716 Karta River Trail
Moderate 4.8 mile hike from mouth of Karta River at Karta Bay to Salmon Lake Cabin. Access is provided to Karta River, Karta Lake, and Salmon Lake cabins. This area lies within the heart of the Karta Wilderness Area. The Karta River has a tremendous run of coho, pink, chum, and sockeye salmon, as well as native populations of dolly varden, cutthroat trout, and steelhead. This trail is the most heavily used trail on the Thorne Bay Ranger District.
772 Red Bay Lake Trail
34 mile hike rated more difficult. Trail extends from trailhead on road #20 to a row boat at the north end of Red Bay Lake. The row boat can then be used to access the Red Bay Lake Cabin. Trail is rated more difficult because of poor trail conditions as the trail follows Red Bay Lake Creek. The trail is muddy, marshy, and slippery The district is now making plans to relocate the trail to a drier site. Fishing opportunities are abundant. The species most noted in the area include coho, pink, chum, and sockeye salmon, steelhead, cutthroat, and Dolly Varden.773 Salmon Bay Lake Trail
1.5 mile hike rated more difficult. Trail extends from the saltwater flats of Salmon Bay to the Salmon Bay Lake Cabin located at the creek outlet from Salmon Bay Lake. There are areas of mud and bad footing on the trail. At the north end there is some moderate climbing. There is a Forest Service skiff at the lake. Fishing opportunities include pink, chum, coho, and sockeye salmon and cutthroat and Dolly Varden.
785, 786 Lake Ellen/ Salt Chuck Trail
Trailhead accessed by following road 2030-970 just east of the Goose Creek bridge, approximately 15 miles from Thorne Bay, to a parking area just south of Lake No. 3. Salt Chuck Trail (#786) is 1 mile long and begins in an old clear-cut at the edge of the gravel. For most of the way the trail follows closely the banks of Ellen Creek. It passes the historic site of the old Salt Chuck mine. The Salt Chuck ruins are extensive and include a number of shacks, a collapsed refinery, a home, a barge, and numerous pieces of machinery. The collapsed buildings are in extremely hazardous condition. Please exercise extreme care when looking around and do not climb on them. The trail is rated more difficult due to deep mud, downed logs and overgrown underbrush.
791 Rio Roberts Trail
Easy 34 mile trail from State Highway 929 to fish pass and viewing deck on Rio Roberts Creek. The trail traverses through a muskeg, and is well maintained. A viewing deck allows a close view of the fish pass structure and the falls.
795 Shipley Bay Trail
34 mile hike rated more difficult. Trail extends from Shipley Bay Cabin to Shipley Lake where there is a Forest Service skiff for public use. Many species of fish are present in the lake including rainbow trout, Dolly Varden, steelhead, and salmon. Location includes a very scenic valley and leads to views of the Nipples, one of the higher peaks on the outside islands. Trail leads past the cabin along the north shore of Shipley Creek, crosses over a bridge to the south shore, then follows a moderate to fairly steep (for short distances) incline along this shore to the banks of Shipley Bay.
