By David Lukas

Extraordinary cabins offer a unique atmosphere and experience that add a sparkle to your vacation and leave you smiling in the morning. Whether authentic log home or rustic backwoods bungalow, cabins evoke images of frontier life, of cozy homesteads and adventure. Imagine how much more fun it will be to tell your friends and family that you spent your vacation at one of these cabins instead of at a hotel.

Bass Harbor, row of houses. Acadia National Park.
© John Elk III Lonely Planet Images.

Maine, A Wilderness of Lakes and Islands

When most people think of Maine they imagine sinuous coastlines, sailing boats and countless islands, so what better place to base your explorations than at Edgewater Cabins, located on Frenchmans Bay in downeast Maine? Edgewater Cabins has been operating as an important local business since the Great Depression; one of the cabins even served for a while as the ticket office for the ferry from Bar Harbor to surrounding island communities. The Winter Cottage is one of very few cabins available along the coast for rent in winter, and you can walk to the local store for supplies. From your cabin, enjoy marvelous views of the sunset and a mix of islands along the Maine coast.

Maine is also home to thousands of lakes that dot the state's interior and provide a veritable playland for water enthusiasts. At Lakeside Cedar Cabins, luxuriate in nine rustic cabins on the shore of a 10-mile-long lake only 25 miles from Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor. With your cedar cabin as a home base, you can easily explore these famous destinations, or in the summer, kick back and enjoy fishing and canoeing in the lake’s warm waters.

Although the rugged wilderness of north Maine is popular for winter activities, you definitely need a warm place to hang your hat at the end of the day. Portage is a cozy log cabin situated on the edge of vast Baxter State Park, home to Mt. Katahdin and an extensive trail system for cross-country skiing in winter or hiking in summer. In winter, it’s a quick trip by snowmobile to nearby restaurants for warm fare and a woodsy atmosphere.

Yosemite, Access to the High Sierra

Given that Yosemite is one of the most popular national parks in America, it's no surprise that so many chain hotels have sprung up around the park entrances. To find something out of the ordinary, you have to snoop around. Sunset Inn offers three quaint cabins, which are set on the edge of a private meadow among huge pines, only two miles from Yosemite's northwest entrance.

Evergreen Lodge is a complex of cabins on the road to Yosemite's Hetch Hetchy Reservoir. It's an ideal location for families and those who enjoy lots of activities and social interactions, with a main lodge that offers wonderful food and amenities, games, and entertainment for the whole family, plus a host of daytime activities.

Lake Front Cabins is one of few cabins offered within close proximity to the east side of Yosemite National Park. Started in the 1930s as a cluster of floored tents, there are now 10 cabins situated on the shore of a small lake, next to the charming mountain village of June Lake. These cabins are a great base for a whole range of adventures on the east side of Sierra Nevada and Yosemite, from sightseeing and horseback riding, to kayaking on nearby Mono Lake or photographing the famous fall colors.

Tahoe, A Lake for All Seasons

People come from all over the world to see Lake Tahoe, one of the world's most scenic mountain lakes. Things can get a little crowded and crazy, but check out the cabins at Holly's Place. This retreat and oasis sits in a grove of pines right in the heart of South Lake Tahoe but feels miles away from the hubbub. These five cabins are close to everything, including the actual lake one block away.

At the other extreme, Lake Tahoe Wilderness Cabins offer exactly what their name suggests: two rustic Scandinavian log cabins on a remote ridge overlooking the lake. You can only access these gorgeous cabins by skiing, snowshoeing, hiking or mountain biking, but the reward is incredible views and a remarkable sense of solitude that is hard to come by in the Tahoe Basin.

Sorensen's Resorts has been a favorite destination for families and honeymooners since 1926, and when you visit these picturesque cabins 20 miles south of South Lake Tahoe you'll see why. Located in a charming grove of aspens in the pristine Hope Valley, these beautifully crafted log cabins are the perfect place to stay while hiking, sightseeing and enjoying fine meals in the resort's small restaurant.

Bio: David Lukas is a professional naturalist who lives just outside Yosemite National Park. He leads nature tours and writes about the plants and animals of places ranging from Borneo and Tanzania to Nova Scotia.

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