Cordova Area Public Use Cabins

Staying in a public-use cabin in or near Cordova is one of the best ways to experience this unique section of the lush Chugach National Forest. And you have several options.

Power Creek, McKinley Lake, and McKinley Trail are trail-accessible and managed by the Forest Service. It’s highly recommended to make reservations in advance, especially in August/September for the McKinley Trail and McKinley Lake cabins, since the running salmon are a popular attraction. Otherwise, you have a pretty good chance of getting a reservation just a few weeks in advances.

Another cabin is accessible via the Alice Smith Trail, though it’s a not a cabin with heat—just a simple shelter. Availability is first-come, first-served. And, an additional cabin is located up Mt. Eyak and maintained by the local Sheridan Alpine Association.

You can reach several other cabins by taking a short air taxi flight from Cordova. This increases the cost, of course, but also adds to the solitude and makes for a very special experience. Plus, some of the cabins are pretty amazing, and they’re set in some of of the most unique spots in the area. The most popular ones, Hook Point and Softuk, are about a 20-minute flight away. The cabin at Hook Point, on Hinchinbrook Island, is a beautiful A-frame structure tucked up into the forest and overlooks a big beach facing the Gulf of Alaska, where you’ll enjoy the sound of crashing waves. Softuk is on the Softuk Bar, with big, open sandy beaches and stunning views of the Gulf. From here, you can hike all the way south and east to the old townside of Katalla, which was home to 10,000 people before the 1964 earthquake

Another unique and remote option is Tiedeman Slough Cabin, which flows into Alaganik Slough. It’s most easily reached by motorboat, but experienced kayakers who are mindful of the tides can also get there. The cabin sits almost all the way at the mouth of the slough, where it spills out behind the barrier islands and into the Gulf of Alaska.