Eagles Nest Campground
Eagles Nest Campground is located on Prince of Wales Island in a temperate rainforest surrounded by muskeg and Balls Lake. Visitors enjoy viewing wildlife, hiking, fishing, canoeing and kayaking.
This campground is situated on Prince of Wales Island, the third largest island in the U.S., on the shores of Balls Lake, eighteen miles west of Thorne Bay.
The campground offers single and double-family sites. Picnic tables and campfire rings are provided, as are vault toilets.
Need to Know
- Parking spurs are narrow and perpendicular to the campground road; large RVs may be difficult to back in
- No hookups available
- Roads may be under construction
- Click here for more information on the Tongass National Forest
- Don't Move Firewood: Prevent the spread of tree-killing pests by purchasing firewood near your destination and burning it on-site. For more information visit dontmovefirewood.org.
Natural Features
The campground is situated near Control Creek and Balls Lake, within the Tongass National Forest, which covers nearly 17 million acres in southeast Alaska and is the largest forest in the national forest system.
The Tongass surrounds the Inside Passage, the network of waterways that buffers the jagged Alaskan Coast and a cluster of coastal islands. The Tongass offers visitors a chance to view wildlife, including eagles, bears and spawning salmon. Expansive vistas of fjords, glaciers and mountain peaks abound. Much of the forest is a temperate rainforest.
Nearby Attractions
A number of hiking trails and recreation sites are in the area.
Recreation
An interpretive trail parallels the lake for approximately 1,800 feet, offering scenic views of the Thorne Mountains and surrounding foothills. Canoeing, kayaking and fishing are popular activities at Balls Lake. A canoe ramp is located on the lakeshore. Sockeye salmon, wildflowers and industrious beavers are common sights in and around the lake.
The 2.5-mile Balls Lake Trail lets visitors hike around the lake, where swans, kingfisher and ducks are often seen, along with an array of riparian areas.
Contact Information
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TONGASS-KETCHIKAN AK
Rental Options
Learn more about gear rental options for your trip
Driving Directions
From Ketchikan, take the Alaska Marine Ferry to Hollis on Prince of Wales Island. From Hollis, take State Highway 924 to Klawock. From Klawock, take State Highway 929 to Control Lake Junction 18 miles and turn right. Continue on State Highway 929 for 2 miles. Campground is on the left.
Available Campsites
- Site 004, Loop EAGL, Type Standard Nonelectric
- Site 002, Loop EAGL, Type Tent Only Nonelectric
- Site 010, Loop EAGL, Type Standard Nonelectric
- Site 006, Loop EAGL, Type Standard Nonelectric
- Site 009, Loop EAGL, Type Standard Nonelectric
- Site 011, Loop EAGL, Type Standard Nonelectric
- Site 008, Loop EAGL, Type Standard Nonelectric
- Site 001, Loop EAGL, Type Standard Nonelectric
- Site 007, Loop EAGL, Type Standard Nonelectric
- Site 003, Loop EAGL, Type Tent Only Nonelectric
- Site 012, Loop EAGL, Type Standard Nonelectric
- Site 005, Loop EAGL, Type Standard Nonelectric
