Campsite Sniper
Alaska · Recreation.gov

Salmon Lake Cabin Thorne Bay

55.5817° N / 132.6686° W · Data Sep 18 2026, checked hourly
Next open date Sep 18Next open weekend Sep 181 monitored site

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Every site at Salmon Lake Cabin Thorne Bay, colored by availability across the tracked window. Tap a site for its calendar.
Salmon Lake Cabin Thorne Bay

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Opening record
No detected openings in the last 90 days

No detected openings were recorded in the last 90 days. Campsite Sniper monitors Salmon Lake Cabin Thorne Bay continuously and will alert you if that changes.

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01 · Availability Outlook · Sep 18, 2026 – Mar 19, 2027 · of 1 monitored site

Of the 183 tracked site-nights (Sep 18, 2026 – Mar 19, 2027): 155 open for online reservation · 28 reserved.

Where the open windows are

15.3% of tracked site-nights are not currently open for online reservation. 155 of 183 remain open; here is where they are.

Load status

Sep 18, 2026 – Mar 19, 2027
Not open online15.3%
Open site-nights155 / 183
Reserved (of online inventory)28 / 183
Weekday openings88
Weekend openings67

Of the open cabin-nights on mapped sites, 88 fall on weekdays and 67 on weekends (Fri–Sun).

Open dates by month

Sep 2026 – Mar 2027
01020304013201331312819SEPOCTNOVDECJANFEBMARSOLID = OPEN SITE-NIGHTS · DASHED OUTLINE = TOTAL BOOKABLE

December holds the most room. 31 of 31 site-nights are still open there.

Holiday windows

Sites open per night · of 1 cabin
WindowNightSites openStatus
Labor DaySAT Sep 50None open
SUN Sep 60None open
MON Sep 70None open
ThanksgivingTHU Nov 261Open
FRI Nov 271Open
SAT Nov 281Open
ChristmasTHU Dec 241Open
FRI Dec 251Open
New YearTHU Dec 311Open
FRI Jan 11Open

Labor Day: no online availability on any tracked night. Thanksgiving: 1 cabin is available for the complete three-night stay. Christmas: 1 cabin is available for the complete two-night stay. New Year: 1 cabin is available for the complete two-night stay.

Availability

Most open cabin-nights · tracked window
CabinOpen cabin-nights
T10  155

This cabin currently has 155 cabin-nights available.

Next windows

As of Sep 18, 2026 snapshot
Next open dateFri · Sep 18
Next open weekendFri · Sep 18

The next bookable night is Sep 18; the first open weekend starts Sep 18. Campsite Sniper can watch later dates for you.

Stays and site detail

155 open cabin-nights across 1 cabin at Salmon Lake Cabin Thorne Bay, from the same hourly snapshot as everything above.

Multi-night stays. 2 2-night, 2 3-night, 2 7-night openings where a single site is free for every night, per Campsite Sniper's current snapshot — soonest Sep 18 at site T10.

All 1 cabin with current availability
CabinMax RVHookupsOpen cabin-nightsLongest runDates
T10Not recordedNone155122 nightsSep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29 +143 more

About Salmon Lake Cabin Thorne Bay

Overview

Salmon Lake Cabin offers guests recreation, relaxation and a unique lodging experience on Prince of Wales Island in southeastern Alaska. The remote site offers a scenic wilderness setting for fishing, hiking and wildlife viewing, all within the vicinity of the cabin.

The site can either be accessed by float plane or a combination of boating and hiking in. Visitors are responsible for their own travel arrangements and safety, and must bring several of their own amenities.

Recreation

Anglers will find the forested shoreline and sandy beach extending from the front of the cabin to be quite scenic while fishing for rainbow and cutthroat trout, Dolly Varden, pink, silver and sockeye salmon. Guests should contact the Alaska Department of Fish and Game for fishing regulations as catch and release orders may be in effect.

Swimming and beachcombing at the large sandy beach outside the cabin during the warmer summer months is popular among visitors. An aluminum skiff with oars available for use, however, guests are responsible for bringing and using their own personal floatation devices.

Hikers may enjoy the 5-mile Karta River Trail, which follows the Karta River up from Karta Bay to Salmon Lake, allowing excellent access to the river for steelhead, sockeye and coho salmon runs. Hiking to McGilvery Creek and Anderson Creek is possible as well, but there are no developed trails. Hikers should be well prepared with maps and developed orienteering skills.

Facilities

The cabin is a 15 x 20 foot single story, one-room structure with a gabled roof, built entirely of cedar. Hand hewn beams, wooden door hinges, and a shake floor combine to make a uniquely attractive wilderness cabin.

The structure is furnished with wooden bunkbeds (without mattresses) that can sleep up to four people. The cabin is equipped with a table, benches, a wood stove for heat and an outside toilet. Other amenities include a cooking counter, shelves, cupboard space, axe, splitting maul, fire extinguisher and a broom.

The cabin does not have running water or electricity. Guests must bring their own food, water, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, cook stove, stove fuel, fire starter, cooking gear/utensils, light source (lantern), toilet paper, first aid kit and garbage bags.

Firewood may be available, but the supply cannot be guaranteed. Guests are asked to be conservative with wood. Water is available from the lake, but must be filtered, boiled or chemically treated before drinking.

Click here for more cabin details.

Natural Features

The cabin sits on the northern shore of Salmon Lake in the Karta River Wilderness area on east-central Prince of Wales Island.

The Karta River Wilderness is best known for large salmon runs and the scenic quality of the large river drainage system. Wildlife fills the area, including wolves, black bears, Sitka black-tailed deer, beavers, otters, minks, martens, and weasels. Trumpeter swans and various other waterfowl are commonly seen on the lakes and rivers in the area. Learn more about bear safety in the Tongass National Forest.

Native Alaskans, particularly the Haida, historically lived around the bay and utilized the rich food sources of this area.

1 monitored cabinNo hookupsMax party 4

Getting there

Salmon Lake Cabin is accessible by float plane, or by boating 10 miles from Hollis to Karta Bay, and hiking 5 miles on difficult terrain to reach the cabin. Click here for local tide reports prior to arrival. By plane, the cabin is located approximately 42 air miles from Ketchikan and 14 air miles from Thorne Bay. However, guests should be aware that in fall, winter, and early spring, the cabin may be inaccessible to float planes due to a frozen lake surface. This cabin is in a designated Wilderness area, and access by helicopter is illegal. Refer to USGS map Craig C-2 and C-3. Click here for information about reaching Forest Service Cabins. Inclement weather conditions may cause an extension of your trip during any time of the year and winter access can be difficult due to snow and ice conditions. Guests should bring extra supplies to last 2-5 days Please contact the Thorne Bay Ranger District at 907-828-3304 prior to arrival for more detailed information about safety precautions.

Salmon Lake Cabin, Thorne Bay, AK 99919
BoatingCampingFishingHikingSwimming SiteWildlife Viewing

View on Recreation.gov ↗   Get directions ↗

FAQ

How do I get a reservation at Salmon Lake Cabin Thorne Bay?

Reservations for Salmon Lake Cabin Thorne Bay are made through Recreation.gov. The current snapshot shows substantial availability: 155 of 183 tracked site-nights are open (84.7%), though availability can change. Pick a site on the map to see its calendar, or set a free Campsite Sniper alert. You complete the reservation yourself on Recreation.gov.

Does Campsite Sniper book this campground for me?

No. Campsite Sniper sends alerts and direct Recreation.gov links. It never books, pays for, holds, hoards, or resells reservations.

How current is this availability data?

Campsite Sniper re-checks public Recreation.gov availability for this facility every hour and republishes whenever anything changes. This facility's data last changed at Sep 18, 2026 16:19 UTC; an older timestamp means nothing has changed since that time, not that checking stopped. Always confirm final availability on Recreation.gov when you book.

Can I get a multi-night stay at Salmon Lake Cabin Thorne Bay?

2 three-night openings are showing, counting only runs where the SAME site is free for all three nights. The soonest starts Sep 18 at site T10. Confirm and book on Recreation.gov.

Which month has the most availability at Salmon Lake Cabin Thorne Bay?

December 2026, with 31 open site-nights in the current snapshot of 31.

When is the next open date at Salmon Lake Cabin Thorne Bay?

As of the Sep 18, 2026 snapshot: the next open date is Fri, Sep 18 and the next open weekend starts Fri, Sep 18. Detected openings can add earlier dates at any time; a free Campsite Sniper alert catches those the moment they appear.

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