YOUR WATERFRONT HOMESTEAD
TURN-KEY • OFF-GRID • ALASKA PROPERTY FOR SALE
2.61 ACRES | 3,600 SQ FT | KUPREANOF ISLAND
$395,000
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2 Bedrooms | 1 Bathroom (shower)
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Waterfront property — east-facing water views
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Access - 5 minutes by skiff across Wrangell Narrows
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Starlink, AT&T & GCI connectivity available
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Solar & Generator Power
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Wood & Oil Heat
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Built early 1970s, completed 1983
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USFS Trail access to Petersburg Creek & Petersburg Mountain
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Abundant Southeast Alaska Wildlife
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Served as Kupreanof City Meeting Hall through 2025
WILDERNESS LIVING
Maybe you’re tired of traffic. Maybe you’re tired of noise, neighbors through the wall, the relentless hum of a city that never stops demanding more of you.
Maybe you’re young and want to build something that matters. Maybe you’re mid-career and ready to reset. Maybe you’re retired and ready for a fresh start.
Whatever brought you here, you already know this isn’t a weekend fantasy. You also know that waking up to silence, to wilderness, to a life you actually control — is worth the change.
This is Kupreanof Island. A roadless community across the narrows from Petersburg, Alaska. Five minutes by skiff to groceries, supplies and medical care. Five seconds to step outside and hear nothing but wind, water, and ravens.
No roads. No ferry. Just trails, trees, and people who chose this life on purpose.
This house is turn-key. Modern off-grid infrastructure. Southern exposure waterfront with protected wilderness at your back. The systems work. The house is ready. You show up, you move in, you start living.
If you’re ready for the challenge — not the idea of it, but the actual daily work of it — this is what you’ve been looking for.
ABOUT
Offered for Sale by the City of Kupreanof
ABOUT THIS PROPERTY
This property has its roots with a retired couple, founding members of the community, who initiated their dream here in the early 1970s. Construction continued over the next decade, completing in 1983. At the time of their passing, the City purchased the property in 1989 and used it as the center of civic life — where the city council met, where the community gathered, where decisions were made that shaped this small roadless town.
Maintained by a city caretaker and kept functional as working municipal space. This wasn’t someone’s abandoned off-grid experiment. It was serious infrastructure for a serious community. The systems had to work because the entire city government depended on them.
The house served as the meeting hall for the city until 2025. The city recently moved municipal operations closer to the dock, making this exceptional property available for private ownership.
ABOUT KUPREANOF
The City of Kupreanof hosts the gateway to the Petersburg Creek wilderness area.
Kupreanof is Alaska’s smallest second-class city — a real incorporated municipality with elected officials, ordinances, and all the structure of local government. Its population hovers around 20–30 people depending on the season.
It’s a roadless community. No cars. No ferry service. Just skiffs, trails, and neighbors who chose this life deliberately. The kind of place where people know each other, look out for each other, and understand that living here means being self-reliant while also being part of something bigger than yourself.
This isn’t a collection of isolated homesteads pretending to be a town. This is a real community with history, infrastructure, and people who’ve made it work for decades. Five minutes across the water from Petersburg when you need supplies or services. Five minutes back home to wilderness.
When you buy this property, you’re not just buying land and a house. You’re buying into a community that’s proven it can sustain itself in one of the most remote, challenging, and beautiful places in North America.
THE VALUE
Value of Alaska Wilderness Living
This isn’t just off-grid. Plenty of places are off-grid.
This is remote Alaska living — but you’re not alone out here.
Off-grid means you manage your own power and water. Remote living means you’re surrounded by wilderness, where wildlife outnumbers people, where the forest goes on for miles and the pace of life follows tides and weather instead of traffic lights and deadlines.
But this isn’t total isolation. There are neighbors — sparse, spread out along the trail system. The kind of people who chose this life the same way you’re choosing it. Your closest neighbor’s house sits just on the south corner entrance to the property right up to the USFS trail. The rest are scattered. You have space. You have privacy at the house itself. But if something goes wrong, if you need help, there are people nearby who understand how this works.
And when you want the bustle of town — Petersburg’s harbors, the grocery store, people, noise, supplies — it’s 5 minutes away by skiff. You’re not trapped in isolation. You have options.
You’re unplugging from the constant noise, the rush, the relentless stress of modern life that you don’t even notice until it’s gone. But you’re plugging into something else — a community of people who’ve figured out how to live on their own terms, a rhythm that follows nature instead of fighting it, problems that are immediate and solvable instead of abstract and endless.
Out here, your problems have clear solutions. The generator needs fuel. The woodpile needs restocking. The tide’s coming in. These aren’t anxieties — they’re tasks.
You wake up to eagle calls instead of traffic. You fall asleep to wind in the trees instead of sirens. You have neighbors who get it when you need them. You have wilderness when you want it. And you have town when you need more than that.
This is what it means to live in remote Alaska. Not in a cabin you visit on weekends. Not in a subdivision with “mountain views.” In it. Part of it. With the safety net of community and the freedom of space.
Most people spend their lives dreaming about this kind of space and freedom. Some never do it. Some aren’t ready. Some find out it’s exactly what they’ve been looking for. The only way to know if this is your place is to see it, walk it, and decide for yourself.
THE HOUSE
3,600 Square Feet | Two Levels | Log and Concrete Construction
The main floor is 1,800 square feet of log construction. Real log walls — the kind that hold heat, age well, and make a house feel like it belongs in the woods. Two bedrooms. A den with built-in shelving that sits adjacent to the living room — could be an office, art studio, workspace, or just what it is: a den with storage and its own heat source. Large one bathroom with a hot water shower, vanity sink and toilet.
The kitchen is fully functional and set up with options: a propane stove and oven for everyday cooking, and a wood-fired cook stove for backup heat and old-school cooking when you want it. The kind of redundancy that matters when you’re off-grid.
The living area has picture windows facing the water. East-facing windows catch the sunrise — morning light pouring through, hitting the log walls, warming the space as Petersburg wakes up across the water. Southern exposure means the house gets sun all day long — from sunrise through afternoon. By evening, the sun moves behind you to the west. You sit in that room and watch weather roll in, mountains rise behind town, and boats move across the narrows.
There is a deck that wraps the waterfront side. Perfect place for morning coffee with the sunrise or relaxing in the evening light after your meal. Definitely the kind of view you don’t tire of.
The basement is another 1,800 square feet — and it’s a daylight concrete basement. The front half (facing the water) has windows and natural light. The back half is built into the hillside. Not a dark cave you throw things into and forget. Dry space. Concrete floors. Room to work, store, build. A foundation that’s solid.
This basement has potential for whatever you need: a wood workshop, metalworking or blacksmithing setup, art studio with natural light, music practice space where concrete helps with sound. Large family? Add extra bedrooms, a rec room, kids’ play area, gym space, or extended family quarters. It’s the kind of flexible space that’s hard to find anywhere, and nearly impossible to find in a waterfront setting like this.
Heat Sources
Heat isn’t a concern here. You have redundancy.
Upstairs: Open style living. A wood stove in the living room area. A wood cook stove in the kitchen area. A one-year-old Toyo in the den area with thermostat control.
Basement: A wood stove. An oil pot burner that keeps the whole house above 45–50°F as baseline heat through winter.
You can heat with wood when you want to be hands-on. Oil when you don’t. The Toyo when you want efficient, set-it-and-forget-it warmth. Mix and match based on what you’re doing, where you are in the house, and what fuel you have available. The house stays warm without you babysitting it.
Does the house need some TLC? Yes. Fresh paint, minor repairs, making this house yours — the kind of work you’d expect. But the bones are solid, the systems work, and it’s heated and maintained.
The infrastructure is proven and functioning. The structure is sound. For someone with the skills and willingness to do some preparation work, this is an excellent opportunity.
This isn’t a years-long restoration project. This is a working house with good bones that needs the right owner to make it shine.
INFRA-
STRUCTURE
What Freedom Actually Costs
Most off-grid properties are cheap because nothing works, or they’re expensive because someone just finished installing everything and wants their money back. This one’s different.
The systems are proven. The equipment is modern. The infrastructure is turn-key.
POWER
Twenty-four upgraded solar panel system with Outback inverter controller. Twenty-four nickel iron batteries (the kind that last). An 8kW main generator that’s two-years-old. A 5kW backup generator, refurbished and ready.
You’re not hoping the sun shines. You have backup. You have redundancy. The lights work.
WATER
4,000 gallons of storage fed by roof catchment. Water purification filters. Pressure tank. You turn on a faucet, you take a hot shower.
HEAT
Five heat sources throughout the house (detailed in The House section above): wood stoves, oil pot burner, and a modern Toyo unit. You’re never one broken part away from freezing. The house stays warm.
COOKING
Propane stove and oven for everyday use. Wood cook stove for backup and extra heat. Redundancy matters when you can’t just call a repair person.
SEPTIC
Functioning septic system. No composting toilet experiments. No gray water questions. It’s done right.
CONNECTIVITY
Cell phone coverage is excellent. AT&T, GCI and Starlink are available for internet connectivity, with installation up to the new owners.
This isn’t cutting-edge experimental tech. This is proven, practical infrastructure. The systems work because they’ve been working. They’re not new and untested. They’re not old and failing. They’re maintained, functional, and ready.
THE LAND
2.61 Acres | Waterfront | Southern Exposure | Protected Privacy
The property sits on 2.61 acres of waterfront on Kupreanof Island. The house is positioned on a hillside above the beach — elevation that gives you views and keeps you out of the high tide zone.
Waterfront property faces east across Wrangell Narrows. You wake up to sunrise over the water. Southern exposure means sun all day — and in Southeast Alaska’s temperate rainforest climate, that matters. Petersburg gets significant rain. When you get a clear day, southern exposure means you’re catching every hour of available light. The deck dries out, the windows warm the house, the solar panels reach full capacity, and the rain that fell yesterday evaporates.
Nothing compares to the moment when the sun breaks through the clouds, lights up the Mitkof Island mountains across the narrows, and Petersburg’s harbors come alive with that particular Southeast Alaska clarity.
You have beach access and a deck with sweeping views across Wrangell Narrows — Petersburg’s town, harbors, and mountains all visible. Close enough to watch the boats move, far enough that you can’t hear them. A small creek shared with the neighbor runs along the property boundary.
Garden space includes multiple raised beds, with three-quarters located inside a greenhouse framed structure that needs new plastic covering. Trees everywhere — Sitka spruce, hemlock, the kind of forest that makes you feel small in the best way. The lot directly behind you is designated scenic land, protected by law. No one will be allowed to build back there.
A US Forest Service 6 ft easement cuts through the property and other Kupreanof properties as part of the Petersburg Mountain and Petersburg Lake Trail system. The house sits elevated above the trail — you can see people passing below, but they can’t see into your windows. The trail serves neighboring properties and recreational users hiking to Petersburg Creek or the Petersburg Mountain summit. The trail foot traffic usage varies seasonally.
Four structures on the property:
Main house. Generator shed. Woodshed down by the water. Greenhouse framed structure.
This is space. Real space. The kind you forgot existed.
THE
LOCATION
Kupreanof Island | Minutes from Petersburg by Skiff
Kupreanof is the smallest second-class city in Alaska. Population hovers around 20–30 people, depending on the season. It’s a real town — city government, elected officials, people who look out for each other — but there are no roads. No cars. No ferry.
Just skiffs and trails.
Petersburg is five minutes by skiff across Wrangell Narrows. Approximately 20 minutes from house to walking down main street Petersburg. Grocery store, hardware store, marine supply, fuel, medical clinic. You need something, you go get it. You want to disappear for a week, you stay home.
Petersburg is a working fishing town — not a tourist trap, not a resort. Real people, real economy, the kind of community that functions year-round because it has to.
And then you get back in your boat and come home to this.
The wildlife here is constant. Bald eagles are so common you stop noticing them. Ravens calling from the trees. Great blue herons in the shallows. Sea birds and ducks gathering along the coast all year long. Watch the narrows — steelhead jumping, sea lions passing by, orca whale family pods migrating through with the seasons. Humpbacks feed further north in Frederick Sound, but the seashore here and Wrangell Narrows are alive with abundant marine life. Sitka black-tailed deer are everywhere, walking the animal trails that crisscross the property and the USFS trail. Mink, marten, and river otters slip across the trail system. Moose through the trees. Black bears passing through. Wolves in the distance. This is their home. You’re just living in it.
You’re positioned at the crossroads of wilderness. Head south on the trail system — 30–40 minutes brings you to Petersburg Creek, where the path follows Petersburg Creek upstream toward the Petersburg Lake trailhead. Deeper forest, salmon runs, backcountry that extends for miles. Turn north instead and you’re climbing toward Petersburg Mountain’s summit. The kind of trail access people search their whole lives for, right from your property.
This is Southeast Alaska at its best — the wilderness without the isolation, the solitude without the loneliness.
ACCESS
For Sale By Owner | $395,000 | Boat Access Only
Let’s be clear: you need a dependable skiff.
You’re moving yourself, your gear, and your supplies by water. Tides matter. Weather matters. Wind affects when you can or can’t cross. That’s the reality of island living.
Two Ways to Access the Property:
The Kupreanof Dock: Park at the community dock (deep water, usable at any tide). Five-minute walk on flat gravel trail to the property, then uphill from the trail to the house. The gravel is loose — not smooth pavement — but you can use a wheeled cart. Good for regular trips, lighter loads, anytime access regardless of tide.
Your Beach: Land directly at the property’s waterfront beach (high tide preferred). Two minutes uphill to the house — steep but short. Shorter distance, steeper grade, direct drop to the waterfront. Better for bulk supplies, building materials, propane, anything heavy.
The work is real. The distance is manageable. And you have options based on what you’re hauling and when. Most people who live this way figure out systems — carts for the flat section, pulleys for the steep beach haul, timing supply runs for high tide.
The Reality of the Work
Here’s what you need to understand about moving things on this property:
The USFS trail from the dock is foot traffic only — no motorized vehicles allowed on the trail itself by ordinance. You can use a 4-wheeler, ATV, or other motorized equipment on your own land, but getting gear from the dock to the house means carrying it, using a cart, or making multiple trips.
It’s adventure. It’s hard work. And when you wake up to sunrise over the narrows, spend the day in southern light, watch boats move through Petersburg’s harbors with those mountains behind town — all in the kind of serenity most people will never know — it’s worth it.
This property rewards creativity, problem-solving, and physical capability. It’s a great house with great bones and great infrastructure. Modern off-grid systems that work. Waterfront with protected wilderness behind you. A real community five minutes across the water by skiff.
But it’s not for just anyone. It’s for the right person with the right skills and mindset.
The house is maintained and waiting.
Ready to see it?
CONTACT US
Let's Start Your Wilderness Journey
