Suloia Lake Cabin

Suloia Lake Cabin sits on the western shore of Suloia Lake on Chichagof Island in the West Chichagof-Yakobi Wilderness Area, 30 miles northwest of Sitka, Alaska. It is generally available April through mid-November and makes an excellent base for experiencing wilderness solitude. The current cabin was built and donated by the Carl Eurich family in memory of their son, replacing an older cabin on the east shore. This is a remote site in designated wilderness, accessible by float plane only — a 20-minute flight from Sitka. Suloia Lake offers wilderness solitude, fishing and deer hunting, as well as limited hiking. Rainbow trout and Dolly Varden are found in the lake, but fishing is slow. The Suloia Trail leads from Suloia Bay to the old cabin site on the eastern shore; no trail connects this cabin with the old one, and bushwacking the shoreline is difficult, as there is little or no beach and the shore is brushy or forested. The 12-by-14-foot wood Pan abode-style cabin accommodates up to six people on two double bunks and two single bunks. Amenities include a wood stove for heat, table with benches, cooking counter, cupboard, broom and an axe or splitting maul, 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, fire starter and flotation devices. Rain gear and boots are recommended. Water is available from the lake or a nearby inlet stream but must be treated; bringing your own is recommended. A small but heavy square-bowed skiff is provided; a long-shaft 2-10 hp outboard enhances its use but is not. 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. Dense forest of cedar, spruce and hemlock surrounds the cabin, with a small gravel beach in front. Suloia Lake sits at an elevation of 225 feet and is about 2 miles long by half a mile wide, with forested mountain ridges rising to 2,600 feet. Brown bear frequent the area.