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Lodging choices along the Inside Passage include high-end hotels and bed-and-breakfasts both fancy and simple. Ketchikan and Juneau contain fine hotels, and luxurious fishing lodges attract anglers on Prince of Wales Island and in other locales. These accommodations can be pricey, but rates drop from mid-September to mid-May. Excellent alternatives to local hotels, the many regional B&Bs provide the opportunity to meet fellow travelers, enjoy a homemade breakfast such as smoked-salmon omelets or authentic sourdough pancakes, and learn about the area from local business owners. Budget travelers will find hostels and even the occasional no-frills motel in many of the larger towns.
Scattered throughout the Tongass National Forest, these rustic cabins—some of which are reached by floatplane or boat—offer a cheap and charming escape. Most contain bunks for six to eight occupants, along with tables, stoves, and outdoor privies. There's no electricity or running water, and you provide your own sleeping bag, food, and cooking utensils. Book six months in advance if possible, especially for summer stays.
Near Ketchikan and Juneau, the park system has a small number of cabins for which reservations can be made up to six months in advance. Sleeping capacity ranges from 4 to 10 people.
In addition to offering stunning views of Popof Glacier and Mt. Basargin, these remote and very rustic Forest Service cabins are a 4-mile boat ride from Shakes Slough Hot Springs, where you can soak in open-air and enclosed hot tubs. Guests may spot the brown and black bears, goats, and moose that frequent the area. Cabin 1 sleeps four and cabin 2 has room for seven; both include basic facilities, such as outhouses and woodstoves, but no water or electricity. Bring your own sleeping bag, food, and cooking utensils. Reservations are required for the cabins; make reservations through www.recreation.gov.
At $45 to $75 per night, Forest Service cabins make for a cheap and charming escape, but they're popular; reserve in person, by mail, or online—up to six months in advance of your planned arrival date—with the National Recreation Reservation System ( www.reserveamerica.com). Most cabins are reached by floatplane or boat, but some are accessible by road. They offer bunks for six to eight occupants, tables, stoves, and outdoor privies, but no electricity or running water. You provide a sleeping bag, food, and cooking utensils.
With incredible views and proximity to a hot-springs bathhouse, this isolated retreat 65 miles northwest of Sitka is one of Southeast's most prized public-use cabins. In the Tongass National Forest facing the Pacific Ocean, the cabin is accessible only by boat, and you'll need to walk in from a nearby cove. The cabin sleeps four (bring your own sleeping bags) and has bunk beds, a woodstove, a table, and an outhouse. You must arrange your own transportation and bring all your own supplies.
