- USE : Hike
- DESCRIPTION : The Lake Eva Trail takes you on a stroll from an extensive estuary through old growth forest alongside a rushing outlet stream to a scenic lakeside Spruce grove. For those with limited mobility, a lagoon lookout is accessible via a barrier free trail. After the estuary, stone steps take hikers up a hill and beyond to the lake. The trail was reconstructed in 2011 and, apart from some steps, is generally free of challenging barriers. The lake and river hold abundant trout and salmon populations, and brown bears frequent the area. Users can access many fishing spots via spurs from the main trail. The reconstructed portion of the trail ends after 1.5 miles across the lake from the USFS Cabin. Beyond the lake, an unmaintained trail continues along the south shore of the lake to the location of an old shelter.
- DISTANCE : Maintained trail is 1.5 miles to the lake one-way. It begins at Hanus Bay and ends at the south end of Lake Eva. The Lake Eva trail, including the unmaintained section, is 2.9 miles long.
- TIME : 1 Hour to Lake Eva
- TRAILHEAD : Access from Hanus Bay in Peril Strait
- ACCESS: The trailhead in Hanus Bay is accessible by boat, approximately 60 miles from Sitka. Float planes can land and dock at the USFS Public Use Cabin on the lake.
- ELEVATION GAIN/LOSS : 106/-50
- LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY : Moderate
- TRAIL MANAGEMENT AGENCY : US Forest Service
History & Updates
A trail to a shelter at the SW end of Lake Eva was constructed by the CCC in the 1930s. After growing commercial use, the trail was redesigned by US Forest Service Architect Barth Hamberg and reconstructed in 2010 to 2011, with funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
In 2024 and 2025, Sitka Trail Works partnered with Alaskan Dream Cruises to bring 40 volunteers to conduct maintenance on the route, as highlighted in this video.
Other Sources
http://www.alaska.org/detail/lake-eva-hanus-bay-trail
http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/tongass/recreation/hiking/recarea/?recid=79026&actid=50
