Starrigavan Campground and Day Use

Starrigavan Campground and Day Use in AK — photo 4

Starrigavan Campground and Day Use

About this campsite

Overview

Starrigavan Campsites lie within Starrigavan Recreation Area about seven miles north of Sitka. Visitors enjoy hiking, photography, wildlife viewing, picnicking, fishing and kayaking. Learn more about the campsites here.

Access to Sitka is by boat or airplane. The campsites are a two-minute drive from the Alaska Marine Highway Sitka Ferry Terminal or a seven-mile drive from downtown Sitka or the airport.

Recreation

Hiking, picnicking and wildlife viewing are popular pursuits at Starrigavan. Visitors also enjoy fishing in saltwater and freshwater areas. Many bird and wildlife viewing opportunities exist. Hiking options include the Estuary Life Boardwalk Trail, Forest and Muskeg Trail, the Mosquito Cove Trail and numerous intertwining path and roadways of the recreation area.

For information about fishing permits and seasons, visit the Alaska Department of Fish and Game .

Facilities

This primitive camping area is fully accessible and offers a variety of accommodations, including group tent sites, individual campsites (both drive in, one is pull through, and hike-in) and Starrigavan Creek Cabin. Several sites overlook Starrigavan Bay; others are close to Starrigavan Creek. Maximum RV length accommodated is 38 feet.

Two small group tent sites accommodate up to 20 people, offering twice the amount of tent space and vehicle parking as individual campsites. They also have covered cooking shelters with two picnic tables, a large grill and a fire ring with two log benches.

Picnic tables, campfire rings, gravel tent pads and gravel parking spurs are furnished at the individual sites. Vault toilets, drinking water, bear-proof food lockers and seasonal trash collection are provided. Firewood is provided for a small fee. A dump station is located in Sitka, seven miles away.

Natural Features

The campsites are situated within a typical temperate rainforest of hemlock and spruce trees with salmonberry bushes, low shrubs and mosses covering the forest floor.

The Starrigavan Recreation Area is home to a diverse range of forest, estuary and marine habitats. Depending on the season, visitors might spot brown bear, spawning coho (silver) and pink (humpy) salmon, common merganser, bufflehead, bald eagle, great blue heron, kingfisher, river otter or Sitka black-tailed deer.

Nearby Attractions

The State of Alaska's Old Sitka State Historic Site is nearby. Visitors can take half or full-day kayak trips to Katlian Bay and Siginaka Islands.

Location

Starrigavan Campground and Day Use•AK

Explore on our map Get Directions Open in Maps

Weather Forecast

via Open-Meteo

SUN⛈️

12° / 9°

💧 100%

MON🌦️

13° / 6°

💧 100%

TUE🌦️

13° / 5°

💧 100%

WED🌦️

13° / 7°

💧 100%

THU🌦️

15° / 4°

💧 67%

Nearby Campsites

within 50km

400m away

STARRIGAVAN CREEK CABIN

Overview Starrigavan Creek Cabin is a drive-up, high-use, seasonally accessible log cabin within the Starrigavan Recreation Area. The cabin was constructed in 2008 from young Sitka spruce trees harvested around Starrigavan Creek to improve wildlife and fish habitat. The cabin is an experiment in the longevity of young spruce logs for construction purposes, making it the first young-growth cabin and also the first cabin within a recreation area in the Tongass National Forest. Access to Sitka is only by ferry or airplane. The cabin is a two-minute drive from the Alaska Marine Highway Sitka Ferry Terminal or a 7-mile drive from downtown Sitka or the airport. Visitors are responsible for their own travel arrangements and safety, and must bring some of their own amenities. Recreation Starrigavan offers saltwater and freshwater fishing opportunities. Visitors also enjoy kayaking, photography, hiking and birding. Hiking options include the Estuary Life Trail, Forest and Muskeg Trail, Mosquito Cove Trail and numerous intertwining paths and roadways within the recreation area. For information about fishing permits and seasons, visit the Alaska Department of Fish and Game website. Facilities The popular cabin is equipped with beds for six adults, but can accommodate a maximum of eight people if younger children are involved. The cabin is available solely for overnight camping. See restrictions on maximum number of persons below. The main level of the cabin has one single bunk over an accessible bunk, a table with benches, a wood stove for heat, a cooking counter, a broom and dustpan. A stairway leads to the upstairs sleeping loft, which offers two double-size bunks, a table, two chairs and a lamp table. The cabin does not have electricity or indoor plumbing. A bench overlooks Starrigavan Creek. A picnic table and a combination campfire ring/grill with log benches are provided outside. A vault toilet is located 200 feet from the cabin; artesian well water is 300 feet from the cabin. Parking space is provided for up to four standard vehicles. Visitors must bring sleeping bags and pads, garbage bags, matches, fire starter, a tablecloth to protect cedar tabletop, a cooking stove, pots, pans, food and coolers, eating and cooking utensils, lanterns and flashlights (candles are discouraged). This is a locked cabin that requires visitors to pre-arrange access. See “Need to Know” section for details of cabin and gate access. Click here for more cabin information. Natural Features The cabin is situated next to Starrigavan Creek and is surrounded by a temperate rainforest of hemlock and spruce trees with salmonberry bushes, low shrubs and mosses covering the forest floor. The cabin occupies an old campsite and is located within the major camping loop of Starrigavan Recreation Area. Starrigavan Recreation Area houses a diverse range of forest, estuary and marine habitats. Depending on the season, visitors may view brown bear, spawning coho and pink salmon, common merganser, bald eagle, great blue heron, bufflehead, kingfisher, river otter or Sitka black-tailed deer. Brown bear frequent the area.

12.1 km away

BRENTS BEACH CABIN

Overview Brent's Beach Cabin is located on the eastern shore of Kruzof Island in Crab Bay in the Tongass National Forest, 15 miles northwest of Sitka, Alaska. The cabin is open year-round and makes an excellent base to experience this beautiful corner of Alaska. Fred's Creek Cabin is 5 miles south. The original A-frame cabin located at this site was donated by a former Forest Service district ranger in memory of his teenage son, Brent, who along with two friends, drowned in Sitka Sound while halibut fishing in the early 1970s. In 1985, the current cabin replaced the well-worn A-frame. This is a remote location. The cabin can be accessed only by boat or helicopter, weather permitting. Visitors are responsible for their own travel arrangements and safety, and must bring many of their own amenities. Recreation Visitors enjoy beachcombing, sunbathing and sculpting in the sands in front of the cabin, saltwater fishing in the bay and hunting deer in-season in the surrounding forest. Volcanic features are a 10-minute hike north of the cabin. Be sure to bring a compass. For information about fishing and hunting permits and seasons, visit the Alaska Department of Fish and Game website. Facilities The one-room, Pan-abode-style cabin sleeps six and is furnished with two double plywood bunks and two single plywood bunks (no mattresses). The cabin includes a wood stove, axe or splitting mail, a table and benches, cooking counter, a broom and an outhouse toilet. Guests should bring sleeping bags and pads, a cooking stove, pots, pans, plates, utensils, food, toilet paper, a lantern, garbage bags, a fire extinguisher, fire starter, raingear and rubber boots. Water is available from the nearby inlet stream. Treat all water before using. It is recommended that visitors bring their own water. A mooring buoy is provided on a first-come, first-served basis for boat anchorage. It can be used by cabin visitors or general forest users. Cabin reservation does not include exclusive use of the buoy. Mooring buoys are configured using a 4200-lb concrete block with 90 feet of 7/8th-inch stud link chain. Mariners are responsible for determining how suitable an anchoring system is for the size of their craft. Click here for more cabin information and maps. Natural Features The cabin sits just inside timberline on a beautiful, sandy beach facing Crab Bay and is surrounded by a dense forest of spruce and hemlock. Brown bears frequent the area.

12.4 km away

ALLAN POINT CABIN

Overview Allan Point Cabin is located on Halleck Island in upper Nakwasina Sound, about 16 miles north of Sitka, Alaska in the Tongass National Forest. The two-story cabin was built in 1993 by volunteers. It has a large front deck that overlooks Nakwasina Sound and is an excellent base for saltwater fishing and deer hunting. The site can be accessed only by float plane or boat, weather permitting. Travel time from Sitka is 10 minutes by float plane or 30 minutes by boat. Visitors are responsible for their own travel arrangements and safety, and must bring several of their own amenities. Recreation Cabin guests enjoy saltwater fishing, deer hunting and viewing wildlife. For information about fishing and hunting permits and seasons, visit the Alaska Department of Fish and Game website. Facilities The two-story Pan Abode-style log cabin sleeps 15 people and measures 20 by 20 feet. It has a large front deck and second-floor balconies on both the front and back of the cabin. The main level contains a single bunk bed, a table, benches and cooking counters. The second level, accessed by a stairway, is an open sleeping loft with one single bunk bed and two double bunk beds. An oil heating stove (oil is not supplied) and a broom are provided. An outhouse is located outside. Guests must bring a supply of #1 diesel fuel (10 gallons for a three-day stay, more or less depending on time of year), as well as sleeping bags and pads, a cooking stove, pots, pans, plates, utensils, food, toilet paper, a lantern, garbage bags, a fire extinguisher and fire starter. Rubber boots are recommended. Water is available from small stream 200 feet west of cabin. Treat all water before using. It's recommended that guests bring their own water. A mooring buoy for boat anchorage is available on first-come, first-served basis to cabin guests and general forest users. Cabin reservation does not include exclusive use of the buoy. Mooring buoys are configured using a 4200-lb concrete block with 90 feet of 7/8th-inch stud link chain. Mariners are responsible for determining how suitable an anchoring system is for the size of their craft. Click here for more cabin details. Natural Features The cabin is set at the edge of a tall, dense hemlock-spruce forest on Nakwasina Sound. The cabin faces south, overlooking Nakwasina Sound. In the early 1960s, several forested areas in Nakwasina Sound were harvested. During the summer, the vegetation pattern in these areas appears more dense and a brighter green, with an overstory of alder and an understory of spruce and hemlock. Brown bear frequent the area. Learn about bear safety and precautions.

16.3 km away

FREDS CREEK CABIN

Overview Fred's Creek Cabin is located 10 miles west of Sitka on the southeastern shore of Kruzof Island and is available year round, weather permitting. Its proximity to a creek and a hiking trail that leads to the cone of a dormant volcano makes the cabin an excellent base to experience and explore this beautiful area in Alaska. The cabin can be accessed by boat, though erratic waves on Kruzof Island can make landings difficult. Helicopters may land during low tide. Recreation The 6.7-mile Mount Edgecumbe Trail offers a gradual hike to the cone of Mount Edgecumbe through miles of muskeg and forest. At the cone, the trail becomes very steep but hikers are rewarded with panoramic views on clear days. Cabin visitors may encounter tour groups passing near the cabin to access the trailhead. In addition to hiking, guests enjoy beachcombing, viewing the breaking surf on the rugged shoreline and exploring varied pumice and volcanic rock formations on the beach and in Fred's Creek. Deer hunting is also an option. For information about fishing and hunting permits and seasons, visit the Alaska Department of Fish and Game website. Facilities The 15 by 18-foot Pan-abode-style wood cabin can accommodate 8 people. It is equipped with plywood bunks downstairs and a full sleeping loft accessed by a staircase. A wood stove for heat, axe or splitting maul, table, benches, cooking counter and an outhouse are provided. A deck extends off the front of the cabin. The cabin does not include mattresses or cooking utensils. Visitors must bring sleeping bags and pads, a cooking stove, pots, pans, plates, utensils, food, toilet paper, a lantern, garbage bags, fire extinguisher, fire starter, raingear and rubber boots. Water is available from Fred's Creek but must be treated before using. It's recommended that visitors bring their own water. A mooring buoy is available on a first come, first served basis. Cabin reservations do not include exclusive use of the buoy. Mooring buoys are configured using a 4200-lb concrete block with 90 feet of 1 5/8th-inch stud link chain. Mariners are responsible for determining how suitable an anchoring system is for the size of their craft. Care should be taken when unloading and anchoring, as the surf breaks along a pumice-rock shoreline. No protected anchorage is available. Click here for more cabin information and maps. Natural Features The oceanfront cabin is situated on Sitka Sound on a rocky Kruzof Island shoreline surrounded by fairly flat terrain. Fred's Creek flows to saltwater just north of the cabin. A spruce and hemlock forest covers the area. The cabin is 5 miles south of Brent's Beach Cabin. The cabin is just east of Mount Edgecumbe, a 3,200-foot dormant volcano that dominates the landscape. Humpback whales can often be seen offshore in early spring and late fall. Sea otters, sea lions, puffins and other sea birds can also be seen. Brown bear frequent the area.

17.0 km away

SAMSING COVE CABIN

Overview Samsing Cove Cabin is located 5.5 miles south of Sitka, Alaska off Sitka Sound on Baranof Island. The log cabin was built in 1991 by crews from S&S General Contractors of Sitka and many local businesses, individuals and volunteers. Roger and Judy Sudnikovich, owners of S&S General Contractors, donated the cabin, which replaced a log cabin built in 1941 by the Forest Service and the U.S. Navy for enlisted personnel and the public. This is a remote site. The cabin is generally available year-round, weather permitting, and can be accessed by boat only, a 20-minute ride from Sitka. Visitors are responsible for their own travel arrangements and safety, and must bring their own amenities. Recreation Recreational opportunities at Samsing Cove Cabin include saltwater fishing, kayaking (visitors must provide their own kayaks), photography, wildlife viewing and beachcombing. For information about fishing permits and seasons, visit the Alaska Department of Fish and Game website. Facilities This two-story log cabin measures 24 by 30-ft and sleeps up to 15 people. There are two separate open sleeping lofts, reached by a single stairway. Each loft contains a double plywood bunk and lots of floor space. Downstairs, the sleeping accommodations include two sets of single bunks over double bunks. The cabin includes an oil stove for heat, two large tables with benches and cooking counters with open shelving above one counter. An outhouse toilet is close to the cabin. A mooring buoy is available for boat anchorage on a first-come, first-served basis. The cabin reservation does not include exclusive use of the buoy. Good anchorage is also available without using the mooring buoy. Mooring buoys are configured using a 4200-lb concrete block with 90 feet of 7/8th-inch stud link chain. Mariners are responsible for determining how suitable an anchoring system is for the size of their craft. The cabin does not include heating oil, mattresses or cooking utensils. Visitors should bring sleeping bags and pads, a cooking stove, pots, pans, plates, utensils, food, toilet paper, a lantern, garbage bags, a fire extinguisher and fire starter. Rain gear and boots are recommended. Bring #1 diesel fuel oil for the stove. Since this cabin has such a large open space to heat, it can take five gallons during the first 24 hours. After the first day, it will take two to five gallons daily to heat the cabin, depending on the time of year, heat setting chosen and outside temperature. Water is available from a nearby inlet stream, but must be treated before using. It's recommended that visitors bring their own water. Click here for more cabin information and maps. Natural Features The cabin sits within a small cove off Sitka Sound on a short, gently rising slope amid a rocky shoreline, surrounded by a hemlock and spruce forest. At low tide, a small gravel beach unfolds, offering beachcombing possibilities. At high tide, the small cove is a protected place for novice kayakers. On clear days, the mountain peaks above Sitka are visible through the trees and islands to the north. The Sitka Sound area is home to an abundance of wildlife and sea life. Visitors may spot orca whales and humpback whales, puffins, sea otters and sea lions. Brown bear frequent the area.