Featured activities
Public-use cabins are convenient and inexpensive
Shelters give hikers, skiers, boaters a haven in the woods
By Elizabeth Manning / Anchorage Daily News
Have you always wanted to ski into a remote cabin during winter but felt too much like a beginner? Have you hesitated taking the family on outdoor trips when it's cold?
There are solutions nearby. In Southcentral, at least 10 public use cabins and yurts are accessible by an easy ski, snowshoe or walk of less than 3.5 miles. Some are so close you can drive right to them, yet they still provide a feeling of getting out of the city into the wilds.
From a public use cabin in winter, you can explore the area -- assuming we ever get snow -- and then come back inside and warm up with a hot chocolate. At night, there's nothing like stepping outside a cabin into the cold, jet-black Alaska night to stare at a show of shimmering northern lights.
These close-in cabins may not provide as much adventure as remote public use dwellings, but they are a good alternative for beginners, families -- or anyone on short winter days.
Nearby cabins are among the most popular. If you decide to plan a trip, take out the calendar and start now. Many public use cabins can be reserved months, or even a year, in advance. Popular weekends, like Valentine's Day weekend, get snapped up quickly.
As of this week, most nearby public use cabins still had multiple Saturday nights available throughout winter, but one -- the Bald Lake Cabin in the Nancy Lakes State Recreation Area -- is booked every Saturday night through April. Other highly popular cabins include Byers Lake Cabin No. 2 inside Denali State Park, which offers a view of Mount McKinley on clear days, and the Yuditnu Creek cabin at Eklutna Lake, just three miles from the Eklutna trail head.
Kathy Johnson, a natural resources specialist with the Alaska Department of Natural Resources, understands why Bald Lake is so booked.
"It's on a pretty, private lake," she said. "It is our most expensive cabin, but at $50 a night, it's a very nice cabin."
Bald Lake is also one of the easiest cabins to reach. You can drive to its parking area on the Nancy Lake Parkway, which intersects the Parks Highway at Mile 67.3. From there, it's about a half mile to the cabin, mostly downhill.
In the area are four other close-in cabins, all around Nancy Lake. Nancy Lake Cabin No. 1 is the smallest, probably better suited for four people rather than the maximum of six. The cabins are all grouped around the lake, but not so close they don't afford privacy, Johnson said.
IDEAL FOR BIG GROUPS
If you wanted to head out to a cabin with a big group, Johnson recommends Nancy Lake cabin No. 4 as the main gathering cabin for meals because it's the largest. It sleeps eight. The other nearby cabins can accommodate extra people with sleeping space.
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