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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.