Shelikof Cabin

Shelikof Cabin overlooks a sandy beach of Shelikof Bay on the west coast of Kruzof Island, 20 miles from Sitka, Alaska. It is generally available year-round, weather permitting, and was built in 1991 by volunteers from the U.S. Coast Guard Air Station in Sitka. This is a remote site, reached by helicopter or by wheeled plane on the beach during low tide, or by boat — a 45-minute ride from Sitka to Mud Bay followed by a 7-mile hike across the Kruzof Island Trail to Iris Meadows and onto the Shelikof Trail, subject to tide conditions. Scenic viewing, photography, beachcombing and hiking are popular activities here. Fishing is fair for Dolly Varden, coho and pink salmon in a nearby stream. The 16-by-16-foot wood A-frame cabin accommodates up to eight people, with a double bunk bed on the main level and an upstairs sleeping loft reached by vertical ladder. A wood stove for heat, a table with benches, cooking counter, cupboard, broom and an axe or splitting maul are provided, with an outhouse toilet close by. There are no mattresses or cooking utensils: bring bedding, a cook stove and cookware, a lantern, food, a fire extinguisher and fire starter. Rain gear and boots are recommended. Water is available from a spring about a quarter-mile away but must be treated; bringing your own is recommended. The cabin offers spectacular ocean views of Shelikof Bay's rolling surf from its location at the edge of spruce-hemlock forest. Relatively flat and easy terrain surrounds it, and an expansive sandy beach provides great beachcombing. North Beach Cabin lies on the northern beaches of Shelikof Bay. Brown bear frequent the area.