This trail is a pleasant day hike to or from Harvey Lake and the Forest Service cabin there.Length (one way): 0.5 mile
Rating: Easiest
USGS Map: Petersburg C-4
Access: You can reach the trailhead on the west side of Woewodski Island in Duncan Canal via boat or floatplane. Floatplanes can land on Harvey Lake, but cannot take off from the lake with passengers or heavy loads of gear. Pick-up must be arranged for Duncan Canal.
Attractions: The trail passes through Sitka spruce and western hemlock forest before reaching Harvey Lake. Parts of the trail are boardwalk. Blueberries and huckleberries abound near the trail as it approaches the lake. Harvey Lake offers trout fishing, swimming, and picnicking. A small rowboat is provided for cabin permit holders (others may use it if no one is staying in the cabin). Contact the Petersburg Ranger District for Harvey Lake Cabin information and cabin permit applications.
History: Mr. E.E. Harvey first cleared a trail to Harvey Lake in the late 1920’s. Harvey operated the Olympic Mine on the north side of the lake and needed access to the mine from Duncan Canal. He carried or tractored supplies and equipment up the trail to the west end of the lake, then boated or sledded loads across the lake to the mine. In 1930, in a letter written from his camp at the Olympic Mine, Harvey asked the Forest Service to construct a permanent trail from Duncan Canal to the lake. By that time, Harvey Lake had become a popular place for Petersburg and Wrangell residents to swim and picnic. They enjoyed the warm water and sandy beach, and the raft and springboard built by Mr. Harvey. The Forest Service reconstructed the trail the following year, in 1931.
