Bike Ride to Bald Lake Cabin on Nancy Lake  (:59)

Bald Lake Cabin is a great choice for people who want to stay at an Alaska wilderness cabin on a pristine lake, but don’t want to travel far to get there. On the hillside overlooking isolated Bald Lake, the cabin offers seclusion and privacy only a short walk from your vehicle.

The Best Of Both Worlds

It’s a “best of both worlds” kind of place — where you can spend the day exploring a virtually private lake with interesting bays, or quickly dash back to your vehicle to explore or fish other lakes along the Nancy Lake Parkway.

It feels both rustic and family-friendly, remarkably close to the road yet visually off the grid. It’s easy to supply, with a summer trail smooth enough for a wagon or canoe cart, and flat enough in winter to easily accommodate a sled with gear. It is one of the most versatile and popular public use cabins in the state.

Bald Lake Cabin is a 16' X 24' rustic while family friend with room for 6 to sleep

Bald Lake Cabin is a 16' X 24' rustic while family friend with room for 6 to sleep

Amenities

A 16-by-24 well-seasoned log cabin with a six-foot covered porch and sleeping space for six on bunks and benches. Has ample gear storage in a loft, wood stove and cooking space. Fire ring, picnic table and outhouse are outside.

The lake is open to aircraft, but not known for sport fishing. Though the cabin is one room, its large space creates two sleeping zones. A gravel bottom at the lakeshore makes for good boat launching and swimming.

Lake water must be purified. Burnable wood can be sparse immediately outside the cabin, but ample downed wood is in the nearby forest. During frigid weather, it might be wise to bring wood from home because of the cabin’s large size. The outhouse offers a sense of style with its burled porch.

What Can You Do At Bald Lake Cabin?

Rent a canoe and spend the day paddling the undeveloped shoreline of Bald Lake

Rent a canoe and spend the day paddling the undeveloped shoreline of Bald Lake

  • Spend a long summer day paddling the undeveloped shoreline.
  • Quickly return to your vehicle to explore, paddle or fish other nearby lakes in the park.
  • Ski or snowmobile on the park’s extensive winter trail system, leading to Nancy Lake and deeper into the park.
  • Only about 3.5 miles to cabins on Lynx Lake over the winter trail, Bald Lake can serve as a jumping off point for snow treks of all kinds or a first-night stop on a multi-day trip.
  • Hike the remnants of a now-unmaintained nature trail from the parking lot through the forest to a spot overlooking Bald Lake’s boggy western lobe.
  • Watch and listen for wildlife: beavers, loons, grebes and moose.

Getting There

Coordinates
Latitude: 61.681916
Longitude: -150.034883

Summer

Drive to the parking lot at Mile 2.5 of Nancy Lake Parkway, then take the half-mile walking trail down to the cabin. Be prepared to encounter bears and moose. Canoes are often stashed at the lakeside and can be rented from Tippecanoe Rentals in Willow: 907-355-6687. Here is a good PDF map of the area.

Winter

Depending on snow conditions and ice cover, you can travel by snow vehicle, skis, snowshoe, dog sled, snow bike or foot. Check the park conditions report first. Beginning at the winter trailhead at Mile 2.2 of the Nancy Lake Parkway, it is about three-quarters of a mile to Bald Lake Cabin. Alternative routes could follow extensive snowmobile and ski trails from Nancy Lake or elsewhere in the park.

Break Up / Freeze Up

Bald Lake Cabin can be reached year round.

Driving Directions

Bald Lake Cabin