Twin Lakes Cabin (ak)

Twin Lakes Cabin is on the Stikine River in the Stikine-LeConte Wilderness. It provides access to Twin Lakes, a popular area for swimming and boating, as well as to fishing, hunting and wildlife viewing. The site can be accessed by shallow draft boat, float plane or kayak, depending on conditions; low river levels can affect access to the cabin and Twin Lakes. Fishing is possible in Dog Salmon Creek (North Arm Creek) about 1.7 miles west of the cabin, with cutthroat trout from May through September, chum and pink salmon in July and August and silver salmon in August and September. Twin Lakes offers opportunities for swimming, paddling and water skiing. A picnic site on the south shore of the lake includes two campfire rings and an outhouse; when entrance to the lakes becomes restricted at low river levels, a 0.1-mile trail leads from the cabin to the site. It is possible to explore the Stikine River area and the Stikine-LeConte Wilderness by canoe or kayak, but local tide charts and river levels should be consulted in advance. Hunting is available in the area with the proper permits. The 16-by-16 cabin (A-frame style) was built in 1962 and has two single bunks (one with a trundle bed) and a second-floor loft, sleeping up to seven people. It also has a table with benches, oil stove (No. 1 oil only), broom and outhouse, and the partially covered front porch has a built-in bench and wooden cooler box for food storage. Water and electricity are not provided; water is available from the lake or slough 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 sits on relatively flat land on the mouth of Twin Lakes Slough, facing Limb Island and the upper end of Hooligan Slough. The surrounding trees are primarily Sitka spruce, cottonwood, alder and willow, and the vegetation in front of the cabin is mostly grass, with meadows nearby. A sand beach between the riverbank and the slough can be accessed at low river levels. Steep mountains rise from behind Figure 8 Lake, known locally as Twin Lakes, about 400 feet behind the cabin. Brown and black bears are common in the area, moose may be seen in the willow thickets, and mountain goats inhabit the nearby mountains. The Stikine River tide flats are a major stop for migratory waterfowl and shorebirds in the spring and fall.