Black Bear Lake Cabin (Tongass National Forest, Ak)

Tongass National Forest — lakeside, fishing, hiking

Location: CRAIG, AK, AK

Price: From $25 per night

Rating: 4.7 out of 5 (3 reviews)

Season: May through October

Black Bear Lake Cabin offers recreation, relaxation and a unique lodging experience on Prince of Wales Island in southeastern Alaska. The remote site offers a scenic, mountainous setting for fishing, hiking and wildlife viewing. Access to the cabin is by floatplane only.

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

Amenities: Fire Rings, Picnic Tables, Electric Hookups, Fishing

Availability alerts: Set a free cancellation alert at camperwatch.org/campground/black-bear-lake-cabin-tongass-national-forest-ak to be notified when sites open up.

Black Bear Lake Cabin offers a remote, scenic mountainous setting on Prince of Wales Island for fishing, hiking, and wildlife viewing. Fair fishing opportunities exist for rainbow trout in a unique floatplane-access-only location.

Wildlife alert: Humpback whales and rock ptarmigans have been documented in the area within 8km.

Insider tips for Black Bear Lake Cabin (Tongass National Forest, Ak): Book early as this is a federal campground with high demand Access is by floatplane only, 50 air miles from Ketchikan—arrange your own travel Plan to bring your own amenities as this is a remote site

Skip Black Bear Lake Cabin (Tongass National Forest, Ak) if: You need hookups—no electric or water hookups available. You cannot arrange floatplane transportation to the remote site. You prefer visiting outside May through October seasonal window.

Best time to visit Black Bear Lake Cabin (Tongass National Forest, Ak): May-October — Campground operates seasonally during these months only.

Nearby campgrounds: Harris River Campground (CRAIG, AK), Salmon Lake Cabin Thorne Bay (THORNE BAY, AK), Karta Lake Cabin (THORNE BAY, AK), Eagles Nest Campground (Craig, AK).

Cell Phone Coverage at Black Bear Lake Cabin (Tongass National Forest, Ak)

Cell signal at Black Bear Lake Cabin (Tongass National Forest, Ak) (CRAIG, 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.

CamperWatch›AK›Black Bear Lake Cabin (Tongass National Forest, Ak)
Black Bear Lake Cabin (Tongass National Forest, Ak) — photo 1
Tongass National Forest — lakeside, fishing, hikingLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

Black Bear Lake Cabin (Tongass National Forest, Ak)

Share:
CRAIG, AK, AK★ 4.7 (3 reviews)From $25/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

Black Bear Lake Cabin offers recreation, relaxation and a unique lodging experience on Prince of Wales Island in southeastern Alaska. The remote site offers a scenic, mountainous setting for fishing, hiking and wildlife viewing. Access to the cabin is by floatplane only.

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
SeasonMay through October
Stay limit14 days
HookupsNo hookups.
Max/site6 people

Amenities

RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
Essentials
Fire RingsFishing
Recreation
Picnic Tables
Family & Pets
Electric Hookups

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 electric or water hookups available✕ You cannot arrange floatplane transportation to the remote site✕ You prefer visiting outside May through October seasonal window

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Book early as this is a federal campground with high demand

Access is by floatplane only, 50 air miles from Ketchikan

arrange your own travel

Plan to bring your own amenities as this is a remote site

Best: May-October

Campground operates seasonally during these months only

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: Humpback whales and rock ptarmigans have been documented in the area within 8km.

Location

Leaflet · OpenStreetMap tiles
Open in OpenStreetMap ↗
9072253101· Tongass National Forest
Getting there →

Access to Bear Lake Cabin is by floatplane only, 50 air miles from Ketchikan. Visitors must walk 20 yards from the lake to the cabin. Refer to USGS map Craig C-3.

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 Black Bear Lake Cabin (Tongass National Forest, Ak) cost per night?+
Black Bear Lake Cabin (Tongass National Forest, Ak) costs $25 per night. Hookup options: No hookups.
What season is Black Bear Lake Cabin (Tongass National Forest, Ak) open?+
Black Bear Lake Cabin (Tongass National Forest, Ak) is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Black Bear Lake Cabin (Tongass National Forest, Ak) have hookups?+
No hookups.
What is the maximum RV length at Black Bear Lake Cabin (Tongass National Forest, Ak)?+
Black Bear Lake Cabin (Tongass National Forest, Ak) is primarily a tent camping facility.
How do I make reservations at Black Bear Lake Cabin (Tongass National Forest, Ak)?+
Black Bear Lake Cabin (Tongass National Forest, Ak) 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 Black Bear Lake Cabin (Tongass National Forest, Ak)?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Black Bear Lake Cabin (Tongass National Forest, Ak) is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Black Bear Lake Cabin (Tongass National Forest, Ak) open, and what are check-in times?+
Black Bear Lake Cabin (Tongass National Forest, Ak) is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
●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.

$25 /night★ 4.7 (3)
SeasonMay through October
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
Reserve on Recreation.gov ↗
Dates full? Get an availability alert
FAQ
How much does Black Bear Lake Cabin (Tongass National Forest, Ak) cost per night?+
What season is Black Bear Lake Cabin (Tongass National Forest, Ak) open?+
Does Black Bear Lake Cabin (Tongass National Forest, Ak) have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Own a campground nearby?

List free on CamperWatch — we take 5% only on bookings we send. No monthly fee.

List your campground →
$25 /nightNo booking fees
+TRIPCheck availability