Sweet Water Lake Cabin

Tongass National Forest — lakeside, fishing

Location: KETCHIKAN/THORNE BAY, AK, AK

Price: From $35 per night

Rating: 3.9 out of 5 (8 reviews)

Season: May through October

Sweet water Lake Cabin offers visitors recreation, relaxation and a unique lodging experience on Prince of Wales Island in southeastern Alaska. The remote site provides a scenic setting for fishing, hunting, boating and wildlife viewing, all within the vicinity of the cabin. The site can be accessed by vehicle and a 1/2 mile boat paddle, float plane, or canoeing.

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/sweet-water-lake-cabin to be notified when sites open up.

Sweet Water Lake Cabin offers a remote, scenic setting on Prince of Wales Island with excellent opportunities for fishing, hunting, boating, and wildlife viewing. One verified camper rated it 5/5, noting it's a great family destination with a comfortable Forest Service cabin that sleeps 6.

Wildlife alert: North Pacific Humpback Whale, American Black Bear, and Sitka Black-tailed Deer documented in the area

Insider tips for Sweet Water Lake Cabin: Book early — this is a federal campground with limited availability Access requires vehicle plus 200-foot trail and short boat trip, or float plane — arrange your own transportation Cabin sleeps 6 comfortably and includes fire rings and picnic tables

Skip Sweet Water Lake Cabin if: You need electric hookups — no hookups available at this site. You prefer traditional tent camping only — site type is cabin. You're visiting outside May-October when the campground is closed.

Best time to visit Sweet Water Lake Cabin: May-October — Campground operates seasonally during these months only.

Nearby campgrounds: Barnes Lake Cabin (THORNE BAY, AK), Honker Lake Cabin (THORNE BAY, AK), Sarkar Lake Cabin (THORNE BAY, AK), Staney Creek Cabin (THORNE BAY, AK).

Cell Phone Coverage at Sweet Water Lake Cabin

Cell signal at Sweet Water Lake Cabin (KETCHIKAN/THORNE BAY, 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

Sweet Water Lake Cabin

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KETCHIKAN/THORNE BAY, AK, AK★ 3.9 (8 reviews)From $35/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

Sweet water Lake Cabin offers visitors recreation, relaxation and a unique lodging experience on Prince of Wales Island in southeastern Alaska. The remote site provides a scenic setting for fishing, hunting, boating and wildlife viewing, all within the vicinity of the cabin. The site can be accessed by vehicle and a 1/2 mile boat paddle, float plane, or canoeing.

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
SeasonMay through October
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 need electric hookups — no hookups available at this site✕ You prefer traditional tent camping only — site type is cabin✕ You're visiting outside May-October when the campground is closed

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Book early

this is a federal campground with limited availability

Access requires vehicle plus 200-foot trail and short boat trip, or float plane

arrange your own transportation

Cabin sleeps 6 comfortably and includes fire rings and picnic tables

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: North Pacific Humpback Whale, American Black Bear, and Sitka Black-tailed Deer documented in the area

Location

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

Sweet water Lake Cabin is accessible by either vehicle, 200 foot trail and a short boat trip, or by float plane. The cabin is located 10 road miles from Coffman Cove. From Ketchikan, take Forest Service Road 20 to Forest Road 3030 approximately 2 hours from Hollis. Guests will then hike a 200 foot trail to a boat, provided by the Forest Service. The cabin is approximately a half-mile boat paddle from the trail. Refer to USGS map Craig D-3. The cabin is also accessible by float plane, 68 air mile

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 Sweet Water Lake Cabin cost per night?+
Sweet Water Lake Cabin costs $35 per night. Hookup options: No hookups.
What season is Sweet Water Lake Cabin open?+
Sweet Water Lake Cabin is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Sweet Water Lake Cabin have hookups?+
No hookups.
What is the maximum RV length at Sweet Water Lake Cabin?+
Sweet Water Lake Cabin is primarily a tent camping facility.
How do I make reservations at Sweet Water Lake Cabin?+
Sweet Water 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 Sweet Water Lake Cabin?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Sweet Water Lake Cabin is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Sweet Water Lake Cabin open, and what are check-in times?+
Sweet Water Lake Cabin is open May through October. 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.

$35 /night★ 3.9 (8)
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 Sweet Water Lake Cabin cost per night?+
What season is Sweet Water Lake Cabin open?+
Does Sweet Water Lake Cabin have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Barnes Lake Cabin

THORNE BAY, AK

From $25/night

Honker Lake Cabin

THORNE BAY, AK

From $25/night

Sarkar Lake Cabin

THORNE BAY, AK

From $25/night

Staney Creek Cabin

THORNE BAY, AK

From $35/night

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