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Crescent Saddle Cabin
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Crescent Saddle Cabin

Overview

Elodea has been found in Crescent Lake in 2023. Please stop aquatic hitchikers and use clean, drain, dry methods to prevent the spread of elodea. For more information on elodea.  

Crescent Saddle Cabin offers a remote and secluded place to stay in the Kenai Mountains of southeastern Alaska. It is difficult to access, but rewards visitors with spectacular views of the surrounding region. Winter travel is recommended only for those with experience in the backcountry.


This site can be accessed by hiking, skiing, snowmobile and floatplane. Not recommended for horseback or bikes. Visitors are responsible for their own travel arrangements and safety, and must bring several of their own amenities.

Recreation

Fishing on Crescent Lake is very popular for grayling. A rowboat with oars is available at the cabin, but life jackets and fishing equipment are not provided.

In season, visitors hunt for moose, black and brown bears and Dall sheep.

Hiking, horseback riding, cross country skiing and snowshoeing are also popular activities. There is extreme avalanche danger on the Crescent Creek Trail in winter and early spring. The primitive trail around Crescent Lake crosses several avalanche chutes and should not be used in the winter.

Facilities

The cabin has bunk space for six and a maximum occupancy of eight people. It is equipped with counter space, table, benches and a wood stove for heat. A splitting maul and hand saw are available. An outhouse is also provided.

There is no electricity, potable water, mattresses, bedding, cooking utensils or cut firewood at the cabin. Visitors should bring sleeping bags and pads, a cook stove, cooking gear and food. Water taken from the lakes or streams should be treated or boiled before consumption.

Natural Features

The cabin is located south of Sterling Highway on the Crescent Lake Trail. It overlooks Crescent Lake, at an elevation of about 1,450 feet. The cabin is set back from the lake, amid a scattered forest and lots of wildflowers in the warmer months.

In addition to avalanche danger, high winds may sweep across the lake, causing danger for small boats and planes. For more information on access and regulations pertaining to this cabin, trail conditions, safety precautions and outdoor safety and ethics, please contact the Seward Ranger District.

Camp site features

Across 1 camp site:

  • Largest party: 8 people

Fees

Reservations can be made the day of arrival or up to 180 days in advance. Only one change per reservation for all Alaska cabins is allowed. Change is defined as a modification to the start or end date of the reservation; after one change has been made, if additional changes are desired, the customer must cancel the current reservation and re-book the new dates. If you cancel a cabin reservation within 14 days of your scheduled arrival date, you will be charged the $10 service fee and forfeit the first night's recreation use fee. No-shows, early departures, or cancellations after the scheduled arrival date are not entitled to a refund. Cancellations for single night use for Alaska cabins will not be assessed a service fee.

Directions

Access is by trail, 7 miles from the Carter Lake Trailhead at milepost 34 of the Seward Highway or (10.7 miles from the Crescent Creek Trailhead, from milepost 45 on Sterling Highway, take Quartz Creek road 3.2 miles to the Crescent Creek Trailhead. Cabin is also accessible by floatplane. Winter travelers need to be able to evaluate avalanche and over-ice travel conditions. Refer to USGS maps Seward B7, C7 and C8. Maps are available online or by calling the Seward Ranger District at 907-288-3178. Learn more about Carter Lake and Crescent Creek.

Stay Limit

Check in from 12 PM, check out by 12 PM.

Reviews

Ratings (21)
5 stars
11
4 stars
3
3 stars
3
1 stars
4
Erik W
Loop:Area Crescent Saddle Cabin
Site:S17
Reviewed 23 days ago
Wow!
Richard B
Loop:Area Crescent Saddle Cabin
Site:S17
Reviewed a month ago
Kind of windy, not able to fish. Cabin was clean and in good repair. Thank you
James S
Loop:Area Crescent Saddle Cabin
Site:S17
Reviewed 2 months ago
Took my 11 year old on a two night hunt/camping trip. Post-holed through snow for about a half mile going past Carter lake and then had intermittent post holing until getting on the crescent lake main trail. Crossed about seven avalanche slides without issue. Weather changed every 30 minutes - snow, sleet, rain, sunshine, etc. Cabin was very nice but the boat is gone and both splitting mauls are broken so we had to make do. But plenty of wood was around, chopped and otherwise. Made it behind the cabin after some bushwhacking and it opened up into nice game trails and Sitka forest - Girdwood Esq. Lake was mostly frozen and caught no grayling.
Kaleb D
Loop:Area Crescent Saddle Cabin
Site:S17
Reviewed 2 months ago
Canoe is missing. Splitting maule is broken. Hike is closer to moderate to hard. Porch has busted step. The forest service needs to repair this stuff considering how steep the cost is now. Otherwise, it's exactly like all the other cabins that aren't super old.
Christopher J
Loop:Area Crescent Saddle Cabin
Site:S17
Reviewed 5 months ago
Trail was icey going up, 3 or 4 spots of large overflow. Micro spikes were a great choice. Metal edge skis at the top for the crusty layer of snow and bare spots of ice. Possible Nordic blade skating across from cabin if you get creative going between patches of ice (conditions change fast!). Cabin was stocked with wood that requires splitting. Creek for water freezes up but we were able to smash it open with a log after many attempts.
Marisol B
Loop:Area Crescent Saddle Cabin
Site:S17
Reviewed a year ago
The cabin is in excellent condition, the wind and relentless rain didn't dampen our spirits as we dried out and warmed up in this cabin with gorgeous views out every window. The primitive trail has gotten more difficult due to so many fallen trees in previous winter storms so the traverse cabin to cabin is more challenging than previous visits but it is still a beautiful adventure I would recommend.
Michelle L
Loop:Area Crescent Saddle Cabin
Site:S17
Reviewed 2 years ago
Experience of a lifetime! The crescent creek trail was gorgeous, primitive trail was difficult to navigate on the way in much easier finding/staying on the trail on the way back. Was glad we booked 3 nights. There are two row boats at the cabin one of which seemed to be taking on water. Caught one 12in grayling. The trip was so peaceful. Cabin was well stocked with extras (cards/skillet/lures etc.) outhouse was getting pretty full.
Susan S
Loop:Area Crescent Saddle Cabin
Site:S17
Reviewed 2 years ago
We rented the Crescent Saddle Cabin for 7/22/24, knowing that the "primitive" trail from the west end of the lake to the cabin would likely be quite overgrown. So we weren't sure we'd make it there. We took one look at the "trail" and decided to forget it. It irks me that the Forest Service is still renting this cabin for backpacking purposes knowing full-well that the trail barely exists anymore. I've hiked a lot of overgrown trails in southcentral AK, but this was hardly even visible. We did stay in our rented Crescent Lake Cabin the previous night and it had three boats; I kept reading that the Saddle cabin boat was missing--I wonder if someone hiked the trail to the Saddle cabin and decided to just row/paddle the boat back to the Crescent Lake Cabin and leave it there rather than fight the "primitive" trail to get back. Anyway, be forewarned: boat or fly in to the Saddle Cabin. Don't bother trying to hike to it.
Erika B
Loop:Area Crescent Saddle Cabin
Site:S17
Reviewed 2 years ago
Cabin did not have much wood available upon arrival, we cut and left wood for the next occupants before we left. The advertised row boat was not anywhere to be found, possibly a victim of poor tying up and the wind, or unauthorized users leaving it somewhere unknown. Overall the cabin is in a fantastic location. The approach was quite wet due to the overgrown primitive trail, so be prepared to have to dry shoes and clothes out in the cabin.
Sam S
Loop:Area Crescent Saddle Cabin
Site:S17
Reviewed 3 years ago
Beautiful spot! Almost no firewood as of Dec. 28, 2023, and it is nearly impossible to find any downed wood due to the snow. We always cut a lot of extra wood when at huts outside of winter for this reason! If snowmachining in would recommend taking some wood.
Amber B
Loop:Area Crescent Saddle Cabin
Site:S17
Reviewed 3 years ago
The cabin is beautiful, but very difficult to find via the trail from Crescent Creek. The wood stove is amazing!
kimberlyn p
Loop:Area Crescent Saddle Cabin
Site:S17
Reviewed 3 years ago
We hiked to the cabin on 6-29 and hiked out on 6-30 from the carter lake side. It took us around 5 hours to get out to it and 4 hours to return. Conditions once you hit the primitive trail were honestly pretty decent all things considered- muddy, slick, and wet (as expected) but other than that not super overgrown to the point where you need to bushwhack. There’s a decent size creek crossing once you start the primitive trail and you’ll cross a waterfall-like creek once you are around two miles from the cabin. There are two snowpacks you’ll need to cross- i recommend bringing boot spikes if you hike in from this side in the next few weeks. We didn’t bring them and it was overall fine (i slid a little down one of the chutes but it was ok in the end lmao) but since the snow has been sitting out in the sun it’s pretty slick and on a steep grade. But if you’re good at walking on that kind of stuff you don’t have to worry about it. But yeah. Best forest service cabin i’ve been to. Seriously. It’s the prettiest one for sure. The views are unbelievable. We caught some grayling while out there. As of our stay, the boat is there (read some other reviews that it was unfortunately missing for other peoples stays). Hell yeah!
Buck L
Loop:Area Crescent Saddle Cabin
Site:S17
Reviewed 3 years ago
TL:DR - if you go in April or May, you may get stopped by avalanches and you will 100% need skis, not snowshoes. Definitely go from the crescent lake side, not carter lake. . Seeing the review about bad snow conditions, we brought snow shoes and went over a week earlier in May than the other reviewer. Same problem but the lake was mostly still frozen. We passed the people who stayed there the night before who suggested we walk on the melting lake (yeah no). The Carter Lake side is basically impassible in May. We made it 5.5 miles (1 mile from the cabin) and the entire side was blocked top to bottom with an avalanche. That was 9 HOURS into our hike so we slept under a tree about mile 5. Burned from the sun reflection day 1; ripping winds and drizzle day 2. Heard the cabin is nice though and the stove is apparently awesome. We will be back one day when there is no snow.
Edward T
Loop:Area Crescent Saddle Cabin
Site:S17
Reviewed 4 years ago
The boat is always missing. Hiking 11 miles to a cabin that is advertised as having a boat and then finding it gone kind of ruins a fishing trip. Reading the guest log, this is an ongoing issue for years now. Won’t be returning.
David P
Loop:Area Crescent Saddle Cabin
Site:S17
Reviewed 4 years ago
Our sole purpose of this hike was to fish for grayling on June 22 and the morning of June 23 before the noon check-out time. To our dismay, there was no row boat as advertised. We didn’t stay the night and returned to the trailhead. Very disappointed.
Devin W
Loop:Area Crescent Saddle Cabin
Site:S17
Reviewed 4 years ago
We took the Crescent Saddle Trail side. The primitive trail was not easy and hard to follow in certain marshy areas. It was a challenge but a lot of fun. The cabin itself is on a beautiful spot. It’s one of the older cabins around but has all of the amenities. The tools at the cabin could use some love as they are dull or rusted but all in all we had a wonderful experience. Thank you!
Jonathan M
Loop:Area Crescent Saddle Cabin
Site:S17
Reviewed 4 years ago
A word to the wise on this one: time the season perfectly if wanting to avoid snow. We came last few days of May, and the snow was the perfect combination of depth and slushiness to make travel (even if we had snow shoes) impossible over through Carter Lake to the cabin. We had to change plans and take a plane to a break in the ice on the lake. From what many in the cabin log wrote, July and later have such tall grass and devils club that the trail takes twice as long with lots of losing the trail. That said, the location of this cabin is absolutely gorgeous. We didnt see any animals, but plenty of evidence of moose, brown bear, and sheep or goats from the snow prints. Lots of wood around and someone who had clearly brought a chainsaw left a bunch of wood rounds to chop. Cabin is tiny but that means its easy to heat on the small stove. Gear: there are two hacksaws, one handsaw, a maul, a broom, oars, but don't look for the boat. From the cabin log, the boat went missing a couple years ago (maybe at the bottom of the lake).
Ashley S
Loop:Area Crescent Saddle Cabin
Site:S17
Reviewed 5 years ago
Went in mid-September and had a great time at Crescent Saddle cabin. We took the Carter Lake trail to the Crescent Lake trail, which ended up being close to 7.5 miles total. The first 1.5 miles had a pretty steep elevation gain of about 1000 ft. Once you branch off from the Carter Lake trail, the going gets a little rough. Because of the time of year, the bushes and tall grass got us soaked since the trail was very overgrown and it had rained earlier. There were also two spots were you cross streams that were a little too deep for normal hiking boots and our feet got wet. An arduous trail but the views were worth it. The cabin itself was cute, previous occupants had left some wood under the woodshed to dry, which was fantastic. Wish we had waterproofed a bit better before going but other than that, a great trip.
Michelle M
Loop:Area Crescent Saddle Cabin
Site:S17
Reviewed 5 years ago
The hike in is beautiful, slightly challenging and absolutely worth it. The cabin was very new and clean and the boat was in excellent shape. I've been to several FS cabins and this one was one of my favorites for the scenery. We didn't see any bears, but saw a dall sheep across the lake and some loons.
Matthew O
Loop:Area Crescent Saddle Cabin
Site:S17
Reviewed 6 years ago
Trail a little muddy and some slides to traverse but otherwise awesome!
Jeannie P
Loop:Area Crescent Saddle Cabin
Site:S17
Reviewed 6 years ago
Beautiful cabin in a stunning location! If arriving from Carter lake trailhead, plan to cross some dubious water depending on the time of the year!
Popularity

Very busy · 93%

Busiest in August, when about 93% of sites are booked. Based on 9 years of reservations.

Availability

See the Camp Sites section below to find detailed booking availability.

ReserveWatch
Location
Seward Ranger District, 33599 Ranger Station Spur
SEWARD, AK 99664
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