Koknuk Cabin

Koknuk Cabin is on the west side of Sergief Island, on the Stikine River Delta, and makes an ideal base camp for exploring the surrounding Stikine-LeConte Wilderness. The delta tideflats provide for a different experience from the usual rainforest setting of Southeast Alaska and offer opportunities for paddling, wildlife watching and hunting. The site can only be accessed by a shallow draft boat, depending on conditions, and the tide must be a minimum of 16 feet in order to reach the cabin. The waters around the cabin are ideal for exploring by kayak or canoe during high tide. The Forest Service does not provide boats or flotation devices, and tide tables should be consulted before any boating excursion. This cabin is also in a prime location for waterfowl hunting in the fall. This 12-by-14 cabin (pan-abode style) was built in 1963 and has two single and two double bunks to sleep up to four people. It also has a table and benches, broom, an oil stove for heat and an outhouse toilet, with a wooden cooler box attached to the cabin for food storage. Water and electricity are not provided; water is sometimes available from rainwater catchment but must be treated, and bringing your own supply is recommended. Heating oil is not supplied: along with No. 1 stove oil, pack bedding, a cook stove and cookware, lighting and food, then pack out trash and clean the cabin before leaving. The cabin is situated in the fringe between tide flats and the alder and willow trees. The surrounding area is relatively flat with grass, shrubs, willow and alder growing on the tide flats, and wildflowers are prominent in May and June. This area is home to brown and black bears, bald eagles, hawks and moose. The Stikine River tidal flats are a major stopover spot for waterfowl and shorebirds during the spring and fall migrations.