National Park Lodges: Hike-in Style

Part 3 in our monthlong feature celebrating the National Parks centennial: backcountry lodges! No need for hefting a burly backpack, tent, and food to these oases in the wilderness. From the Rockies to the Sierra, we've rounded up some of the best ways to experience national park backcountry, in style!

Week: 05.19.2016
Regions: Northern & Southern CA

Will You Sperry Me?

Sperry Chalet in Glacier National Park

The ultimate foodie experience: Dinner at The French Laundry. The ultimate backcountry lodge experience: Sperry Chalet! Reached via an 8-mile (one-way) hiking trail in Glacier National Park, this historic chalet makes a night in the rugged, rocky wilderness very hospitable. Built
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Shoot for the Sun

Summer Vacation Makeover in Sun Valley

Give your next summer vacation a mountain makeover. Specifically, a Sun Valley mountain makeover! Just a 2-hour direct flight from San Francisco or a 2.5-hour direct flight from Los Angeles, Sun Valley, Idaho, is a recreational paradise: 400+ miles of crowd-free hiking and biking
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Yosemite Backcountry Glamping

Hike Yosemites High Sierra Camp - Vogelsang Camp

Love to hike, but hate to lug a bulging backpack? Then Vogelsang High Sierra Camp is your ticket to high-country heaven. Carrying only a daypack with minimal supplies, you can hike all day in Yosemite’s alpine wonderland, then dream the night away in a comfy cot. Even better, you
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Phantom of the Canyon

Phantom Ranch in Grand Canyon National Park

Phantom Ranch Canyons in Grand Canyon National Park
The Grand Canyon River in Grand Canyon National Park
Two hikers relaxing at the riverside in Grand Canyon National Park
Want to really go grand in Grand Canyon National Park? Stay at historic Phantom Ranch! A clutch of simple, private bunk-bed-filled cabins along with dorm-style lodging. Scoring a stay here is not easy, and highly sought!
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Trending Stories NorCal

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  1. Sequoia Re-opens Crystal Cave

    Step inside Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park's hidden world by visiting the newly re-opened Crystal Cave—the only cave in the parks open to the public. Closed for four years, this rare marble karst cavern is welcoming visitors once again, but only through the summer season!

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  2. Afternoon on the Island

    What is it about tiny islands in the middle of lakes? There’s something that just draws you in. It’s even more fun when getting there is half the adventure because you have to reach it by canoe, kayak, paddleboat, or a ranger-guided boat tour!

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  3. Easiest Best Hike in the World

    Choose the easiest and most view-rewarding hike in Yosemite. Okay, we’ll go first: the combination of hiking to Sentinel Dome and Taft Point. Both of these lookouts are within a couple miles of each other on Glacier Point Road

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  4. Hiker in the forest at Mount Sutro in San Francisco

    San Francisco's Middle Earth

    No need to travel to New Zealand to visit Middle Earth. San Francisco’s Mount Sutro Open Space is practically Hobbiton—a hidden “shire” in the middle of the city. Okay, maybe not quite as magical, but still an incredible place to take a hike in city limits.

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Trending Stories SoCal

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  1. Locals' Feature: Jim Litchfield, Owner of Reno Fly Shop

    If there's a river, you're likely to find Jim Litchfield there. As the owner of Reno Fly Shop, Nevada's premier fly fishing outfitter and shop, Jim's passion for rivers knows no bounds: he's fished in places near and far, including Alaska, Bolivia and Christmas Island. But home is beautiful Reno, where he has been running Reno Fly Shop and leading tailored river float and fly fishing adventures (including beginner-friendly options) for over a decade.

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  2. Can't Top This

    San Francisco’s Presidio was already a fantastic place to hang out for the afternoon, a beautiful site within the largest urban national park in the United States (the Golden Gate National Recreation Area). And Presidio Tunnel Tops is like a cherry on top. Make that two cherries on top, with the newly opened (July 2025) Outpost Meadow, a 1.5-acre green space located at Old Mason Street across from the Crissy Field Marsh in the Presidio.

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  3. Volcanic Activity

    Northern California is home to one of the most unique ecosystems in the country: Lassen Volcanic National Park. The region features geothermal areas, including the largest dome volcano in the world, Lassen Peak. Hike to the top of this active volcano on a 5-mile out-and-back.  

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  4. Oh Ryan

    Sure, it’s those whimsical trees that give Joshua Tree National Park its marquee billing; but this beautiful landscape also has surrounding mountains and its night sky—one of the darkest in Southern California and designated an International Dark Sky Park. Joshua Tree has four allowable stargazing parking lots, and a newly opened haven for spending the night nearby...

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