Alaska State Parks has two new public-use cabins available in the Kodiak area. One newly constructed cabin at Pasagshak River State Recreation Site, the Coho Cabin, is near the mouth of the Pasagshak River. The other, the Spruce Cabin, was recently renovated at Fort Abercrombie State Historical Park and is located near the Group Recreation Area.
Another cabin at Fort Abercrombie State Historical Park, the Monashka Cabin, is currently under renovation and will be available later this year.
The Coho cabin was built by State Parks staff and volunteers using materials donated by the non-profit Friends of Kodiak State Parks. Alaska State Parks also received help from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (Sportfish Division) and Island Trails Network. The logs for this cabin are upcycled tongue and groove logs left over from a local construction project. All the interior cabin furniture, bunks, tables, and counters were built with local windfall Sitka Spruce milled by Alaska State Parks staff with a chainsaw mill.
Window and door trim includes local driftwood, Western Red Cedar, and Cottonwood. This cabin has excellent views of Pasagshak Bay and is just a short walk from some of the best fishing access in Kodiak. The Coho Cabin is a 12×16 log cabin with a covered porch, four sleeping platforms, a table, a cooktop counter, and a wood stove.
The Spruce and Monashka cabins have been renovated to serve as public-use cabins when park volunteers are not using them. Friends of Kodiak State Parks donated materials to assist in the renovations. The cabins are well situated for hiking trails in the park.
“The most frequent complaint I’ve had the last two years is that folks couldn’t get a reservation at the Pasersaq Cabin out in Pasagshak,” said Southwest Region Park Superintendent Ben Shryock. That cabin has been booked almost every day from May to September, every weekend, and every holiday for the rest of the year. These new cabins should help out but may fill up fast, so plan ahead to make a reservation.”
Alaskans and visitors are increasingly in high demand for public-use cabins, especially those with drive-up access like these. These cabins will expand outdoor recreation opportunities in Kodiak, where wet weather sometimes makes tent camping less enjoyable.
The Coho and Spruce cabins are both available now to reserve at AlaskaStateParks.org for $55 per night. More information about the cabins can be found at AlaskaStateParks.org.