The Samsing Cove cabin is a perfect spot for a quick getaway that is close to town. It doesn’t take very long to get to, and it has the space for large groups.
It’s well suited for a relaxing time with friends, or to do some kayaking in the protected area in front of the cabin.
To read about some of the other cabins we’ve visited, and the experiences check out the Cabins page.
Location
The Samsing Cove Cabin is located approximately 5.5 miles south of Sitka. The cabin is on Baranof Island and takes about 20 minutes to get their by boat (depending on conditions).
As the name suggests, the cabin is located back in a cove that keeps it protected.
Price
The Samsing Cove Cabin costs $65 per night, plus a $9 reservation fee. This price is the same year round. You can reserve the cabin here.
About the samsing cove cabin
This cabin is much larger than many of the other Forest Service cabins within the Tongass. There are two levels, and it can sleep up to 15 people.
Instead of a wood burning stove, this one runs on diesel #1. Because the space is so large, the Forest Service notes it can burn up to 5 gallons in the first 24 hours, and then 2-5 gallons per day after that.
There is a mooring buoy in front of the cabin, but remember, this is not included in the reservation and is a first come first serve situation.
Our Trip to the samsing cove cabin
It was a quick one night stay out at Samsing Cove, but we made sure the make the most of it. It included a little bit of everything…hanging out with friends, bocce ball, trolling, a little exploring around the cabin, and custom s’mores!
There were a lot of different plans being coordinated to get everyone out to the cabin. Needing a boat to get out to the cabin presents some different challenges than if you are able to drive.
Due to the different departure times, we made an initial run to the cabin to drop off supplies, then came back to do some trolling around town. We didn’t spend much time with lines in the water…almost immediately we had two large bull sea lions following us. It was interesting to see them so close, but it definitely wasn’t going to help the fishing.
Once we gave up on catching a king, we returned to town to grab some passengers and diesel fuel. The Samsing Cove cabin doesn’t have a wood stove, but it does have an oil one. After a little bit of a detour to find fuel, we were off to the cabin.
It’s a good thing we didn’t have far to go because the weather was pretty shitty. The seas were rough and it was an uncomfortable boat ride.
We were all pretty happy to pull into the cove and feel some calm water. Everyone was dropped off on the beach, the boat was anchored, and it was time to have a beer. It wasn’t very cold but we still found some wood and started a fire soon after arriving.
Some more people showed up a bit later and we eventually had a pretty good group hanging out around the fire. The water was starting to calm down, so we got back in the boat and tried to troll for a bit in front of the cove. Let’s just say there was no fresh fish for dinner that night.
Back at the cabin the fire was going and the drinks were flowing. Some folks ended up leaving as it was getting dark, and then it was time for the most special part. Breaking out the s’mores with some custom made chocolate from Theobroma Chocolate in Sitka.
This was a new experiment by Theobroma to try some special chocolates…and they were delicious. I think everyone still there stuffed themselves with as many as they could – and then maybe one more.
Full, and struggling to move after all the chocolate, graham cracker, and marshmallow goodness we eventually made our way into the cabin. As I mentioned earlier, the place is huge so we were able to play some board games, and people slowly split off to go to bed.
The next morning we had some blue skies breaking through after grey the day before. Tide was low, so I went for a walk along the shore and then up a meadow next to the cabin. There was an beautiful little creek that flowed right up to the treeline.
I decided to stop there and not head too deep into the woods. I made my way back and now it was time to play some bocce ball around the beach. It was a lot of fun, and people were really enjoying the sun being out.
After a few games we decided we should probably start cleaning up and head out. Many hands makes light work, so the cabin was cleaned pretty quickly and the boats loaded up.
After a great weekend it was time to get back to Sitka!