Stroller Friendly Trails Part 2; Eagle River Landing Trail/ Amalga Cabin
Amalga Cabin Deck with Arlo in the Osprey Poco.
I don't know how it happened, but I was able to snag a weeknight reservation for the Amalga Cabin, Juneau's newest and possibly nicest public rental cabin. It is one of only three overnight cabins managed by CBJ (City and Borough of Juneau). Unfortunately, they are only a few years old and tend to sell out within hours of available dates going live. So this cabin adds a single reservation every day at 6:00 pm 90 days out. CBJ also manages multiple day-use pavilions available for rent through the same website/portal. The day-use sites are the perfect option for events. For example, ones that are next to playgrounds regularly get reserved for children's birthday parties. You can find the rental portal at Catalog - Juneau Parks & Recreation.
The only ''public'' hours of the cabin are from noon to 2 pm, but there is a possibility that the people staying there have the reservation for multiple days. So if you cannot snag a reservation, I recommend heading out to the private cove just down from the turn-off for the cabin on the accessible trail. It allows the cabin guest privacy while offering similar top-notch views and serene waters. Another option to snag a peak of the cabin would be to kayak by it. The nearby Amalga boat launch has a designated kayak launch and many beaches within paddle distance to land and explore.
Jito and his wheelbarrow
I work most weekends and major holidays. So most of our cabin rentals end up being on weeknights. Jito goes to work a little bit later and skips his lunch. It works out well for us and also allows us to get in on some of the less desirable reservations as they come up. This rental was no different and ended up being a Wednesday night. Jito got off work about 3 pm, I had everything ready to go, and we packed up the truck and headed out. The trailhead is at Amalga Meadows, about 30 minutes/ 16 miles from the airport. There's a designated parking lot for overnight parking just before the Eagle Valley Recreation Center. There was a sign for a wagon for the cabin, but no wagon in sight. Luckily we brought our own. I ended up renting from GUBR to ensure I could snag one of the travel cribs, the wagon, and my favorite hiking carrier; the Osprey Poco.
We invited my parents and brother to meet us for dinner. We brought A LOT of food and drinks and ended up toting our biggest cooler out there. It ended up being three courses with a charcuterie board to-go and two large racks of Jerry's Smoked Ribs. Since the trail is 3/4 of a mile or 15 minutes one way, Jito decided he wanted to tote a wheelbarrow with firewood and the cooler (don't ask me why, men are weird). It worked out for us, but next time we will skip it. There's plenty of firewood (and a splitting maul) at the site, and we could have easily gotten away with an insulated tote we use for grocery shopping.
While Jito made the initial trek, I packed our wagon with the travel crib, some camping chairs, and our sleeping bags/pads while my daughter, Arlo, finished her nap. When he got back, we started the trek out. I had no problems carrying Arlo in the Poco while pulling the wagon. We made it to the cabin in only 12 minutes, with a ten-month-old, wagon, wheelbarrow, and four dogs in tow. The path is wide enough to walk side by side with no significant mud holes or steep inclines/declines. There are also many blueberry bushes for a quick snack.
One of the coolest things about the Amalga cabin is the fact that it is handicapped-accessible! The trail is packed and maintained gravel from the parking lot. It's also wide enough to walk side by side. There is a slight grade, but it's gradual on both ends. The cabin has a ramp and firepit in front, allowing room for mobility devices. Even the outhouse is designed to be ADA compliant.
Somehow we managed to avoid massive populations of no-see-ems and mosquitos, a common problem for cabin stays. There were dense, buggy spots on the trail, but they quickly dissipated once we broke into the opening and beach. The stars were out in force, and there wasn't a single drop of rain. After dinner, my parents and brother paddled back to their trucks, Arlo went to sleep, and Jito and I enjoyed a quiet beer by the fire. We had a fantastic night and woke up rested the next day. There's nothing like a night in the cabin to reset the circadian rhythm. Even Arlo got her 10 hours in.
It was the perfect mix of seclusion and accessibility for us. We're still learning how not to overpack when it comes to traveling with a baby. Luckily this trail was kind to us and made it easy to get it all out there. We plan on returning at least once yearly; we just have to get lucky again. Even if we don't get the cabin again, I will still make my way out there for a beach day as long as the weather cooperates and gives us just one more day of summer.
