Carlo Creek Cabins

Carlo Creek Cabins sits on land homesteaded in 1959 by the Stoepler family, who handcrafted the original structures from Alaskan black spruce; the lodge office still holds antiques from their frontier days. Current owners Tammie and Dan carry the property on as a family-run operation 12 miles south of the Denali National Park entrance, at Mile 224 of the Parks Highway.

The property offers handcrafted log cabins and lodge rooms on wooded acreage with Carlo Creek running through it, plus an on-site coffee shop, Denali Moose's Brew, with several restaurants within walking distance. The owners pitch it as a quieter alternative to the motel strip — plenty of nature without being entirely off the grid.