Nearby Campgrounds
§ 02 — OVERVIEW
Karta Lake Cabin offers visitors recreation, relaxation and a unique lodging experience on Prince of Wales Island in southeastern Alaska. The remote site offers a scenic setting for fishing, hiking and wildlife viewing, within the vicinity of the cabin.
The site can either be accessed by float plane or boat and trail. Visitors are responsible for their own travel arrangements and safety, and must bring several of their own amenities. The cabin can be heated using the small wood stove inside.
Anglers will find the surrounding snow-capped peaks and forested shoreline to be quite a scenic setting while fishing for rainbow and cutthroat trout, Dolly Varden and a variety of salmon species. Visitors should contact the Alaska Department of Fish and Game for fishing regulations as catch and release orders may be in effect. The 5-mile Karta River Trail follows the Karta River up from Karta Bay to Salmon Lake, allowing excellent access to the river for steelhead, sockeye and coho salmon runs. The trail provides access to Karta River, Karta Lake, and Salmon Lake cabins. For visitors interested in exploring the area by water, there is an aluminum skiff with oars available for use. Visitors are responsible for bringing and using their own personal floatation devices.
The cabin is a 12 x 12 foot primitive, pre-cut cedar log cabin ( pan-abode style ) furnished with wooden bunkbeds (without mattresses) that sleep up to six people. The cabin is equipped with a table, benches, a small wood/ biobrick stove for heat and an outside toilet. Other amenities include a cooking counter, shelves, cupboard space, and a broom. The cabin does not have running water or electricity. Visitors must bring their own food, water, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, cook stove, stove fuel, fire starter, cooking gear/utensils, light source (lantern), toilet paper, first aid kit and garbage bags. Wood or biobricks are not provided. Bio bricks can be purchased in Ketchikan and on Prince of Wales. Please contact the district if you need more info. Water is available from the lake, but must be filtered, boiled or chemically treated before drinking. Click here for more cabin details.
§ 04 — CONDITIONS
National Weather Service · seven-day outlook · updated hourly
§ 05 — SIGNAL
FCC broadband data · actual signal varies in remote terrain
§ 06—09 — FROM THE FIELD
Community Intel from visitors, written reviews, dated trip reports, and reader-submitted photographs.
§ 07 — REVIEWS
§ 08 — TRIP REPORTS
§ 09 — COMMUNITY PHOTOS
The cabin sits on the eastern shore of Karta Lake in the Karta River Wilderness area on east-central Prince of Wales Island. The Karta River Wilderness is best known for large salmon runs and the scenic quality of the large river drainage system. Wildlife fills the area, including wolves, black bears, Sitka black-tailed deer, beavers, otters, minks, martens and weasels. Trumpeter swans and various other waterfowl are commonly seen on the lakes and rivers in the area as well. The area burned in 1910 and is forested with second growth spruce, hemlock and cedar. Native Alaskans, particularly the Haida, historically lived around the bay and utilized the rich food sources of the area. Learn more about bear safety in the Tongass National Forest.
§ 03 — TRAILS NEARBY
Trip Reports
0 reports
Sign the ledger to file a review.
Sign in to add your own photos.
No community photos yet — be the first to share one from your visit.
Nearby Trails
§ 01 — VITALS
AT&T
Based on FCC availability data. Actual signal may vary in remote terrain.
Today
56°F
Partly Sunny
5 to 10 mph NW
Jun
64°F
Mostly Sunny
5 to 10 mph NW
Sat
69°F
Sunny
5 to 10 mph NW
Sun
70°F
Mostly Sunny
0 to 5 mph NW
Mon
65°F
Mostly Cloudy
0 to 5 mph W
Tue
62°F
Mostly Cloudy
5 mph W
Wed
58°F
Slight Chance Rain Showers
5 mph SW