Middle Ridge Cabin

Middle Ridge Cabin is wheelchair accessible and located on the Wrangell Island road system. Open year-round, it offers opportunities for both summer and winter recreation, and is unique in the Tongass National Forest because it is accessible by vehicle in the summer months from the town of Wrangell, and by snowmobile, off-road vehicle or cross-country skis in the winter. The timing of spring and summer road access depends on winter snow levels — some years the road to the cabin holds snow until June — so it is worth checking the Wrangell Ranger District's current road condition report. Guests are responsible for their own travel arrangements and safety, and must bring several of their own amenities. Summer opportunities include berry picking, exploring the expansive muskeg, mountain biking on the road system, and sightseeing by vehicle or off-road vehicle. The lake offers swimming, small craft boating and fishing; a skiff with oars is provided at the lake, but guests must bring their own personal flotation devices. Hunting for deer or upland birds is possible in the fall with the proper permits, and the landscape is ideal for snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and snowmobiling during the winter months. Middle Ridge is a young-growth log cabin constructed of 35- to 40-year-old spruce logs. The logs were hand-scribed and joined together by students in a cabin building class offered at the University of Alaska Southeast-Sitka in May 2009, then shipped to Wrangell and reassembled at the site that September. The 16-by-20 cabin has one double bunk, one single bunk and a loft, accommodating up to eight people, and is equipped with a table with benches, a wood stove for heat and counter space for cooking gear. It is fully accessible with the exception of the sleeping loft, which offers floor space for up to four adults and takes natural light from two gable-end windows and two skylights. Two picnic tables, an accessible tent platform, a campfire ring and a woodshed with firewood are located outside, and an outhouse with accessible toilets is about 40 feet from the front door. Wheelchair-friendly pathways connect all outdoor facilities to the cabin. Electricity and water are not provided: in addition to water for drinking, cooking and cleaning, guests will need to bring cooking gear, sleeping bags and pads, food, toilet paper, garbage bags, matches and flashlights or lanterns. Guests are expected to pack out all their trash and food, and clean the cabin before leaving. The cabin sits at approximately 1,500 feet in elevation, on a landscape comprised primarily of muskeg, with a surrounding forest of spruce, hemlock, cedar and shore pine. It overlooks a small lake and is surrounded by gently sloping, evergreen-forested mountains. Wrangell Island wildlife includes brown and black bears, moose, porcupines and Sitka black-tailed deer, and eagles and a variety of other birds also make their home here.