Bear Trail Cabins Alaska and Campground — Hotel in Alaska

EDITS after falsified claims from the owner: Changing to single ⭐️ since I can’t go lower - host is playing the victim here. The times mentioned in the reply comment is a lie (call logs attached). The Hungarian guest probably played the language barrier card to the host because he was GONE for a good 20min before we went knocking. The reason for my husband knocking was because YOU left us with NO other option (shuttle was at 7:15AM).

If the bathroom situation is infact going to be a certain way, it needs to be told SOMEWHERE. The host seems to be evasive to the actual concerns posed here. I HAVE stayed in many remote areas with shared bathroom accommodations and never been in this situation. Accountability and honesty goes a long way. When my husband came back to ask the host about next day plans, all she did was say sorry and raise her voice at my husband for questioning. All of this because of clear “MISSED communication” on their part. We don’t appreciate being spoken to that way - after going through this stressful experience WHILE ON A VACATION. If you really wanted to treat everyone as family, why was your bathroom NOT offered to the stranded campers to begin with? Throwing last minute surprises at guests when they’re on a tight schedule (almost everyone visiting Katmai) is not the sign of a good host. How a host handles difficult situations like this SPEAKS volumes!

Original Post: Cabin itself was clean and everything was well maintained, smooth pickups/ drops as promised. However, we had trouble using the bathroom cabin (since we didn’t have a private one). Campers also kept using the cabin (despite having a dedicated one) since they were too many in number during our stay. Margo insisted it was one off since they were stranded due to weather. However, we had a nice long chat with the ones that were actually stranded and the ones using the bathroom weren’t those folks.

Things got out of hand very fast since there was only 20min left before our shuttle to Katmai air when I had to call Margo to step in. She just mentioned that I’d either have to wait for the bathroom to be available, or shower at Katmai Air’s showers. It was only later that she called me back to check if my husband wanted use the shower at her place. All of this because there was a miscommunication on her team’s part about what the campers could use during their extended stay. What’s worse is that I asked that exact question before booking the cabin and I was told it would be 4 people max. (from the 2 cabins without a bath) Margo later said - it is 4 people + campers incase their bathrooms get crowded. Not sure the price for the cabin is justified if we need to share a bathroom with that many people - even if it is a ONE off. At the end it left me thinking - out of courtesy to help another person we were left to adjust to a situation with no notice leaving us in an awkward position (my husband had to knock on the bathroom door to ask the person to hurry up, Margo only offered her shower after that). A little notice to us would’ve gone a long way since I also asked about tenants in the other cabin as soon as I arrived - still no heads up. Hard to imagine another person’s emergency got snowballed into an emergency for us. If available, just book the one with a private bath to avoid awkward situations since it’s not that much more expensive and comes...

My friend and I recently stayed at the Bear Trail Cabins campground, using one of their tent camping sites. Having never been to King Salmon and not knowing at all what to expect of a tent site campground in this area, we were 100% overjoyed with the entire experience. We landed at the airport and were graciously picked up by Margo! What a joy she is! We drove through town and she stopped at the store so we could buy fuel for our camp stove, took us to a food truck and nearby restaurant, knowing we had traveled most of the morning. We left and drove to the campground, about ten minutes away. Margo helped us unload our packs and walked us to the tent area, fully enclosed with electric fence. We had the pick of the tent sites and she showed us the community kitchen building - fully stocked with stove, fridge, sink, plates, all kinds of cooking items and all the basics (spices, oil, hot coco, coffee!). We then walked to the tent campers bathhouse, again, what a surprise and joy this was! Heated shower, spotless and clean, toilet, lots of hooks to hang towel and clothes, even a hair dryer to borrow while there! The shower/toilet is single stall, one person at a time and that was great! We met some great people, all who were either coming or going to Brooks Camp to see the bears and go hiking in the park. Margo is a wealth of local information and gives you all the tips to make your trip fantastic. When we returned from Brooks Camp a few days later, we stayed another night at Bear Trail Cabins and had another terrific experience. Having a hot shower after several days in Brooks Camp is wonderful...but having Margo share stories about the bears, about other travelers, having a spotless campground that is safe and provides you anything you could want - including a Wifi connection that no where else in King Salmon was providing - was fabulous! We are already looking forward to returning to Katmai, to visit the bears, do some fishing but most of all, returning to Bear Trail Cabins Campground! Won't stay anywhere else - this place is Alaska through...

If you’re going to Brooks Falls to see the bears or going fishing, Bear Trail Cabins is a great place to call home while you’re in King Salmon.

It starts with the host and proprietor: Margo. There is a reason everyone starts their review by talking about her. Margo rivals concierges at some of the world’s best hotels, but better: she treats you like family. She is super organized, kind and clearly loves the life she has built with her husband, pilot extraordinaire Sam.

The property is immaculate, right down to the manicured lawn and the communal Kitchen Cabin. It has a rustic charm you hope for when staying in a place inaccessible by roads. If you need to stay connected, the property has Starlink that works great from the cabins.

Most of the cabins have bathrooms. Two cabins, 5 & 6, use the Bath House that is about 50 steps from the cabin’s door. We stayed in Cabin 5 and I was a little worried about walking to the bathroom in the middle of the night — but it turned out to be super easy: it stays light all night in the summer, so no big deal to walk a few yards to use the Bath House.

The communal Kitchen Cabin turned out to be a great place to informally meet other people staying at the property.

When you land Margo will offer a stop at the grocery store. Margo also does a couple of restaurant runs at night, including drop off and pick up, although we chose to walk back one beautiful evening.

If you’re going to Katmai National Park to see the bears, I’d highly recommend one of Margo’s partners: Katmai Expeditions. Our guide was invaluable for making sure we got our names on the waiting list for the Brooks Falls platform, providing a ton of information about the bears and salmon— and knowing what to do when a young bear joined us on the beach while we were waiting for...