees vary from $25 to $45 per cabin per night. Maximum length of stay varies from three to seven nights during the summer season. A permit or confirmation number is required while occupying a public recreation cabin.



National Wildlife Refuges

Kenai National Wildlife Refuge

P O Box 2139

Ski Hill Road

Soldotna, AK 99669

(907)262-7021 or 1-877-285-5628

http://kenai.fws.gov/cabin.htm



Stay in a Wilderness Cabin

605 W. 4th Avenue

Anchorage Alaska

(907) 644-3661

http://www.nps.gov/anch



Aialik Bay Cabin in Kenai Fjords National Park

Many people enjoy renting public use cabins in winter.



Location/Access

Cabins are located throughout the refuge, Swanson Lakes to Lake Tustemena. Only a few of these cabins are accessible by road.



Reservations/Cost

The refuge has 11 reservable cabins and two on a first-come, first-served basis. Reservations may be made 180 days in advance. Stays can be no longer than seven consecutive days. Reservations can be made by phone or in-person. Cabins cost $35 to $45 per night.



Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge

1390 Buskin River Road

Kodiak, AK 99615

(907) 487-2600

http://kodiak.fws.gov/welcome.htm



Location/Access

Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge maintains seven public use cabins. You must take a float plane or boat to all of the cabins because brush and terrain make hiking very difficult. There is no road access.



Reservations/Cost

Cabin reservations are scheduled by lottery. Three month blocks are drawn three months in advance (i.e. January, February, March are drawn the first day of business in October). Applications are accepted until the last business day before a drawing date. Applications may be mailed or delivered in-person. You may make only one application per lottery. Cabins still available after the lottery drawing may be reserved by phone on a first-come, first-served basis. The cost is currently $20/cabin/night.



National Park Service

Kenai Fjords National Park

Cabin Reservations

605 W. 4th Ave., Ste 105

Anchorage, AK 99501

(907) 644-3661 or toll free

1-866-869-6887

http://www.nps.gov/kefj/planyourvisit/lodging.htm



Location/Access

Situated near Seward, Kenai Fjords National Park has three coastal cabins open only during the summer months at Aialik Bay, Holgate Arm and North Arm. These cabins are accessible by float plane and private or charter boat. The park also has one cabin at Exit Glacier open for public use only in winter when the Exit Glacier Road is closed (usually late December through March depending on snowfall). The Exit Glacier cabin can be reached in winter by skis, dogsleds, and snowmachines. Call park headquarters at (907) 224-7500 to reserve this cabin.



Reservations/Cost

Cabin use is by reservation only. A special recreation permit is required in advance and are awarded on a firstcome, first-served basis. No reservations will be awarded before January 1 of the year in which you want the permit. You may apply by phone, mail or in-person. Cabin fees are currently $50/cabin/night. Because of high demand, cabin use is limited to a maximum of three consecutive days in one year, except for the North Arm Cabin because of its remoteness and access costs. The limit for North Arm is nine consecutive days. A permit day goes from noon on the assigned day and ends at noon on the next. Individuals in the same party may not make sequential applications in an

effort to exceed the limit.



Wrangell-St. Elias

National Park and Preserve

PO Box 439

Mile 106.8 Richardson Highway

Copper Center, AK 99573

(907) 822-5234

http://www.nps.gov/wrst/planyourvisit/backcountry-cabins.htm



Wrangell-St. Elias has thirteen public use cabins. These rustic cabins are primarily accessible by air-taxi or snowmachine. Only the Esker Cabin requires a reservation and a fee of $25 per night. Call (907) 784-3295 to reserve this cabin. All others are on a first-come, first-served basis.



Yukon-Charley Rivers

National Preserve

PO Box 167

Eagle, AK 99738

(907) 547-2233

http://www.nps.gov/yuch/planyourvisit/publicusecabins.htm



Yukon-Charley has six public use cabins available on a no-cost, firstcome, first-served basis. Be aware that if others arrive, you may have company, particularly in emergency

situations.



Alaska State Parks

Dept. of Natural Resources (DNR)

Public Information Center (PIC)

550 West 7th Ave., Suite 1260

Anchorage, AK 99501-3557

(907) 269-8400

http://www.dnr.state.ak.us



Location/Access

State park cabins are some of the most accessible cabins in Alaska. They are located throughout the state, many near favorite recreation areas such as Kachemak Bay, Nancy Lakes, and Denali State Park. The cabins range in size and can sleep from 3-10 persons. Costs range from $25 to $50 per cabin per night.



Reservations/Cost

The cabins can be rented from the nearest state park office or from the DNR Public Information Center. You can reserve up to seven months in advance if you an Alaskan resident, six months in advance if you are from out-of-state. Reservations can be made in-person or by mail, and are not confirmed until the full amount is paid (cash or check only).



Bureau of Land Management

BLM Land Information Center

1150 University Avenue

Fairbanks, AK 99709-3844

(907) 474-2250

http://www.blm.gov/ak/st/en/prog/sa/white_mtns/cabins.html



Location/Access

The White Mountains National Recreation Area has several log cabins built at scenic locations along the 200-mile winter trail system. These remote cabins are used by skiers, dog mushers, and snowmachiners. The wet and marshy trail conditions allow only one of these cabins (Lee's Cabin) to be suitable for summer use. There is another cabin near the roadside (Fred Blixt), not part of the White Mountains system, that is available for rent year round.



Reservations/Cost

Cabins must be reserved and can be booked up to 30 days in advance by mail, telephone or in-person. The fees are $25/cabin/night for weekends, and $20/cabin/night for Weekdays, and muwt be paid at the time of reservation. Credit cards are accepted for payment. Use is limited to three consecutive nights per cabin. Carry your payment receipt with you as proof that you have reserved the cabin.



Jay Bryce is a community manger at iFished.com (http://www.ifished.com/). iFished.com has fishing and local information for over 40,000 lakes and fishing areas in the United States. Information includes current weather and forecasts, best times fishing charts, maps, local businesses, Fishing Store and more. iFished.com also has a large library of fishing videos, fishing articles and current fishing reports to help you catch more fish.