You can still make a getaway this fall and there are properties that are designed to provide or at least feel remote enough to get their guests off of the grid. From not having steady wi-fi to being far from major roads, here are cabins and lodges across the US that provide some self-recharging.
Kenai Fjords Wilderness Lodge – Alaska
Reaching this coastal Alaskan lodge on Fox Island requires a 12-mile boat ride from Seward to arrive. The eight-guest cabin property and its main lodge are nestled in the woods between a pristine pebble beach and a quiet lagoon.
Relying on renewable energy as a power source, but backed up by propane generators, the cabins go without electrical outlets, TVs, radios or phones (emergency communication access is available, in case of a serious issue). Guests can also hike or kayak or learn more about the area’s marine life from on-staff naturalists.
Osprey Cabin in Lake Metigoshe State Park – North Dakota
This backcountry cabin within this state park in northern North Dakota is accessible by one of two ways – a 2-mile hike or a 1.5-mile canoe ride and short portage. It’s also retro in a rural way. It sleeps up to six with two full beds and two twin beds and includes a wood-burning stove, with supplied wood to fuel it, and a lantern with propane cylinders.
Now here comes the hard part: along with no electricity or cell service, a vault toilet is available onsite, but water has to be packed in. Head down more than eight miles of trails open to hikers and mountain bikers and go swimming or boating within small lakes.
Glamping Getaway Goblin Valley Yurts – Utah
Within Southern Utah’s Goblin Valley State Park, two heated and cooled yurts blend in with the park’s outer-space-looking rock formations. For reserve year-round, the tan-colored yurts contain just a porch, living area, a single bed bunked on a double bed and a futon.
Guests should pack a flashlight and candles, as the yurts lack electricity. Yet this certified dark sky park will keep visitors busy with wandering among its Valley of Goblins or canyoneering down into Goblin’s Lair.
Taos Goji Eco-Lodge – New Mexico
At this eco-lodge that’s 15 miles outside of Taos, New Mexico, and nestled in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, get inspired not only by forest views but also by previous guests. These turn-of-the-century-built cabins hosted writers D.H. Lawrence and Aldous Huxley; the latter wordsmith built an outhouse that’s still intact at the property.
They’re heated by wood fire stoves; wi-fi can be spotty and cellular service can be little to none. Nonetheless, the eco-lodge also introduces a bit of farm living in that it cultivates organic goji berries, fruits and vegetables and raises free-range chickens, goats and alpacas.
Timberlock – New York
This camp-style retreat within New York State’s Adirondacks region provides a nostalgic experience for those who fondly remember spending their summers away from home and time in the woods with their loved ones.
The family-owned retreat has rustic cabins ranging in size from small to extra large, but having views of Indian Lake’s shoreline. Note that none of the cabins have electricity. Propane both provides light and warms up the hot water heaters, and a wood stove helps out with chilly nights, but complaining about not having wi-fi or TV is little to none.
Visitors are kept busy through kayaking, canoeing and other waterside activities along with options for biking or playing tennis covered.
Pioneer Cabins in Kumbrabow State Forest – West Virginia
Situated on top of Rich Mountain, along the edge of the Allegheny Highlands, this West Virginian state park provides the opportunity to stay in one of six West Virginian pioneer cabins. These rustic gems will transport guests far back from our digital age – as in no electricity and running water – yet they have modern-day comforts. The cabins contain gas lights and gas refrigerators, a kitchen, linens, a wood fireplace and a grill. Take this to heart – showering is at a central bathhouse and the need for a restroom is fulfilled by outside toilets.
Appalachian Mountain Club Maine Wilderness Lodges – Maine
This property along Maine’s 100-Mile Wilderness is a collection of lodges along with a trail system that truly provides an off-the-beaten-path feeling. Originally a private camp in the mid-19th century, the pondside Gorman Chairback Lodge & Cabins have four deluxe cabins with private bathrooms and eight shoreline cabins with woodstoves and gas lamps plus a bunkhouse.
The Little Lyford Lodge & Cabins contains nine private cabins, with a combo of doubles and bunk beds plus a porch, a wood stove, and gas lamps; for an additional fee, dogs can camp out here. Medawisla Lodge & Cabins (meaning loon in Abenaki) has five private hilltop cabins and four waterfront cabins with electric LED lighting and a wood stove.
Len Foote Hike Inn – Georgia
You reach this Georgian backcountry inn via a hike to Amicalola Falls State Park. Before you go, know cellphones, radios and just about any electronic device aren’t allowed; but the park’s visitor center can become an emergency contact. Its four main buildings hold 20 bedrooms with fans or heaters, bunkbeds, furnished linens and ample lighting.
Within the dining hall, guests are served a family-style breakfast and dinner. After hiking, go for a soak in the bathhouse or hang out and chat with others in the Sunrise Room. The inn is also a gateway to the Appalachian Trail or the moderate 9.8-loop Len Foote Hike Inn Trail.
