Admiralty Cove Cabin

Admiralty Cove Cabin sits on the northern tip of Admiralty Island in the Tongass National Forest, a remote and scenic setting for hiking, beachcombing, berry picking and wildlife viewing. Access is by float plane or boat. Fishing is available in the stream adjacent to the cabin, as well as at nearby Young Bay, where cutthroat trout, Dolly Varden and coho salmon may be found. Several primitive trails extend from the cabin into the forest. The 4.5-mile Admiralty Cove-Young Lake trailhead is at the cabin's doorstep and heads to the North Young Lake cabin; it is a relatively flat trail that follows the creek at each end, though the round-trip hike can be fairly strenuous when conditions are rainy and wet. Beachcombing is another pastime in the spring, as winter storms wash up Japanese fishing floats, shells, bottles and other wave-swept treasures from the open ocean. The primitive, pan-abode log cabin is furnished with wooden bunks, without mattresses, and can accommodate up to six people. It is equipped with a table, benches, an oil stove for heat and an outside toilet, plus cooking counters, shelves, cupboard space and a broom. A campfire ring is located outside the cabin. There is no running water and no electricity. Bring water, food, sleeping bags and pads, a cook stove, matches, cooking gear and utensils, a light source, No. 1 stove oil (anticipate 5 to 10 gallons for a week), toilet paper, a first aid kit and garbage bags. The cabin rests on a level, forested bench overlooking Admiralty Creek and a large grassy tidal meadow, approximately a quarter-mile from a saltwater beach in Admiralty Cove within Young Bay. Dense spruce and hemlock forests, glacier-fed streams, lakes and muskeg openings define the landscape, while rocky spires rise along the island's high crest in the distance. Sitka black-tailed deer stay well hidden in the dense forest but bald eagles are easily found in treetops along most beaches. Harbor seals, Steller sea lions and humpback whales feed near rafts of waterfowl, and brown bears are abundant in the area.