Sarkar Lake on Prince of Wales Island, Alaska

Sarkar Lake, Prince of Wales Island, AlaskaSarkar Lake, Prince of Wales Island, Alaska

Sarkar Lake is a favorite destination on Prince of Wales Island, Alaska. Sarkar Creek flows out of the lake when the tide is low and into the lake when the tide is high. The Forest Service skiff is for public use when renting their cabin. We always brought our canoe with a motor because the lake is quite large. The wildlife in the area will keep any visitor entertained. Eagles and ravens fly overhead. Bears, deer, and wolves roam the lake shore. Trout swim in the waters below your boat.

Melissa and Ethan Cook in lifevests on Sarkar Lake, Prince of Wales Island, Alaska
Melissa & Ethan Cook on Sarkar Lake, Prince of Wales Island, AK

Sarkar Canoe Route 54750 meanders through multiple bodies of water in the area. In places, travelers must portage their canoes across small tracks of land to the next small lake on this route. There are boardwalks in some places to ease the hike through the muddier parts of the trail.

The Forest Service offers a cabin to rent, requiring a boat or a good hike to reach. Contact the Forest Service to rent the place ahead of time. (see photo below) You will see a second cabin on Sarkar Creek near the rapids on the map; this is different from the Forest Service cabin. 

Forest Service cabins dot Prince of Wales Island and southeast and south-central Alaska. Check Tongass National Forest on the U.S. Forest Service recreation page for a map and details.

Cabin on Sarkar Lake, Prince of Wales Island, Alaska
Cabin on Sarkar Lake, Prince of Wales Island, Alaska
Boys canoeing on Sarkar Lake, Prince of Wales Island, Alaska
Cook Boys on Sarkar Lake, Prince of Wales Island, Alaska

Now for the rest of the Alaska story.

When our boys were young, we took them canoeing on Sarkar Lake (see photos above). After the boys left home, Elgin and I often stopped to stroll along the shoreline and snap pictures (see skiff photo below). When our son Ethan lived at Bear Valley Lodge, Sarkar Lake offered the perfect place to stop and use the vault bathroom and take a quick walk by the water.

Skiff on Sarkar Lake, Prince of Wales Island, Alaska
Skiff on Sarkar Lake, Prince of Wales Island, Alaska

Below are maps of the Sarkar Lake area. The map on the left shows the small bodies of water northeast of the main Sarkar Lake, the location of the Sarkar Canoe Route 54750. The map on the right shows the two cabins and the main road, Highway 43.

Map of Sarkar Lake, Prince of Wales Island, Alaska
Map of Sarkar Lake, Prince of Wales Island, Alaska
Map of Sarkar Lake, Prince of Wales Island, Alaska
Map of Sarkar Lake, Prince of Wales Island, Alaska
Frozen Sarkar Lake, Prince of Wales Island, Alaska
Sarkar Lake, Prince of Wales Island, Alaska in the Winter

Other Posts About Prince of Wales Island

A Boring Photo But Look Closely – Southeast Alaska’s temperate rainforest

Hidden Gems in Alaska’s Rainforest – Prince of Wales Island trees

Remote Alaska Schools – JR Gildersleeve and other remote schools in Alaska

Uncover An Alaska Mine of the Past – Salt Chuck Mine