Hotels

Fly-in Wilderness Lodges -- Any number of hotels use the word lodge in their names, but true wilderness lodges have unique qualities: They lie beyond the road system in places that are hard to get to but that are well worth spending some time in. These qualities also put wilderness lodges beyond most budgets. Getting there is expensive for guests and for operators; also, most lodges are small and have relatively large staffs to offer all-inclusive packages of rooms, meals, and guiding. For reasons explained elsewhere, I've generally excluded fishing lodges, concentrating instead on lodges that offer a variety of outdoor activities. Excellent lodges are described in the sections on Gustavus, Homer, and Denali National Park.