Kenai Peninsula Public Use Cabins
The Kenai Peninsula offers an impressive number of public use cabins, allowing visitors and locals alike to experience some of Alaska's most pristine wilderness, often for between $50 - $75 / night. These cabins are cozy but primitive. Your own sleeping pads, bags, gear, food, and fuel are required (each cabin will note its fuel source, whether wood-burning stove or other). But what they lack in "comfort amenities", they more than makeup for in "Alaska amenities"; solitude, glistening alpine lakes, fishing, miles of hiking trails, and more.
Need a ride? While some cabins are trail accessible, others require a float-plane to reach. Contact Scenic Mountain Air to arrange your transportation.
Show Map
Public Use Cabins
Check Availability
The Sea Star Cove public-use cabin is located in Tutka Bay, about three-quarters of the way in, on your right, on the south side. The cabin is surrounded by large, old-growth Sitka spruce. By far, this is the best Public Use Cabin in the park, and it has many hiking and kayaking options if used as a base.
Cabin in the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. The trailhead to the cabin is located on the Skilak Lake Road, mile 7.5 from the east entrance junction with the Sterling Highway. The cabin is located .2 miles from the road on the Upper Ohmer Lake Trail.
A 12ft x 14ft rustic cabin at the northwest end of Crescent Lake in the Kenai Mountains.
Callisto Cabin is located in the Caines Head State Recreation Area, approximately 7 nautical miles south of Seward in Resurrection Bay. The cabin can be reached by the coastal tidal trail, or by water taxi or floatplane.
Check Availability
The cabin offers seclusion and good fishing. A rowboat and oars provided at the cabin gives anglers excellent opportunities to catch grayling on the small, adjacent lake. The cabin is accessible only by floatplane (15 minutes from Moose Pass or 15 minutes from Seward).
Check Availability
The yurt is on the Left side of Right Beach facing the beach
The yurt is accessible by water. The Grace Ridge Trail makes it accessable by Alpine hike from the Kayak Beach trail head at the head of Little Tutka Bay.
The yurt is located on the point between Sadie Cove and Little Tutka Bay
The West Cabin is the third cabin within Halibut Cove Lagoon. It is not accessible via the public dock, and you must either take your own boat here or be dropped of by water taxi on the beach in front of the cabin.
Derby Cove Cabin is 14′ X 18′. This cabin sits within a spruce and hemlock forest behind a gravel beach. At the head of the Caines Head trail system, Derby Cove is a quarter mile from the ranger station. Use the creek that runs in front of the cabin as a water source.
Mile 29.2 Resurrection Pass Trail. This cabin sits at the south end of Juneau Lake. A rustic cabin with counter space, a table, benches and a wood stove for heat. Sleeps eight with bunks for six. Other features include a splitting maul and saw, an outhouse — and a canoe with paddles for exploring the lake. Check Availability ...more
Out of ideas for what to do? Check out the log books at this cabin to see who has stayed here and what they’ve done.
A rustic log cabin with counter space, a table, benches and a wood stove for heat. Sleeps eight, with bunks for six. Other features include splitting maul and saw, outhouse — and a rowboat equipped with oars for exploring the lake. Check Availability ...more
12-by-14 rustic cabin tucked away from the trail in a scattered spruce forest near the more open subalpine zone at 2,200 feet. Sleeps 6, with table, wood stove, splitting maul, crosscut saw, and outhouse.
A two-story log cabin with a loft sleeps eight with bunk space for seven. It has counter space table, benches and a wood stove for heat. Other features include splitting maul and hand saw, an outhouse — and a rowboat with oars. Check Availability
The cabin is located on the north shore of Engineer Lake. The cabin is south facing overlooking the lake surrounded by spruce and birch trees. Two bunk beds, table with benches, wood stove, broom, shovel, water bucket, fire extinguisher, established campfire ring, and outhouse.
12 by 14 rustic cabin on Resurrection Creek in spruce-birch forest with mountain views. Sleeping bunks for six with space for eight. Equipped with counter space, table, benches, wood stove, splitting maul and hand saw. Outhouse and bear locker.
This cabin is a real treat! If you spend the night here you are staying in what was the original Park Ranger Headquarters for Kachemak Bay State Park.
The yurt is located about ¾ the way up Tutka Bay on the right as heading up the bay. It is approximately 1 mile past the Hatchery entrance and about ½ mile from the Sea Star state cabin rental. The yurt is located on the prominence just past the beach with the state park campground and the trailhead marker.
The yurt is removed from the state park campground and very private. Drop off is to the right of the game marker about 300 yards to the left of the Humpy Creek trail head and campground.
Small Rustic Cabin Sleeps Two
Operated by the non-profit Alaska Mountain and Wilderness Huts Association, Manitoba Cabin is intended to promote wilderness experience and camaraderie in the spirit of European-style trekking huts. While very popular among backcountry skiers during winter weekends, the facility often has openings during weekdays. During the summer, you might have the entire place to yourself.
A 12ft x 14ft rustic cabin overlooking the southern shore of Crescent Lake. It is a 7 mile hike via Carter Lake Trail and an 11 mile hike via Crescent Creek Trail.
16-by-16 rustic log cabin on Fox Creek in the Resurrection Creek valley near the edge of by spruce/birch forest with views of nearby mountains. Sleeps 6, with table, wood stove, splitting maul, crosscut saw, and outhouse.
Located at the top right hand side of the entrance of Sadie cove. The site is overlooking the cove and out to the Kachemak Bay and Eldred Passage.
This 16 x 16 cabin is located on the north bank of Big Indian Creek. This cabin offers seclusion and the opportunity to explore the remote northeast interior of the Refuge. Wildlife includes moose, black and brown bears and wolves. Hunting and trapping is allowed. In the winter there is cross-county skiing and snowshoeing. Review Alaska department of Fish and Game hunting and fishing regulations.
Rustic Cabin, approximately 16′ x 20′, located on Northeastern shore of Holgate Arm in Aialik Bay.
Mile 8.6 Russian Lakes Trail. Rustic cabin with bunks for six and sleeping space for eight. Fishing for Dolly Varden and rainbow trout in the nearby Russian River. Features counter space, table, benches, a wood stove, splitting maul and handsaw, and outhouse. Check Availability ...more
16-x-16 log cabin in an alpine valley nestled amid steep mountain slopes. Sleeps 6, with table, oil stove, and outhouse. Note: You must bring #1 stove oil if you want heat. One gallon lasts about one hour. Devil’s Creek Trail intersects here, a 10-mile descent to the Seward Highway trailhead. Devi’s Pass Lake is about one mile down the trail. Check Availability ...more
Mile 11.9 Russian Lakes Trail.Handsome 12×14 trapper’s style log cabin that overlooks the lake and a stunning view. With bunk space for six and sleeping for eight. (The Forest Service recommends space for 4, so expect close quarters.) Check Availability ...more
Check Availability
Mile 2.3 Russian Lakes Trail. This rustic cabin in a flat area along the eastern shore of Lower Russian Lake features a rowboat with oars. It sleeps eight, with bunks for six, and includes cooking counter, table, benches, wood stove, spitting maul and saw, and an outhouse. Check Availability ...more
The cabin is located on an island of Tustumena Lake in the Kenai Wilderness area.
The cabin can sleep up to six and has two latrines close by, a fire ring overlooking the dock, a wood stove, table and other cabin necessities. During the height of the summer, you should be able to get water close by. This cabin is close to the Ranger Station, hiking trails, safe kayaking and King salmon fishing in June.
Halibut Cove is a little jewel tucked away in Alaska’s first state park, Kachemak Bay State Park. The park area is a total of 400,000 acres of mountains, glaciers, forests, coastline and ocean. Visitors frequently observe sea otters, harbor seals, porpoise, and a variety of whale species.
This cabin is situated along east shore of Juneau Lake. A rustic cabin with counter space, a table, benches and a wood stove for heat. Sleeps eight with bunks for six. Other features include a splitting maul and saw, an outhouse — and a canoe with paddles for exploring the lake.