Appleton Cove Cabin

Tongass National Forest — fishing, hiking

Location: SITKA, AK, AK

Price: From $50 per night

Rating: 4.1 out of 5 (8 reviews)

Season: Year-round

Appleton Cove Cabin was built in 1992 by Forest Service administrative crews for field housing during a period of logging. When logging was complete, the cabin became available for recreation. The cabin is open year-round and makes an excellent base for visitors looking to enjoy saltwater fishing, hiking, mountain biking, wildlife viewing and hunting in this beautiful corner of Alaska.

Cell coverage (FCC estimate): none signal. Actual signal may vary in remote areas.

Amenities: Fire Rings, Picnic Tables, Fishing

Availability alerts: Set a free cancellation alert at camperwatch.org/campground/appleton-cove-cabin to be notified when sites open up.

Year-round access to a remote Alaskan cabin with excellent saltwater fishing, hiking, and wildlife viewing opportunities on Baranof Island. Located in pristine Southeast Alaska with direct access from Sitka via float plane (25 min) or boat (2 hours).

Wildlife alert: Brown bears present in area. Humpback whales and orcas observed in nearby waters. Standard bear safety precautions recommended.

Insider tips for Appleton Cove Cabin: Book early—this is a federal campground with only 1 site and year-round demand Access by float plane (25 min) is faster than boat (2 hours) from Sitka, though weather-dependent Cabin built in 1992 by Forest Service and serves as excellent base for saltwater fishing, hiking, mountain biking, and hunting

Skip Appleton Cove Cabin if: You need hookups—no hookups available at this site. You require guaranteed year-round accessibility—weather can affect float plane and boat access. Winter travel plans—occasional freezing temperatures noted in winter months.

Best time to visit Appleton Cove Cabin: Year-round — Cabin is open year-round, though winter temperatures can occasionally freeze conditions. Current forecast shows stable weather (mostly sunny, high 65°F)..

Nearby campgrounds: Sitkoh Lake (West) Cabin (SITKA, AK), Lake Eva Cabin (SITKA, AK), Sitkoh Lake (East) Cabin (SITKA, AK), Piper Island Cabin (SITKA, AK).

Cell Phone Coverage at Appleton Cove Cabin

Cell signal at Appleton Cove Cabin (SITKA, AK): none overall signal based on FCC broadband data.

Coverage data source: FCC Broadband Data Collection (BDC). Actual signal may vary due to terrain, tree cover, and distance from towers. Camper reports are more reliable than coverage maps in remote areas.

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Tongass National Forest — fishing, hikingLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

Appleton Cove Cabin

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SITKA, AK, AK★ 4.1 (8 reviews)From $50/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

Appleton Cove Cabin was built in 1992 by Forest Service administrative crews for field housing during a period of logging. When logging was complete, the cabin became available for recreation. The cabin is open year-round and makes an excellent base for visitors looking to enjoy saltwater fishing, hiking, mountain biking, wildlife viewing and hunting in this beautiful corner of Alaska.

Best for:AnglersHikersWildlife watchersFamiliesSites:Tent
LIVE · weather + fire + AQI + availability + wildlife

Verified facts

RIDB / Recreation.gov official database
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
SeasonYear-round
Stay limit14 days
HookupsNo hookups.
Max/site6 people

Amenities

RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
Essentials
Fire Rings
Recreation
Picnic Tables
Family & Pets
Fishing

Straight talk

CamperWatch intel · curated from camper reports

Known issues, each with the workaround. Read before you book.

Known issuesFederal campground — book early. No hookups at most sites. Seasonal operations.
Skip it if:✕ You need hookups—no hookups available at this site✕ You require guaranteed year-round accessibility—weather can affect float plane and boat access✕ Winter travel plans—occasional freezing temperatures noted in winter months

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Book early

this is a federal campground with only 1 site and year-round demand

Access by float plane (25 min) is faster than boat (2 hours) from Sitka, though weather-dependent

Cabin built in 1992 by Forest Service and serves as excellent base for saltwater fishing, hiking, mountain biking, and hunting

Best: Year-round

Cabin is open year-round, though winter temperatures can occasionally freeze conditions. Current forecast shows stable weather (mostly sunny, high 65°F).

Things to do nearby

RIDB /activities /recareas + intel

Conditions today

Live
at campground coordinates

Cell signal

FCC BDC · quarterly dataset
T-Mobile
4G · 0%
Verizon
4G · 0%
AT&T
4G · 0%

FCC maps are theoretical — camper reports confirm signal.

Wildlife nearby

iNaturalist · research-grade · 8 km
Alert: Brown bears present in area. Humpback whales and orcas observed in nearby waters. Standard bear safety precautions recommended.

Location

Leaflet · OpenStreetMap tiles
Open in OpenStreetMap ↗
907-747-6671· Tongass National Forest
Getting there →

Accessible from Sitka year round, weather permitting. 30 air miles or 50 boat miles north of Sitka on Baranof Island just south of Peril Strait on the southeast shore of Appleton Cove. Access from Sitka, 25 minutes by float plane or 2 hours by boat. Occasionally winter temperatures can freeze the cove, preventing access during those times. For geographic features surrounding the cabin, refer to USGS topographic map Sitka B-4.

Campground entrance

Google Maps API

Community

#community · posts, photos & Q&A · AI-moderated (Claude Vision)

Pro tips

  • Book on recreation.gov exactly 6 months ahead at 10am ET — Tongass National Forest fills fast in peak season.
  • Check current road conditions at Tongass National Forest before arrival — seasonal closures common.
  • Bear country — store all food in bear boxes or locked vehicle at all times.

Frequently asked questions

RIDB facts + intel · FAQPage schema, speakable
How much does Appleton Cove Cabin cost per night?+
Appleton Cove Cabin costs $50 per night. Hookup options: No hookups.
What season is Appleton Cove Cabin open?+
Appleton Cove Cabin is open Year-round. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Appleton Cove Cabin have hookups?+
No hookups.
What is the maximum RV length at Appleton Cove Cabin?+
Appleton Cove Cabin is primarily a tent camping facility.
How do I make reservations at Appleton Cove Cabin?+
Appleton Cove Cabin is a federal campground — book 6 months ahead at Recreation.gov. Set a free CamperWatch cancellation alert to be notified the moment a site opens.
What is the cell service like at Appleton Cove Cabin?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Appleton Cove Cabin is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Appleton Cove Cabin open, and what are check-in times?+
Appleton Cove Cabin is open Year-round. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Compare campgroundsPlan a multi-stop trip
●Data sources on this page
Recreation.gov — Live site availability — updated every 30 min
recreation.gov · RIDB API
National Weather Service — Live hourly forecast + active alerts
api.weather.gov · open-meteo.com
Google Air Quality API — Live AQI at exact campground coordinates
airquality.googleapis.com
iNaturalist — Research-grade wildlife within 8km
api.inaturalist.org
Google Pollen API — Today’s tree, grass & weed pollen forecast
pollen.googleapis.com
FCC Broadband Map — Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile 4G/5G coverage data
broadbandmap.fcc.gov · quarterly
Sunrise-Sunset.org — Sunrise, sunset & golden hour for today
api.sunrise-sunset.org
Google Street View — Campground entrance & access road imagery
maps.googleapis.com
RIDB — ADA sites, hookups, toilets, pets, campfire rules, bear boxes, max RV, activities, contact, directions
ridb.recreation.gov · /facilities /campsites /activities /links /recareas

CamperWatch never fabricates data. Where data is unavailable, it is not shown.

$50 /night★ 4.1 (8)
SeasonYear-round
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
Reserve on Recreation.gov ↗
Dates full? Get an availability alert
FAQ
How much does Appleton Cove Cabin cost per night?+
What season is Appleton Cove Cabin open?+
Does Appleton Cove Cabin have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Sitkoh Lake (West) Cabin

SITKA, AK

From $50/night

Lake Eva Cabin

SITKA, AK

From $65/night

Sitkoh Lake (East) Cabin

SITKA, AK

From $50/night

Piper Island Cabin

SITKA, AK

From $55/night

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