Family Wildnerness Vacations
June 3, 2002 -- QUESTION: I am interested in taking a family vacation with my 8-year-old and 5-year-old in a natural setting with hiking trails, kayaking, and children's programs. We don't want a resort that has communal dining. Any recommendations?
ANSWER: It's so nice to hear from a like-minded soul! Outdoor vacations are our absolute favorite. What better way to connect with your kids than to get outside and hike, paddle, fish, and just explore the wilderness?
Reading your letter, the first place that comes to mind is Gunflint Lodge in northern Minnesota. The woods and waters here, in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area wilderness, are truly wondrous, and full of wildlife: moose, mink, mallards, and more. Outdoor activities include kayaking or canoeing, naturally, plus hiking, swimming, fishing, and horseback riding.
The lodge offers about four or five activities each day, mostly for kids, so you'll have no trouble fitting in some grown-up alone time! These naturalist-led activities focus on nature and the environment (duh!) and might include exploring a cedar swamp, a day trip to Little Rock Falls, wilderness tea-making, a boat trip to Bridal Falls, a class in map and compass skills, and a fishing trip.
There's even something called "Muckwhomping to Canada," which sure sounds like a good time! Starting in June, the lodge offers kids' nights, when kids eat dinner with their own kind, in the Trappers Shack.
Lakeside Cabins
Guests stay in lakeside cabins, some with fireplaces and whirlpool tubs or outside hot tubs. Gunflint Lodge offers several different packages for families, from rustic to deluxe — well, as deluxe as it gets in a cabin!
You can even choose a camping/cabin combo trip: one night in a rustic "canoer" cabin, two nights of canoe camping, then four nights in a cabin. Choose a housekeeping plan (no meals), dinner only, or American plan (all meals at the lodge). They offer regular restaurant dining, by the way, not communal seating. Their meals are really good, too!
There's a casual sit-down restaurant nearby, and a pizzas-and-burgers place, too. For information, call (800) 328-3325 or see (www.gunflintlodge.com).
Rockies YMCA
Another possibility, and an awesome value, is YMCA of the Rockies. They operate two properties in Colorado near Rocky Mountain National Park: Estes Park Center and Snow Mountain Ranch.
The latter, located in Winter Park, offers canoeing. Other options for outdoor fun include golf, tennis, fishing, and whitewater rafting. And there's a day camp for kids. Lodging choices include hotel rooms, lodges, and cabins. Call (800) 777-9622 (ask them to send a rate sheet; there are no prices online) or click here (www.ymcarockies.org).
Montana Ranch
On the higher end, there's Lone Mountain Ranch, where kids' programs include offbeat fun like a ropes course, llama hikes, and animal tracking.
Located in Big Sky, Mont., the ranch offers guest cabins for families, and all the outdoor fun you could possibly fit into a week or two (average length of stay here): naturalist-led canoe trips, nature hikes, fly fishing, horseback riding, and tours to Yellowstone National Park. Call (800) 514-4644 or see (www.lmranch.com).
Please note that phone numbers, addresses, and prices are subject to change.