Herring Cove Trail

Dogs Unknown

One of Sitka's favorite hiking trails. By Beaver Lake there are great vistas of nearby rugged mountains. Lovely hike over muskegs, along marshes and through stunted forests. Beaver Lake has been stocked periodically with grayling between 1986 and 1991. The Forest service has installed new docks and picnic pads at the lake. An aluminum rowboat is available for use by the public at one of them. Please leave the oars in the boat, tie it up, and bail it out completely. At the back side of the lake tremendous, old growth trees are found.

The Herring Cove trail parallels a stream with a series of waterfalls. After one climbs the first steep hillside, the trail flattens out in a glacially formed "hanging valley" with large old growth trees. A 100'+ waterfall is at the top of the valley. Beyond the waterfall the trail goes across boardwalk, up a hill and then back down to Beaver Lake.