Balls Lake Trail
Balls Lake Trail is a 3 miles trail in Tongass National Forest, Alaska. The Forest Service rates it trail class 3, developed. It is open to hiking, horse and pack stock and mountain biking.
Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The Tongass National Forest official page carries current alerts and closure orders.
Map
One end Other endLine simplified to about 100 metres. Basemap from the USGS National Map.
| One end | 55.7025, -132.8418 · Directions ↗ |
| Other end | 55.7023, -132.8409 · Directions ↗ |
The ends are the two ends of the longest connected chain of segments. The record does not say which is the usual start.
The trail
| Length | 3 miles, of which 3 miles evaluated accessible |
| Trail class | 3, developed |
| Type | land trail |
| Surface | native material |
| Typical grade | 0-5 percent |
| Typical tread width | 24-36 inches |
| Minimum width | 24 inches |
| Motor vehicles | Closed to all motorized use year-round |
| Accessibility | At least one segment meets Forest Service accessibility guidelines |
| Trail numbers | 54799 |
| Forest | Tongass National Forest (unit 1005) |
| States | Alaska |
| Detail published | management level, with uses |
Values are the set across all segments. Class 1 is minimally developed and class 5 is fully developed. Grade and width are the forest's typical values, not measured extremes.
Allowed uses
| Hiking | Allowed 05/15 to 09/15 (month/day) |
| Horse and pack stock | Allowed |
| Mountain biking | Allowed year-round |
A use is listed when the Forest Service records it as managed, accepted or discouraged on any segment. Discouraged still means legal. Uses marked restricted are left out. Where the forest publishes a Motor Vehicle Use Map, that map governs motorized use.
Trailheads
The Forest Service recreation layer records no trailhead within a third of a mile of this trail's line. Many trails start from a road pullout or another trail with no trailhead record. The forest's recreation pages list the trailheads it does publish.
Distance is from the point to the nearest part of the trail line. Season text is what the forest wrote and is often a season name rather than a date. The recreation page link goes to the Forest Service site, which may redirect to the forest's recreation index.
Camping nearby
Campsite Atlas cards carry site counts and booking links from Recreation.gov. Forest Service cards come from the recreation layer and link the agency page.
Reference
Questions people ask
How long is the Balls Lake Trail?
3 miles, the sum of the 1 segment the Forest Service records under this name in Tongass National Forest. 3 miles of that are evaluated as accessible.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
What is allowed on the Balls Lake Trail?
hiking, horse and pack stock and mountain biking. The trail is closed to motor vehicles year-round. Some uses are seasonal. The allowed uses section lists the dates.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Where does the Balls Lake Trail start?
The line begins at 55.7025, -132.8418 and ends at 55.7023, -132.8409. No Forest Service trailhead is recorded within a third of a mile of it. The record does not say which end is the usual start.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Is the Balls Lake Trail in a wilderness area?
No. The trail line does not cross any polygon in the National Wilderness Preservation System layer.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Where can I camp near the Balls Lake Trail?
Eagles Nest Campground (0 mi), Control Lake Cabin (0.8 mi) and Eagles Nest Campground (1.3 mi) are within five miles of the trail. Site counts and booking links are on Campsite Atlas.
How developed is the Balls Lake Trail?
Trail class 3, which the Forest Service describes as developed. Class 1 is a minimal, unimproved route and class 5 is fully developed, often paved.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
How steep and how wide is the Balls Lake Trail?
The typical grade is 0-5 percent. The typical tread is 24-36 inches wide.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Is the Balls Lake Trail accessible?
The Forest Service has evaluated 3 miles of this trail as meeting its accessibility guidelines. The surface is native material.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Who manages the Balls Lake Trail?
Tongass National Forest, Forest Service unit 1005. The trail is in Alaska.
Source
This page is built from 1 segment named BALLS LAKE TRAIL in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 1005. Wilderness overlap is tested against the National Wilderness Preservation System layer from Wilderness Connect. Trailheads and Forest Service campgrounds come from the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer. Data refreshed September 17, 2026. The methodology page explains how segments become trails.