By the Best Mountain Hotels editorial team ·
Ultima Thule Lodge is often described as the greatest wilderness lodge in North America, and it is easy to see why. Deep inside Wrangell–St. Elias, the largest national park in the United States, around 100 miles from the nearest road, the Claus family welcomes a handful of guests to their hand-built log cabins on the Chitina River. Every day, weather permitting, Paul Claus, one of Alaska's most celebrated bush pilots, flies guests to places almost nobody else will ever see: icefields, glaciers, remote beaches and the slopes of some of the highest peaks on the continent.
Ultima Thule Lodge is often described as the greatest wilderness lodge in North America, and it is easy to see why. Deep inside Wrangell–St. Elias, the largest national park in the United States, around 100 miles from the nearest road, the Claus family welcomes a handful of guests to their hand-built log cabins on the Chitina River. Every day, weather permitting, Paul Claus, one of Alaska's most celebrated bush pilots, flies guests to places almost nobody else will ever see: icefields, glaciers, remote beaches and the slopes of some of the highest peaks on the continent.
Location: Wrangell–St. Elias National Park, Alaska
Wrangell–St. Elias is a wilderness on an almost unimaginable scale: more than 13 million acres of mountains, glaciers and rivers in south-east Alaska, where four great ranges meet and nine of the 16 highest peaks in the United States rise, including Mount St. Elias at more than 18,000 feet. The Bagley Icefield, one of the largest non-polar icefields in North America, lies within reach of the lodge.
The only way in is by small plane. Stays begin in the old mining village of McCarthy, from where you fly to the lodge's own airstrip, and the lodge can arrange a shared charter from Anchorage. Once you arrive, the lodge's fleet of bush planes becomes your transport for the whole stay.
Cabins at Ultima Thule Lodge
Guests stay in a small collection of handcrafted log cabins, built into the hillside above the Chitina River and decorated in a warm, traditional Alaskan style, with leather furniture, stained glass and feather beds. Each layout is different, and some cabins have two bedrooms, which suits families or friends travelling together. Despite the remoteness, there is 24-hour electricity and hot running water.
The lodge takes only around a dozen guests at a time, so it feels more like staying with a family than in a hotel. Its origins are as a hunting cabin: John Claus began working this land in the 1960s, and his son Paul and daughter-in-law Donna made it their permanent home in 1982, raising their children here.
Facilities at Ultima Thule Lodge
Meals are a highlight, built around locally caught fish and game and vegetables and herbs from the lodge's own gardens and greenhouses, and served at a shared table where the day's adventures are relived. After a day in the mountains, guests can use the sauna and self-spa, and in high summer the light lasts late into the night.
The real facility, though, is the bush planes. There are no set itineraries: each morning the Claus family reads the weather and plans the day, which might mean landing on a glacier, walking on the tundra, watching grizzlies fish for salmon, picking wild blueberries on a ridge or picnicking on a remote beach. Paul Claus has logged more than 35,000 hours in the air, and flying with him is an experience in itself.
The mountain moment
The defining moment is stepping out of a small plane onto a glacier in the middle of a vast icefield, with nothing but ice, rock and sky in every direction and no other people for a hundred miles. The silence is total, broken only by the tick of the cooling engine and the wind across the snow.
Later, back at the lodge, you sit in the sauna as the evening light turns the peaks gold, then gather for dinner and stories with the family who have lived in this wilderness for more than 40 years.
Why Ultima Thule Lodge is one of the best mountain hotels
Ultima Thule earns its place because nowhere else offers this combination of wildness, access and warmth. It is not a polished luxury hotel, and that is the point: it is a family home in one of the most remote mountain landscapes on Earth, with the skills and aircraft to show you its secrets safely.
It is a significant investment, with four-night all-inclusive packages from around $14,000 per person, plus charter flights, but for adventurous travellers it is a once-in-a-lifetime trip. It pairs well with Tordrillo Mountain Lodge for a second fly-in experience, or with Alyeska Resort for a more relaxed few days near Anchorage.
When to go to Ultima Thule Lodge
The lodge is open from June to September. June and July bring the longest days, with up to 20 hours of light, and wildflowers on the tundra. July and August are the best months for watching bears fish for salmon, and August also brings ripe blueberries. September is quieter, with autumn colour on the tundra and the first chance of northern lights on dark nights. Weather always shapes the flying, so build some flexibility into your plans.
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Questions, answered
- Where is Ultima Thule Lodge?
- Ultima Thule Lodge is on the Chitina River inside Wrangell–St. Elias National Park in south-east Alaska, around 100 miles from the nearest road. Stays begin with a small-plane flight from McCarthy.
- How much does Ultima Thule Lodge cost?
- Four-night all-inclusive packages start at around $14,000 per person, based on two sharing, with charter flights to McCarthy extra. Check the lodge directly for current rates.
- When is Ultima Thule Lodge open?
- The lodge is open from June to September, when days are long and the bush planes can fly to glaciers and icefields.
- Is Ultima Thule Lodge suitable for families?
- Yes. Some cabins have two bedrooms, and itineraries are tailored to each group, though it best suits children old enough to enjoy flying and outdoor adventures.
