Recreation

Hiking, Camping, and Cabins

There are only a few trails on POW [1]. One of the best and most accessible is the 1.5-mile One Duck Trail southwest of Hollis. The trailhead is on the east side of the Hydaburg Road, two miles south of the junction with the Craig–Hollis Road. The path climbs sharply to an Adirondack shelter (free) on the edge of the alpine zone where the scenery is grand and the hiking is easy. Be sure to wear rubber boots since the trail can be mucky.

The Soda Lake Trail (marked) begins approximately 14 miles south of the junction along the Hydaburg Road. This 2.5-mile trail leads to a pungent collection of bubbling soda springs covering several acres. There are colorful tufa deposits (primarily calcium carbonate) similar to those in Yellowstone, but on a vastly smaller scale.

Control Lake, at the junction of the Thorne Bay and Big Salt Lake Roads, has a nice cabin ($45) with a rowboat. There are 20 other Forest Service cabins (reservations 518/885-3639 or 877/444-6777, www.recreation.gov [2], $10 fee) scattered around POW, most accessible only by floatplane or boat.

For world-class steelhead and salmon fishing, reserve one of the four cabins in the Karta River area north of Hollis. The five-mile-long Karta River Trail connects Karta Bay to the Salmon Lake Cabin ($35) and provides panoramic views of surrounding mountains. This is part of the 40,000-acre Karta Wilderness.

You can camp almost anywhere on POW’s National Forest land, but avoid trespassing on Native Alaskan lands (these are generally quite easy to identify since the trees have been razed for miles in all directions). Eagle’s Nest Campground ($8) is just east of the intersection of the Klawock–Thorne Bay Road and Coffman Cove Road. Also here is a pleasant pair of lakes (Balls Lakes—named for…well, you figure it out) with a short path down to tent platforms overlooking the water. This is a good place for canoeing. Harris River Campground ($8) is 19 miles west of Hollis on the road to Klawock [3].

Spelunking

Prince of Wales Island [1] has the best-known and probably the most extensive system of caves in Alaska, and spelunkers keep discovering more.

In El Capitan Cave explorers found a treasure trove of bones from black bears, brown bears, river otters, and other mammals, the oldest dating back more than 12,000 years. The cave is located on the north end of the island at Mile 51 near Whale Pass. Free two-hour Forest Service tours (907/828-3304, www.fs.fed.us/r10/tongass [4]) are offered three times a day in the summer. Bring flashlights, warm clothing, and hiking boots; hard hats are provided. Reservations are required at least two days in advance; Children under age 7 are not allowed.

Three miles south of El Capitan is another underground wonder. A stream flows out of Cavern Lake, and then underground for a few hundred feet before emerging from Cavern Lake Cave. You can wade up the water into the cave for 150 feet or so.

Canoeing

The Sarkar Canoe Trail is an easy 15-mile loop route with boardwalk portages connecting seven lakes. The trailhead is at the south end of Sarkar Lake, on the northwest side of POW off Forest Road 20.

A more strenuous route is the 34-mile-long Honker Divide Canoe Route. This paddle-and-portage route begins near Coffman Cove at the bridge over Hatchery Creek on Forest Road 30, and works up Hatchery Creek to Honker Lake, which has a Forest Service cabin ($35). You may need to pull the canoe up shallow sections of the creek. The route then continues over Honker Divide on a 1-mile-long portage to the upper Thorne River before heading downstream all the way to Thorne Bay [5].

There is a 2-mile portage to avoid dangerous rapids and falls. The route is strenuous and should only be attempted by experienced canoeists. For more information on either of these routes, contact the Thorne Bay Ranger District (907/828-3304, www.fs.fed.us/r10/tongass [4]).

Sea Kayaking

With its hundreds of miles of rugged coastline and numerous small islands, inlets, and bays, POW [1] offers tremendous opportunities for sea kayakers. One of the wildest areas is the 98,000-acre South Prince of Wales Wilderness, but access is difficult, and much of the area is exposed to fierce ocean storms. Nearby Dall Island has exploring possibilities, but parts of it have been logged. On beaches exposed to the open sea, you’ll occasionally find beautiful Japanese glass fishing floats that have washed ashore.

Three other wilderness areas along POW’s outer coast—Maurelle Islands, Warren Island, and Coronation Island—offer remote and rarely visited places to see whales, sea otters, and nesting colonies of seabirds. You’re likely to see a few fishers but nobody else.