Plotnikof Lake Cabin

Plotnikof Lake Cabin is on Baranof Island within the South Baranof Wilderness Area, 45 air miles southeast of Sitka, Alaska. The wood cabin is generally available mid-June to October. This is a remote site, accessible by floatplane only: from Sitka it is a 40-minute plane ride, then a 100-foot walk to the cabin. Plotnikof Lake and its inlet stream on the north shore offer fair rainbow trout fishing. Steelhead runs occur from mid-May to early June on the outlet stream on the south shore, and coho salmon from late August through September. The 1.2-mile Davidof Lake Trail begins behind the cabin, ending at an outlet stream on Davidof Lake; it is not maintained and can be difficult to find. Hunters willing to walk some distance from the cabin will find good deer hunting in the surrounding area. The 12-by-14-foot wood Pan abode-style cabin accommodates up to six people on two double plywood bunks and two single plywood bunks. Amenities include an oil stove for heat, a table with benches, a cooking counter, broom, axe or splitting maul, outdoor screened cooler box and an outhouse toilet. Heating oil, mattresses and cooking utensils are not provided: bring No. 1 diesel oil (generally 10 gallons for a three-day stay, more or less depending on the time of year), bedding, a cook stove and cookware, a lantern, food, a fire extinguisher and fire starter. Rain gear and boots are recommended. Firewood is not provided for campfires; gather dead and down wood. Water is available from the lake or a nearby inlet stream but must be treated; bringing your own is recommended. A small skiff with oars is provided, though as of June 2024 it was reported damaged and possibly out of service. A 2-10 hp long-shaft outboard enhances its use but is not provided. Bring flotation devices, be sure the plug is in before launching, and tie the skiff well up on shore with the plug pulled before leaving so it does not fill with rain water. The cabin lies near the north end of narrow, 4-mile-long Plotnikof Lake at an elevation of 275 feet, set 100 feet back from the shore on a narrow path lined with dense thickets of shoulder-height brush and berries. Large old-growth spruce and hemlock trees surround it. The area offers wilderness solitude and beauty, and the view from the cabin includes waterfalls cascading from steep granite slopes that rise to snow-capped ridges. Brown bear frequent the area.