Discover 5 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Admiralty Island (United States). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Admiralty Island, Point Retreat Light, and Distin Lake Shelter Cabin. Also, be sure to include Big Shaheen Cabin in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Admiralty Island (Alaska).
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Admiralty Island
Island in Alaska. Admiralty Island is an island in the Alexander Archipelago in Southeast Alaska, at 57°44′N 134°20′W. It is 145 km long and 56 km wide with an area of 4,264.1 km2, making it the seventh-largest island in the United States and the 132nd largest island in the world. It is one of the ABC islands in Alaska. The island is nearly cut in two by the Seymour Canal; to its east is the long, narrow Glass Peninsula. Most of Admiralty Island—955,747 acres —is protected as the Admiralty Island National Monument administered by the Tongass National Forest. The Kootznoowoo Wilderness encompasses vast stands of old-growth temperate rainforest. These forests provide some of the best habitat available to species such as brown bears, bald eagles, and Sitka black-tailed deer.
Angoon, a traditional Tlingit community home to 572 people, is the only settlement on the island, although an unpopulated section of the city of Juneau comprises 264.68 km2 (102.19 sq mi) (6.2 percent) of the island's land area near its northern end. The island's total population at the 2000 census was 650.
The national monument is considered sacred space to the Angoon Tribe of Tlingit people, who live on tribal land in the community of Angoon on the western coast of the island. The Tlingits fought to make protection for the island a part of ANILCA legislation, and continue to engage in stewardship of the island's natural resources. Most of Angoon's residents make daily subsistence use of the national monument.[1]
Point Retreat Light
Lighthouse in Hoonah-Angoon, Alaska. Point Retreat Light is a lighthouse located on the Mansfield Peninsula at the northern tip of Admiralty Island in southeastern Alaska, United States. It provides aid in navigation through the Lynn Canal.[2]
Distin Lake Shelter Cabin
The Distin Lake Shelter Cabin is a historic backcountry shelter in the Admiralty Island National Monument. It is located on the northwest shore of Distin Lake, on the Admiralty Island Canoe Route. The cabin, originally a three-sided Adirondack log shelter, was constructed by a Civilian Conservation Corps crew in 1932. In 1960, a fourth wall, wooden floor, and bunk beds were added to the structure. There is a window, and the front door is one recycled from a theater; it is labeled "Balcony" on the inside.
The cabin was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995. In 2014, it was listed by the United States Forest Service as being in poor condition and unavailable for use.[3]
Big Shaheen Cabin
The Big Shaheen Cabin, in the Admiralty Island National Monument near Angoon, Alaska, is a historic log cabin that was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1935. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995; the listing included the cabin and three other contributing structures.
It was built as part of the Admiralty Island Civilian Conservation Corps Canoe Route. The cabin is made of 10-inch (250 mm) logs and its gable roof has a six-foot overhang at the front to make a porch. There are three "culturally modified" trees in the area.[4]
Alexander Lake Shelter Cabin
The Alexander Lake Shelter Cabin is a historic backcountry shelter in the Admiralty Island National Monument. It is located at the eastern tip of Lake Alexander, on the Admiralty Island Canoe Route. The cabin is a three-sided Adirondack log shelter made of peeled logs covered with wood shakes. It was constructed by a Civilian Conservation Corps crew in 1935, and received maintenance from the United States Forest Service as recently as 1980.
The cabin was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995.[5]