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The lodge is situated 65 miles west of Juneau in a peaceful cove off Icy Strait directly across from Glacier Bay National Park. With a main lodge and three beautiful seaside cottages surrounded by the Tongass National Forest, we offer private lodging and personalized attention to small groups of 4 to 6 people.
Activities
There are lots of things to do in Southeast Alaska and we won’t get to them all during your stay. Here are some of the things to anticipate.
Whale watching. Icy Strait is a prime summer feeding ground for humpback whales. Whales can often be observed from the deck of your cabin but great views can be had from the boat. In addition to humpback whales, pods of orcas (killer whales) and an occasional minke whale are sometimes seen.
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Other wildlife viewing. Marine life is abundant, again starting right the lodge where harbor seals and sea otters can be observed just off shore. Stellar sealions that inhabit this area have favorite hauling out areas on rocky islands near the outside coast. We will also look for Alaskan brown bears, black bears, and Sitka black tailed deer along the shorelines and at the river mouths. Bald eagles are abundant throughout the area.
Excursion to Glacier Bay. A boat or flightseeing trip to Glacier Bay is a truly memorable experience. We hold a special National Park Service permit to take guests into Glacier Bay to view the changing landscape created by glaciers that have retreated as much as 30 miles in the past 100 years. As we travel up bay you will be face to face with the greatest concentration of tidewater glaciers in the world. Huge chunks of ice calve off the face of the glacier with a thunderous roar, creating waves that roll across the inlet and rock our boat. The icebergs in places like Johns Hopkins Inlet are often covered with harbor seals and their pups.
Pulling crab and shrimp pots. We will travel by boat to some of the bays where you can set your own traps (“pots”). Later help empty the traps that are hopefully loaded with dungeness crab and shrimp. You will never eat fresher seafood, as we will eat the catch of the day that night at Gull Cove.
Salmon fishing. Trolling for king and coho salmon in comfort of the boat can be a real treat. There are many good fishing spots right near the lodge, but with 18 knot cruising speed we can get around the Icy Straits area quickly to explore different hot spots. The outer coasts of Chichagof and Yakobi Islands offer lots of opportunities to tie into 10 to 20 pound cohos and king salmon over 50 pounds.
Halibut jigging. Halibut can be fished throughout the summer and the possibility of hooking a truly monstrous fish is very real. Small halibut are in the 30 to 40 pound range but these great eating fish get much bigger. Halibut weighing 100, 200, or 300 pounds are quite the challenge to get in the boat.
Light tackle saltwater fishing. Often times there are some fun opportunities to use spinning gear or fly rods on the Yakobi or from smaller skiffs for pink salmon or Dolly Varden. Fish moving through the passes between islands or gathering at the mouths of spawning streams can make for some exciting fishing.
Fresh water stream and lake fishing. Many of the area’s rivers are important for the spawning runs of pink, chum, sockeye, and coho salmon. Major runs, starting in mid to late July and continuing into September, make for lots of exciting action on light tackle. Dolly Varden and cutthroat trout can also be found while fishing these same streams.
Beach cookouts. Along the rugged coastline are scattered beaches that are just perfect for a campfire and a beach hike. At Taylor Bay there are miles of sand beach to explore with the massive Brady Glacier as a backdrop.
Hiking. There are some trails on the islands of Southeast Alaska but a lot of the hiking is bushwhacking and scrambling through the backcountry. The muskeg meadows right behind the lodge are an excellent place for a short walk or an extended hike.
White Sulfur Hot Springs. On the outside coast of Chichagof Island is a hot springs situated on the edge of the ocean. The Forest Service maintains a cabin and a rustic shelter at the site. We anchor at Porcupine Bay and take small skiffs to the hot springs for a relaxing soak.
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