Paulson Bay Cabin

$75.00/night

145 Forest Station Road, P.O. Box 129
GIRDWOOD, AK 99587

Notice

Fee changes in effect. This facility will now charge the same fee year-round.

Apr 10, 2026 – Jan 1, 2027

Overview

Paulson Bay Cabin offers a secluded getaway for relaxation and recreation in the beautiful Prince William Sound. The cabin is open year-round and makes a great base for sea kayaking, fishing, shrimping and sightseeing.

This remote site can be accessed by float plane or by boat, depending on conditions. The cabin sits on a bluff and can be reached by some steps leading up from the beach. Guests are responsible for their own travel arrangements and safety, and must bring several of their own amenities including sleeping pads, sleeping bags, cook stove, toilet paper, pots and utensils as well as some form of water purification.

Recreation

Hiking in the area is fairly easy because there is relatively little brush to inhibit movement. A three-quarter mile route leads north from the cabin to the creek.

Guests can bring kayaks for exploring the coastline and the bay. Local tide reports should be consulted before any kayaking trip, and kayakers should watch out for the numerous submerged rock ledges in the area.

Fishing is good for chum and pink salmon, usually from late July through August. Guests can also catch shrimp and bottom fish. Hunting for bear and waterfowl is available in season with the proper permits.

Facilities

The 12 x 14 foot cabin sleeps six and comes equipped with wooden bunks, a table with benches, and an oil drip (Kerosene) stove for heat, fire extinguisher, broom and an outhouse with composting toilet. It is the responsibility of cabin users to supply kerosene fuel for the duration of their stay. With moderate use, the stove burns about 1 gallon/ day.

A new Composting Toilet has recently been built. The toilet has a seperating toilet seat which redirects urine into a leach field. The outhouse has been converted to a composting toilet and requires the user to add a small amount of peat (1/2 cup) after use. There is a metal bin for users to burn their toilet paper, please burn tp.

Water and electricity are not available. Guests must bring their own supply of drinking water or treat water from nearby natural sources.
Items such as a cook stove, cooking gear, flashlights or lanterns, bedding, sleeping pads, trash bags and toilet paper and heating fuel (kerosene) are not provided.

Guests are expected to pack out trash and clean the cabin before leaving.

Natural Features

Paulson Bay Cabin is situated at the head of Paulson Bay, on the west side of Cochrane Bay in Prince William Sound. The terrain is rolling and transitions into rugged mountains. The cabin is set in an open wooded area with muskeg nearby and offers a spectacular view of Port Wells and College Fiord with Harvard Glacier in the background.

Black bears, Sitka black-tailed deer and bald eagles make their home here (learn about bear safety). Prince William Sound supports abundant sea life, including waterfowl, sea otters, orcas, Dall's porpoises, harbor seals and sea lions.

Contact Info

This location is unstaffed. To speak with our main office for general information, please call: (907) 783-3242.

Camp site features

Across 1 camp site:

Fire pit: all 1 sites
Pets allowed: all 1 sites
Largest party: 6 people

Fees

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.

Directions

This Cabin is not accessible via the road system. To access the cabin by float plane: it is 40 minutes from Anchorage and 60 minutes from Cordova. By boat, the trip is 18 miles from Whittier. Boats are not provided by the Forest Service. Note: the Bay is not obvious because the mouth is partially obscured by five small islands. Beware of submerged rock ledges between islands and off coastal points. Check local tide tables ahead of time to determine the best arrival and departure times.

Stay Limit

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

Reviews

16 reviews

5 stars

3 stars

2 stars

Susan A

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Reviewed 2 months ago

Beautifully upgraded cabin in a lovely little bay. Never used an oil heater before but the instructions were good and we had no problem. It keeps the place toasty. The online instructions about the place were thorough and helpful. One thing I think should be mentioned is how steep the steps are. Access is not for everyone. Kayaking was great. Water was flat for three days and weather mostly cooperated. Picked some blueberries up behind the cabin. Low bush were much better than the high bush. Sweet spot up there. We would definitely come back. Thank you FS

Bryan M

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Reviewed 3 months ago

Great cabin in a great location.

Eric H

Loop:Area Paulson Bay Cabin

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Reviewed 3 months ago

The cabin sits in a very lovely cove with a nice fresh water stream down some seriously steep steps. It has an amazing view and location was a short 45 minute charter from Whittier. Unfortunately, the cabin is super small and in no way can fit 6 adults and gear. Maybe midgets would fit but 6 adults wasn't doable.

Michael G

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Reviewed 5 months ago

The cabin was nicely located, well built, and the inside space was efficiently laid out. It really was beautiful The staircase up to the cabin was solid and sturdy, which was important because the unusually high tide required us to bring our kayaks up the stairs. The outhouse was also well placed and in good condition. The outhouse operated on a sensible system, and the notices in the outhouse provided clear and easy instructions for how to dispose of waste.

RICHARD W

Loop:Area Paulson Bay Cabin

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Reviewed 3 years ago

Great place to stay was there mid June 2023 still a lot of snow. It rained quite a bit brought a gallon of fuel per day for stove that worked well cabin was very comfortable. Kayaked Paulson bay as a warm up then first evening, serious rain all next day. Then a cloudy morning start to back of Cochran bay it was a BW world until the sun came out. Conditions where perfect views where stunning paddled up on a big healthy black bear, eagles various bird life. Day just got better as it went on got back to cabin at 7pm ate some food and went back out from 8pm till 11. I love the PWS its just incredible and the views from the cabin that evening couldn't have been better. The stairs up to get your kayak above tide danger are not fun and would be difficult by yourself but with two people not bad. Had a lot of snow while I was there if not, some nice access to hiking country. I highly recommend staying here paddle boarders kayakers or just to relax.

Callie O

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Reviewed 3 years ago

My group of 3 had a wonderful stay here! We worked with Lazy Otter Charters and Alaska Sea Kayakers and were dropped off at Surprise Cove, then kayaked the 5 miles to the cabin. One of the days we had winds and really choppy water, and the 5 miles took us double the time so make sure to account for weather if you're working with the charters on a pick up/drop off time! We stayed for 2 nights at the cabin and had the most perfect weather - sun, blue skies, and calm waters. Thankfully we did not see any bears, but we did see tons of other wildlife including humpback whales, otters, porpoises, jellyfish, and seals. We were plenty warm in the cabin (late June) and brought kerosene with us for the stove. At first the stove leaked but we were able to adjust a few screws and fix it, and just followed the instructions to get it running. We brought 2 gallons and that was plenty to stay warm during both nights with the stove on low/medium. When we were there, there was an active stream and water falls right next to the cabin that we could have filtered water to use. We didn't know this so we brought water with us, but this is great to know for next time!

Availability

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

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