Hotels

A Hostel & Camping

Wrangell Hostel is at the First Presbyterian Church, 220 Church St. (P.O. Box 439), Wrangell, AK 99929 (tel. 907/874-3534). They're open Memorial Day through Labor Day, the rate is $18 a night, and there is no daytime lock-out period.

There are several attractive campgrounds in Wrangell. I've never seen another campground in a spot like the mountaintop Nemo Point Forest Service Campground, but it's more than a dozen miles out of town. Five miles south of town, the Shoemaker Bay Recreation Area has sites by the road overlooking the boat harbor, right across from the Rainbow Falls Trail. There are free tent sites and RV sites with electric hookups for $25 a night, $15 without electric; the camping fee includes use of the town pool and its showers. Contact the Wrangell Recreation and Parks Department (tel. 907/874-2444) for information. They also manage City Park, right at the edge of town on Zimovia Highway, where camping is permitted with a 1-night limit.

For a full hookup RV site, try Alaska Waters' small park, at 241 Berger St. (tel. 800/347-4462). They charge $25 a night for rigs up to 35 feet, $30 over that length.

Rent a Houseboat

Marie Oboczky, the naturalist who owns Rainwalker Expeditions (tel. 907/874-2549; www.rainwalkerexpeditions.com), offers a cute and cozy old wooden houseboat as a summer accommodation. Early in summer, it sits in Shoemaker Harbor, then July through September Oboczky keeps it tied up in remote Bradford Canal, 35 miles from town. This is a chance to stay in relative comfort in the wilderness, and for a bargain price. At the dock, the boat rents for $85 a night, including bikes for getting around. In its remote setting, she offers 3- and 5-day packages, including transportation and canoes, starting at $650. The boat isn't large, but a couple or family of three who enjoy the outdoors could be very content here, kayaking and enjoying the outdoors, while still able to cook and use the shower and bathroom on board. You can put the stay together with an outfitter for guided activities, too.