Wyndham Wisdom

Hotels Worth a Hike

No parking? No problem. These eight hideaways are far removed from traffic and paved roads. You'll sleep soundly--and often save money, as well.

The hotel business was quick to adapt to the invention of the automobile. By the 1930s, hundreds of motor lodges and motels allowed guests to sleep mere yards from the car they rolled in on. But a handful of lodgings remain stubbornly, deliberately, off road, and more often than not in the wild. As a bonus, some of them charge less than your average Motel 6. We've picked eight of our favorites, from a repurposed fire lookout in the Idaho panhandle to a working Hudson River lighthouse that doubles as an antiques filled B&B. Some are reached by foot, some by paddle, but all these refuges are, blissfully, out of the way of the motorized world.

TEMENOS--SHUTESBURY, MA
To fully enjoy this woodsy 78-acre retreat in western Massachusetts, you need to be okay living without electricity and running water. As you hike into the compound (¼ mile in summer; a mile in winter), you can haul your gear in one of the garden carts or sleds provided. The lodge and four cabins come with double beds, kerosene lamps, woodstoves, and propane burners for heating meals; you'll bring your own food and sleeping bags. By day you can hike a network of trails (one overlook offers 60-mile views), then rinse off in the pond--nature's bathtub. 413-367-9779; massretreats.com; $35 per night, $15 for each additional guest.

ARID PEAK LOOKOUT--IDAHO PANHANDLE NATIONAL FORESTS, ID
Ever since Jack Kerouac spent the summer of 1956 manning one, backcountry fire towers have evoked a rugged, romantic isolation. The U.S. Forest Service has restored dozens around the West and opened them to overnight guests. Reached by a moderate three-mile hike, Arid Peak Lookout (above left) is a boxy 20-foot-high tower with views of lodge pole forests and the St. Joe River Valley. Luxurious by camping standards, the lookout is still far from five-star: Besides the two cots (yes, with mattresses), there's a propane lantern, a griddle and an outhouse. Bring your own food and water. 877-444-6777; recreation.gov; $25, maximum four people

SPERRY CHALET--GLACIER NATIONAL PARK, MT
So vast is Glacier National Park--more than a million acres of jagged peaks, ice fields and alpine lakes--that most travelers usually see only a sliver of its rugged interior. To really immerse yourself in the backcountry, book a stay at Sperry Chalet (above center), a 1913 stone lodge that overlooks Lake McDonald and the Whitefish Mountains. You get there by hiking seven miles from Lake McDonald Lodge. The 17 guest rooms have no electricity, heat or running water; and the shared bathrooms are in a separate building. But guests can expect four-course meals and a vast network of high-country trails. The prettiest, Sperry Glacier Trail, climbs four miles past waterfalls and tarns to one of the largest glaciers in the park. 888-345-2649; sperrychalet.com; doubles from $285, including meals

THE MONASTERY OF CHRIST IN THE DESERT--ABIQUIÚ, NM
Though a rocky, four-wheel-drive road winds 13 miles to this off-the-grid sanctuary, the most adventurous route is by kayaking the Chama River. Don't have your own kayak? Book the trip with one of the guided outfitters that run this section of river, like Far Flung Adventures in Taos (800-359-2627; farflung.com). The monastery--home to some 30 Benedictine monks and a modest but comfortable 13-room guesthouse--is open to anyone seeking serious relaxation, regardless of faith. Most visitors pass the time wandering the sagebrush trails along the river, fishing the Chama or simply meditating under the streaked sandstone cliffs of the divine riverfront setting. 801-545-8567; christdesert.org; $90 suggested donation for doubles, meals included

EAGLE RIVER NATURE CENTER--EAGLE RIVER, AK
Despite the state's nickname, "The Last Frontier," many travelers in Alaska never stray far from their cruise ships. So that means it's mostly the locals who get to enjoy the rustic cabin and two yurts at the Eagle River Nature Center, 15 miles outside Anchorage. The yurts, one at Rapids Camp (above right) and the other on the River Trail, are both reached by about a 1½-mile hike. Each of these simple canvas walled structures has a woodstove, firewood, bunk bed, latrine, bear-proof food containers (this is grizzly country) and a deck overlooking the gravel bars along the swift-flowing Eagle River. The cozy log cabin is roomier, with space for eight, but just as rustic. It's set back from the river on a small pond, a mile's hike from the visitor center. All three accommodations offer easy access to a section of the historic Iditarod Trail that once served as a mail route between the villages of Portage and Knik and was turned into a hiking trail in 1971. A five-mile, one-way walk along the Eagle River brings you to Heritage Falls, while the three-mile Albert Loop Trail provides terrific views of the Eagle River Valley, as well as Polar Bear and Eagle peaks. 907-694-2108; ernc.org; yurt or cabin, $65

ROGUE RIVER--ROGUE RIVER CANYON, OR
Pluck pays off in southern Oregon, where a hike on the Rogue River National Recreation Trail provides access to not one, but five wilderness inns. The trail, which follows the officially designated Wild & Scenic section of the Rogue River for 40 miles through a craggy, roadless canyon, can be easily hiked in four or five days. Bed down at a different lodge each night, starting at Grave Creek and traveling downstream to Black Bar Lodge (at mile 9.3) and on to Marial (23.9), Paradise (27.4), Clay Hill (33.2) and Illahe (38.8). The lodges, all independently owned, offer private rooms and baths and home-cooked meals. For a shorter escape, hike six miles from the downstream trailhead to Clay Hill Lodge, a homey nine-room getaway by two sandy beaches. 503-859-3772; clayhilllodge.com; $120 per person, including meals. For additional trail and lodge information, google "Rogue River National Recreation Trail."

SAUGERTIES LIGHTHOUSE--SAUGERTIES, NY
When this Hudson River lighthouse (above) was built in 1869, its main job was to prevent steamboats from running aground on nearby shallows. Today, the still-operational brick beacon, 110 miles north of New York City, does double duty as a bed-and-breakfast inn. Set on a narrow spit of land extending into the Hudson, the lighthouse is reachable by private boat or on foot via a sandy half-mile trail through willows and wildflowers. High tides can submerge the trail, so call ahead to insure you arrive dry-footed. The two upstairs guest rooms have 20th-century antiques and old-fashioned quilts, gorgeous river views and a shared bath. For dinner, bring along some steaks to grill out on the deck. Make sure to plan ahead; the lighthouse is often booked a year in advance. 845-247-0656; saugertieslighthouse.com; doubles from $165, breakfast included

PHANTOM RANCH--GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, AZ
The granddaddy of all backcountry lodges occupies one of the choicest--and most remote--slices of real estate in the country: at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. To reach this 86-year-old National Park landmark, guests can descend the steep, 10-mile Bright Angel Trail on foot or by mule. The stone-and timber lodge is a world--and 5,000 vertical feet--away from the Grand Canyon's crowded South Rim. As the only real shelter (besides a tent) available in the inner canyon, the cabins and four single-sex dormitories are booked months in advance, and you even need reservations for a sit-down meal at the Phantom Ranch Canteen--those 44 seats fill up almost as fast as the bunks. 888-297-2757; grandcanyonlodges.com; bunks from $37, not including meals. For $63 you can have your luggage hauled in by mule train.

Published: Endless Vacation May/June 2008 Issue