Alaska's untamed wilderness is about to get more accessible

National Geographic

2 days ago

Overnighting in Alaska's wilderness is about to get easier. The Alaska Cabins Project, a joint initiative from the Forest Service and the National Forest Foundation, will bring 25 new, easily reachable abodes to the untamed Tongass and Chugach national forests by 2027. Several have already opened—or will open—this year.
The project marks a milestone for the state. 'This is the largest expansion of public use cabins on Alaska's national forests in 50 years,' says Patrick Shannon, the NFF's Pacific Northwest and Alaska director. And it comes from growing demand.
America's national forests experienced an uptick in tourism post-pandemic, too. Rising visitation has made it tougher than ever to reserve the roughly 150 cabins across the Tongass and Chugach forests, two enormous and wild landscapes with old-growth woodlands, glaciers, intricate cave systems, and eye-popping wildlife, from fishing bears to bald eagles.
(The essential guide to visiting Alaska) Anan Wildlife Observatory is a popular viewpoint to watch brown and black bears fish for salmon. Photograph by Acacia Johnson, Nat Geo Image Collection Bringing 'soft adventure' to Alaska's wilderness
The Alaskan backcountry allures intrepid travelers with remote camping and pristine nature, yet Shannon says travelers increasingly crave more cabins within easy reach.
The Alaska Cabins Project's new builds will be accessed via either a short walk or a several-mile hike, giving families and soft-adventure-seekers a chance to enjoy the state's intimidating wilderness in a safer way.
'I think people sometimes underestimate the nature here,' says Alaina Brown, owner of adventure outfitter Tongass Treks, who grew up frequenting the cabins for everything from birthday parties to holiday gatherings. The forests have high bear concentrations, Brown says, including black bears and grizzlies, not to mention limited cell service and unpredictable weather. Elevated boardwalks allow for wildlife viewing at Fish Creek Wildlife Observation Site. Photograph by Sébastien Lecocq, Alamy History-steeped accommodations
The two-dozen new accommodations will build upon Alaska's long history of cabins. The Forest Service first constructed these public dwellings in the 1930s, and they've been a staple ever since.
'[The cabins] were developed early on as a way to help people get outdoors for hunting, fishing, and recreation,' says Shannon. 'They really took off in the '50s and '60s when recreation became a big thing.'
While upscale glamping getaways are popping up in and around public lands throughout the country, these largely cedar digs aren't about frills and pampering—and that's part of the allure. 'A lot of the old cabins are trapper-style cabins,' says Shannon. Guests bring their own sleeping bags and pads to sleep on wooden bunk beds. Many of the spartan outposts do have wood stoves for heat and ample indoor and outdoor seating, but overnighters should pack their own utensils, cooking stoves, food, and, depending on the location, water. Most accommodations will offer sleeping room for at least eight people.
Nearly all cabins will be situated along the Alaska road system; some are also wheelchair accessible. 'They're ABA compliant when they're able to be,' says Shannon, noting compliance largely depends on the cabin location and surrounding topography.
Depending on funding, the Alaska Cabins Project could expand beyond the initial 25 builds—but for now, here's a peek at the first four dwellings that either have opened, or will soon open, in the Chugach and Tongass woodlands. Trail River Cabin: Chugach National Forest The exterior of the Trail River cabin in Chugach National Forest. Photograph by Victoria Granado via USDA Forest Service The two-story cabin can accommodate up to seven people. Photograph by Victoria Granado via USDA Forest Service (Top) (Left) and Photograph by Victoria Granado via USDA Forest Service (Bottom) (Right)
Set lakeside among a patchwork of hemlocks and spruces, Trail River Cabin, which is now open, is accessible in the summer via a brief walk from a parking lot and in the winter by way of a 1.2-mile ski or snowshoe jaunt. It's set in Chugach National Forest's Trail River Campground near Moose Pass, a small town rich in Gold Rush history, as well as glacier-sourced waterways for paddling and wildflower meadows crisscrossed by hiking trails.
The recreation opportunities abound from camp as well, including trout fishing on the nearby Kenai Lake and forested hiking trails that commence with one mile of the cabin. The two-story abode offers bunk space for up to seven people, with a vault toilet in the adjacent campground. During the summer, potable water is available for guests; overnighters must bring their own in the off season.
(Visiting Alaska? Here's what locals love) Anan Bay Cabin: Tongass National Forest No outdoor fires are allowed at Anan Bay Cabin, given its secluded location. Photograph via USDA Forest Service (Top) (Left) and Photograph via USDA Forest Service (Bottom) (Right)
Anan Bay Cabin, which opened in 2024, gives travelers a taste of Alaska's remote backcountry. The water-view getaway, accessible either by float plane or boat from the town of Wrangell, is among the Tongass' best safari spots. It's a one-mile hike from Anan Wildlife Observatory, a popular viewpoint to watch brown and black bears fish for salmon. Observatory permits are required during the peak July and August months, but up to four permits are available to cabin guests for each rental night.
Given its seclusion, Anan Bay Cabin does require a bit of preparation and planning. Visitors should bring their own water supply, or be prepared to treat water from natural sources, including a nearby creek. No outdoor fires are allowed, but guests can pack a cooking stove—and don't forget a flashlight for night visits to the outhouse toilet. Porcupine Campground Cabin: Chugach National Forest
This fall, the two-story Porcupine Campground Cabin—one of the largest shelters in the Chugach—will treat forest overnighters with a spacious porch, wood stove, and outdoor fire pit. The birch-shaded accommodation, which is located around a half-mile from the parking lot in Porcupine Campground, offers a wheelchair ramp to the front door. It lies on the southern coast of the Turnagain Arm waterway, which separates the Kenai Peninsula and mainland Alaska.
The cabin is within a stone's throw of scenic hiking routes like the Hope Point Trail, a two-mile climb up 3,600 feet with sweeping views across the Cook Inlet toward Anchorage. The town of Hope, a hot spot for salmon fishing, cycling, and local dining, is a one-mile drive from camp, too. El Capitan Cabin: Tongass National Forest El Capitan Cabin on Prince of Wales Island. Photograph courtesy USDA Forest Service (Top) (Left) and Photograph courtesy USDA Forest Service (Bottom) (Right)
Tongass' El Capitan Cabin will also welcome travelers to the spruce- and hemlock-dotted Prince of Wales Island beginning this fall. Its location—America's third-largest island—is accessed by flight from Ketchikan, Juneau, and Sitka, or via three-hour ferry from Ketchikan. Rental cars are the best option for exploring this island; it's a three-hour drive to El Capitan Cabin from the island's main transit hub, Hollis.
The cabin sits near its namesake El Capitan Cave, the longest-mapped cave in Alaska. Free guided daily tours lead visitors into the two-mile karst wonderland, where animal kingdom wonders, like 12,000-year-old brown-bear bones, have been discovered. Other adventures on Prince of Wales Island include hiking, birding, and wildlife-spotting—all staples on any visit to South-central Alaska's biodiverse Inside Passage.
(Avoid crowds at the 10 least-visited U.S. national parks) Stephanie Vermillion is a Cleveland-based travel writer who covers outdoor adventure, astrotourism, and conservation for National Geographic, Outside Magazine, and the World Wildlife Fund's World Wildlife magazine. She's also the author of National Geographic's 100 Nights of a Lifetime: The World's Ultimate Adventures After Dark, which was published in December 2024.