Sperry Chalet - Glacier Park, Montana
Sperry Chalet was built in 1913 by James J. and son Louis Hill of the Great
Northern Railway, the prime developer of Glacier National Park. Listed as an
Historic Landmark, these rustic buildings, built of native rock, have survived
their rugged environment relatively unchanged for over 90 years. Opened in 1914
the main buildings consist of a two story hotel building and a kitchen/dining
room building. Except for modernized kitchen facilities and the new restroom
facility, an effort has been made to keep both the interiors and exteriors of
the chalets much as they were built. Meals are informal, table d'hote; dinner is
served from 6 to 7 p.m., breakfast served from 7 to 8:30 a.m. A trail lunch is
provided or a chalet ala-carte lunch. Ala carte service is available to all in
the dining room from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Breakfast and dinner are available
separately with advance notice.
Granite Park Chalet - Glacier National Park, Montana
This 1914 stone hut is reachable
only by hiking trail or horseback ride. The 7.4-mi trek is well worth the
effort, because you will see Heaven's Peak and Logan Pass and may see a grizzly
bear or two. Pack in your own food and bedding (there's optional linen service
for a fee). The innkeeper will help you organize in the kitchen, find a good
hiking trail, and watch for wildlife.
Skoki
Lodge - Banff National Park, Alberta Canada
Skoki
Lodge is situated in a beautiful high alpine region in Banff National Park. The
eleven kilometer trail to the Skoki Valley makes this lodge an ideal destination
for hikers and skiers of all levels. From the lodge one can access breathtaking
mountain ridges and alpine lakes, or explore five different adjoining valleys.
During the summer months the beautiful alpine flowers are an experience in
themselves.How long does it take
to hike/cross country ski/snow shoe to Skoki Lodge? Depending on
your ability, 3 – 5 hours.
Bearpaw Meadow Camp -Sequoia National Park CA
Bearpaw Meadow Camp is located on the
High Sierra Trail 11 miles (17.6 km) east of Giant Forest. This simple tent
hotel is the only concession facility located in the backcountry of Sequoia &
Kings Canyon National Parks. It offers accommodations, meals and limited
supplies from mid-June through Labor Day. There is a small camping area for
backpackers not staying at the tent hotel. Backpackers should note that the
piped water there will no longer be treated or filtered due to the difficulty of
maintaining this remote system to meet mandatory state standards for drinking
water. The piped water will be labeled "nonpotable," and backpackers should be
prepared to treat it themselves.
Most of the guests find the 11.3 mile walk and 1400' elevation gain quite
tiring, especially the last 1.2 miles up from Buck Creek. You should take the
trail seriously even though it is considered moderate. Walking time to Bearpaw
varies from five to ten hours. The average time is 8 hours.
Twin Falls Chalet, Alberta, Canada
This hike begins with dramatic flare.opposite the raging Takakkaw Falls that
plunge 380 m into the Yoho River . Viewpoints along the way - Laughing Falls ,
Trolltinder Mountain and Mount Gordon , and ultimately, the Twin Falls
themselves - maintain the impressiveness of the Yoho Valley .
The first half of the hike is relatively flat, with one major hill (your reward
is another flat section along the valley bottom). Along the way, the trail
shifts from being open and scenic to narrow and forested. The final push to the
Twin Falls Chalet is a steady climb beyond the campground. Note: the chalet is
an old Canadian Pacific Railway building (1923); snacks and lodging for small
groups (with reservations) are available.
The High Sierra Camps - Yosemite CA
The High Sierra Camps system in Yosemite is an opportunity to experience the
remote backcountry in relative comfort of tent cabins with wood floors, beds and
small woodstoves, fresh home-cooked meals, and hot showers.
The High Sierra Camps form a circle spaced roughly 6 to 8 miles apart, a
comfortable days hike from one to the next. You can do the whole circuit, see
some mind-boggling scenery, fish, hang-out and take pictures in about 10 days.
You will undoubtedly want to stay a while at Vogelsang (hiking) or Glen Aulin
(fishing).
Phantom Ranch - Grand Canyon Arizona
Phantom Ranch is a comfortable oasis nestled at the bottom of the Grand Canyon.
It is tucked in beside Bright Angel Creek on the north side of the Colorado
River and is the only lodging facility below the Canyon rim. The Ranch can only
be reached by mule, by foot, or by rafting the Colorado River and is a popular
stop-over point for hikers and mule riders traveling to the bottom of the Canyon
via the famous Bright Angel or Kaibab trails. Open year-round.
The ranch was designed by architect Mary E. J. Colter and completed in 1922. The
rustic cabins and main lodge are built of wood and native stone and do not
intrude on the natural beauty and solitude of the setting. Overnight
accommodations at Phantom Ranch consist of dormitory spaces and cabins. Cabins
and dormitories are heated and utilize evaporative cooling during the summer
months.
LeConte Lodge - Great Smoky Mountain National Park, TN
At 6,593 feet elevation, Mount LeConte is one of the Great Smoky Mountains
National Park's highest peaks. When the movement to establish a national park in
the Smokies was in full sway, a tent camp was erected where LeConte Lodge now
stands to entertain visiting dignitaries from Washington. Although LeConte Lodge
is now under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service, it predates the
creation of the park in 1930. Jack Huff, a Gatlinburg mountaineer and founder of
the rustic lodge, began building the retreat in 1926. Eight years later, Jack
and Pauline Huff were married at a sunrise service at LeConte's now-famous
Myrtle Point, the traditional place to watch spectacular performances of
daybreak. Jack, Pauline and their family continued to operate the lodge until
1960. It is presently operated under the auspices of Stokely Hospitality
Enterprises, supervised by General Managers Tim and Lisa Line.
Overnight guests at LeConte Lodge are very special people. The only way to reach
the facility is by taking hiking trails up and back. There are five trails to
the lodge, the shortest and steepest being Alum Cave Trail at 5 1/2 miles, which
a hiker in good condition can do in approximately four hours. None of these
trails can be considered a stroll and you occasionally encounter ice and snow as
late as May or as early as October. The other trails are Rainbow Falls and
Trillium Gap, each 6.5 miles, a hike of about five hours; Bullhead at 7.2 miles
and about five hours; and Boulevard, 8 miles and about 5 1/2 hours. Parking is
available at the start of each trail.
Len
Foote Hike Inn - Near the start of the Applachian
Trail Georgia
The Inn is accessible only by foot over a moderate 5 mile trail which originates
at the top of the falls. Check in at the Park Visitors Center to get vital
information and directions for your walk to the Hike Inn. You must check in at
the Visitors Center before 2:00 PM or you will not be permitted to hike. The
hike takes from 2 to 4 hours, so be sure to start early enough to arrive well
before the facilities tour and dinner (5:00 PM & 6:00 PM every night). You only
need to bring your personal items, including layered clothing, hiking boots,
extra socks, rain gear, toiletries, water (for the trail), sunscreen, insect
repellent, first aid kit and flashlight.
Dinner and breakfast are served family style. Educational and entertaining
programs are conducted in the Sunrise Room after dinner most evenings. Programs
consist of everything from worm composting to storytelling
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