Checats Lake Cabin

Tongass National Forest — lakeside, fishing

Location: KETCHICAN/MISTY, AK, AK

Price: From $45 per night

Rating: 4 out of 5 (0 reviews)

Season: Year-round

Checats Lake Cabin is located on the mainland just south of Rudyerd Bay, within the Misty Fiords National Monument Wilderness. The rustic and secluded retreat offers year-round relaxation, sightseeing and recreation opportunities in Alaska’s beautiful Inside Passage. The site can be accessed by float plane, depending on conditions.

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

Amenities: Fire Rings, Picnic Tables, Electric Hookups, Fishing, Firewood for Sale

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

Checats Lake Cabin offers a rustic, secluded retreat within Misty Fiords National Monument with very good fishing opportunities and year-round access to Alaska's Inside Passage recreation.

Wildlife alert: Pacific Harbor Seal, Orca, Mountain Goat, Dall's Porpoise, Bald Eagle, Red-throated Loon, and Marbled Murrelet present in the area

Insider tips for Checats Lake Cabin: Book early as this is a federal campground with only 1 site Firewood available for purchase on-site Fishing is rated very good at this location Arrange your own float plane transportation in advance

Skip Checats Lake Cabin if: You require hookups—no hookups available. You cannot arrange private float plane access. You cannot bring your own amenities—guests are responsible for supplies. Traveling during fall, winter, or early spring when float plane accessibility may be limited.

Best time to visit Checats Lake Cabin: Summer — Float plane accessibility most reliable; fall, winter, and early spring may experience inaccessibility.

Nearby campgrounds: Winstanley Island Cabin (KETCHIKAN/MISTY, AK), Winstanley Lake Cabin (KETCHIKAN/MISTY, AK), Wilson Narrows Cabin (KETCHIKAN/MISTY, AK), Ella Narrows Cabin (KETCHIKAN/MISTY, AK).

Cell Phone Coverage at Checats Lake Cabin

Cell signal at Checats Lake Cabin (KETCHICAN/MISTY, 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 — lakeside, fishingLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

Checats Lake Cabin

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KETCHICAN/MISTY, AK, AK★ 4 (0 reviews)From $45/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

Checats Lake Cabin is located on the mainland just south of Rudyerd Bay, within the Misty Fiords National Monument Wilderness. The rustic and secluded retreat offers year-round relaxation, sightseeing and recreation opportunities in Alaska’s beautiful Inside Passage. The site can be accessed by float plane, depending on conditions.

Best for:AnglersBoatersWildlife 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 RingsFishing
Recreation
Picnic TablesFirewood for Sale
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 require hookups—no hookups available✕ You cannot arrange private float plane access✕ You cannot bring your own amenities—guests are responsible for supplies✕ Traveling during fall, winter, or early spring when float plane accessibility may be limited

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Book early as this is a federal campground with only 1 site

Firewood available for purchase on-site

Fishing is rated very good at this location

Arrange your own float plane transportation in advance

Best: Summer

Float plane accessibility most reliable; fall, winter, and early spring may experience inaccessibility

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: Pacific Harbor Seal, Orca, Mountain Goat, Dall's Porpoise, Bald Eagle, Red-throated Loon, and Marbled Murrelet present in the area

Location

Leaflet · OpenStreetMap tiles
Open in OpenStreetMap ↗
907-225-2148· Tongass National Forest
Getting there →

The cabin is located approximately 45 miles northeast of Ketchikan on the mainland south of Rudyerd Bay. Accessible by float plane only. In fall, winter and early spring, the cabin may be inaccessible due to frozen lake surface (float planes cannot land). Please contact the Ketchikan-Misty Fjords Ranger office prior to making reservation during these periods. This cabin is in designated Wilderness area, and access by helicopter is illegal. Refer to USGS topographic map for Ketchikan B-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 Checats Lake Cabin cost per night?+
Checats Lake Cabin costs $45 per night. Hookup options: No hookups.
What season is Checats Lake Cabin open?+
Checats Lake Cabin is open Year-round. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Checats Lake Cabin have hookups?+
No hookups.
What is the maximum RV length at Checats Lake Cabin?+
Checats Lake Cabin is primarily a tent camping facility.
How do I make reservations at Checats Lake Cabin?+
Checats Lake 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 Checats Lake Cabin?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Checats Lake Cabin is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Checats Lake Cabin open, and what are check-in times?+
Checats Lake Cabin is open Year-round. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
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●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.

$45 /night★ 4 (0)
SeasonYear-round
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
Reserve on Recreation.gov ↗
Dates full? Get an availability alert
FAQ
How much does Checats Lake Cabin cost per night?+
What season is Checats Lake Cabin open?+
Does Checats Lake Cabin have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Winstanley Island Cabin

KETCHIKAN/MISTY, AK

From $60/night

Winstanley Lake Cabin

KETCHIKAN/MISTY, AK

From $45/night

Wilson Narrows Cabin

KETCHIKAN/MISTY, AK

From $45/night

Ella Narrows Cabin

KETCHIKAN/MISTY, AK

From $45/night

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