Big Shaheen Cabin

Big Shaheen Cabin sits in the central part of Admiralty Island in the Tongass National Forest, a remote and scenic setting for hiking, fishing, canoeing and wildlife viewing. It is one of three cabins on Hasselborg Lake, which is seven miles long and part of the Admiralty Island Canoe Route. Access is by float plane, or by canoe with portage. Visitors are responsible for their own travel arrangements and safety, and must bring several of their own amenities. Hasselborg Lake offers fishing for cutthroat trout, Dolly Varden and kokanee salmon. A small fishing boat with oars is provided at the cabin; guests need to bring their own life jackets and may choose to bring a small (10-horsepower) outboard motor. Little Shaheen Cabin is close by, connected by a 100-yard trail, and other trails can be reached by boat. From Hasselborg Lake, trails lead to Lake Guerin, Beaver Lake, Lake McKinney and Hasselborg River. Lake Guerin and Beaver Lake are on the Admiralty Island Canoe Route, offering access to pristine wilderness settings. The log cabin has two bedrooms and a living room/kitchen area, furnished with wooden bunks (no mattresses) that accommodate up to eight people, plus a table, benches, a cooking counter, an oil stove for heat, a broom and an outside toilet. There is no running water and no electricity. Bring food, water, sleeping bags and pads, a cook stove, matches, cooking gear and utensils, a light source, No. 1 stove oil (estimate about 10 to 20 gallons per week), toilet paper, a first aid kit and garbage bags. Water from any natural site must be filtered, boiled or chemically treated before drinking. At an elevation of 300 feet, the cabin is situated under a canopy of old growth forest at the edge of scenic Hasselborg Lake, in the Kootznoowoo Wilderness, which encompasses 956,255 acres of the island. Dense spruce and hemlock forests, glacier-fed streams, lakes and muskeg openings define the landscape, while rocky peaks tower along the island's high crest, reaching elevations of over 3,000 feet. Sitka black-tailed deer make a home in the dense forest and bald eagles perch in treetops along most beaches. Brown bears frequent the area as well. Admiralty Island also has a rich cultural heritage, evident in the traditional native village of Angoon, the island's only permanent settlement.