Emergency Shelters

The Preserve maintains six emergency shelter cabins along existing winter routes, which have provided lifesaving protection to travelers caught in extreme winter weather conditions, such as storms, white outs resulting in low visibility, and extremely low temperatures.

These six emergency shelter structures face a challenging environment and ongoing permafrost melt can cause structures to sink or become unleveled. Please be aware that some of these cabins are in poor condition and are only to be used as lifesaving shelters.

Minimal maintenance will be administered until funding can be obtained to repair or replace these cabins.

For your health and safety…

• Haul out your trash. Do not leave food behind, especially perishable and open food. It attracts bears and rodents.
• Please be respectful of others. Do not use honey buckets or leave honey buckets in the shelter cabins. Human waste can present public health concerns and cause odor problems in the summer as temperatures warm up.
• All shelter cabins have Nordic stoves and 2 burner Coleman cook stoves. You must bring your own # 1 diesel fuel to heat the cabin. Do not add twigs, paper, or trash to the Nordic stoves.
• Food and water are not available in the shelter cabins.

 

Ear Mountain Shelter Cabin

GPS Coordinates: N 65° 57.55669’, W 166°07.82859’

The Ear Mountain Shelter Cabin was built in 1980 and is equipped with a VHF radio repeater. A standard 12-volt battery is needed to power the VHF radio repeater. This cabin is in poor to good condition. The NPS made some minimal repairs in 2018, but additional maintenance is still needed.

 

Nuluk Shelter Cabin

GPS Coordinates: N 65° 52.63105’, W 166° 46.38850’

The Nuluk Shelter Cabin sits on ice-rich permafrost and is experiencing thaw subsidence which is likely to accelerate in the future. It received significant rehabilitation work in 2018 by park staff. It is in good condition.

 

Goodhope River Shelter Cabin #1 and #2

GPS coordinates: N 66° 01.30293’, W 163° 55.77852’

The Goodhope River Reindeer Cabins are in a bend of the Goodhope River. The two cabins and adjacent corral were used as bases for reindeer herding and the handling and processing of reindeer. These cabins are in poor condition.

These cabins and the corral are part of the Goodhope River Reindeer Herding Site Cultural Landscape and are eligible for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places.

 

Cottonwood Creek Shelter Cabin

GPS Coordinates: N 65° 47’ 38.152”, W 163° 36’ 40.643”

The Cottonwood Shelter Cabin is in poor condition. The stove, stovepipe, fuel tank and one window require replacement. Last repairs were done in August 2006. NPS maintenance crew installed a Nordic Stove, floor joist with plywood overlay, a new table and inner and outer doors to better protect cabin from bear activity.

The structure is eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places. The cabin was built around 1917 by the Alaska Road Commission. It is the last remaining structure of this type within the preserve according to the state record. Learn more about the history of Cottonwood Cabin.

 

Grayling Creek Shelter Cabin

GPS Coordinates: N 66° 02.26672’, W 165°08.12686’

The Grayling Creek Shelter Cabin is in over-all good condition, it received significant rehabilitation work in 2018 by park staff. It is equipped with a VHF radio repeater. A standard 12-volt battery is needed to power the VHF radio repeater.

 

Singeak Cabin built in 2019 in partnership with the Native Village of Shishmaref and Kawerak, Inc.

Photo / Kawerak, Inc

Singeak Shelter Cabin

GPS Coordinates: N66° 30.931' W164° 43.347'

The Singeak Shelter Cabin was built in 2019 to replace Cowpack Shelter Cabin. It was rebuilt in a new location along the interior boarder of Cowpack Lagoon. This cabin was built in partnership with the Native Village of Shishmaref and Kawerak, Inc. It is in good condition.