This rustic lodge and cabins are the only restaurant and accommodations near the Hatcher Pass mine. With picture windows overlooking the valley, the setting is the only reason to choose to stay here. Built in the ‘60s, the cabins and furnishings are clean but in need of upgrading. (Seriously, it’s time to toss out your 15-year-old magazines and books.) Checking in at 2p.m., our rooms were just cleaned, with the exception of several dead flies left on the floors below the window. There are chemical flush toilets in each room, and a large jug of water is provided as there is no running water either. There are regular flush toilets in the lodge/restaurant, however.
We were advised to order from the restaurant for dinner no later than 6:30 as the restaurant would close at 7. Arriving at 6 p.m., the single waitress-bartender- bus person wasn’t able to take our order for 20 minutes, being busy with four other tables. One guest came over to chat, saying they were still waiting for their pizzas one hour later. Having still not received our food at 7 p.m., the lodge manager came to our table and told us to leave. “We’re all out of food, you need to leave,” he said. The waitress had just waved at us that our food was coming – perhaps he thought we’d just walked in? Awkward, but finally the food came out a few minutes later – a big pot of Swiss fondue and a big salad. It was very delicious – or maybe we were just super hungry. Bottom line: stay here for the view and access to the mine and hiking trails, and prepare for a big wait at meal time.
