EarthSong Lodge - Denali's Natural Retreat
Mile 4.0 Stampede Road PO Box 89, Healy, Denali National Park and Preserve, AK 99743-0089
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Prices above are provided by partners for one room, with variable occupancy rules as provided by the property, and do not include all taxes and fees. Please see our partners for full details.
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Dining (7)
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What you can expect during your stay
- Face masks required for guests in public areas
- Face masks required for staff in public areas
- Hand sanitizer available to guests & staff
- Regularly sanitized high-traffic areas
- Staff required to regularly wash hands
- Contactless check-in
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Updated 04/25/21 Safety precautions are provided by the property and are not checked by Tripadvisor for accuracy.
A note from EarthSong Lodge - Denali's Natural Retreat
Updated 04/25/21 Safety precautions are provided by the property and are not checked by Tripadvisor for accuracy.
About
#1 of 13 Specialty lodging in Healy
Location
4.6
Cleanliness
4.8
Service
4.6
Value
4.4
An excellent alternative to the commercial hotel experience, operated by longtime locals who homesteaded in the immediate area. Located above treeline on open tundra with sweeping mountain views, far away from the noise and crowds at the park entrance. 12 log cabins with modern amenities available in five different sizes, affording comfortable accommodations and privacy. Daily morning sled dog kennel tours allow guests to meet the dogs that take winter visitors on expeditions into the park in the snowy season. Evening slide presentations offered by staff naturalist. Coffeehouse open in mornings offering light breakfast items and baked goods, along with full espresso bar and best coffee in the area.
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Property amenities
Free parking
Free internet
Public wifi
Breakfast available
Hiking
Non-smoking hotel
Room types
Non-smoking rooms
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Family
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Full view
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Mile 4.0 Stampede Road PO Box 89, Healy, Denali National Park and Preserve, AK 99743-0089
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As we looked back on our Alaska trip, we asked each other which place we would like to stay again. Earthsong was the unanimous choice. It is off the beaten path. A moose strolled past as we ate our breakfast. It has a little breakfast cafe, and they also sell a decent boxed lunch. The cabins were very clean. We got to visit with sled dogs, and John gave us the inside scoop about mushing. Courtney, the manager, obviously loves her job. She was a joy to talk to. Looking out the cabin door in the morning was idyllic. What a sweet memory!
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Date of stay: July 2022Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip: It’s worth the drive.
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
Response from Jon Nierenberg, Owner at EarthSong Lodge - Denali's Natural Retreat
Responded 2 weeks ago
Thanks to our guest from Indiana! We appreciate the excellent review, and having it highlight some of the best reasons to stay at EarthSong...away from the noise and crowds, in a quiet and scenic spot with wildlife, and a chance to learn about dog sledding. We truly love to have guests like these visit!
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The property is not well kept up and they’re not doing a great job of keeping it clean (lots of dust in light fixtures, dirty bottom of shower curtain liner, debris in bottom of garbage can). Spaces are cramped and they could benefit from a redesign with multi function pieces to help with that. They’re not repairing/replacing things (broken tables, cushions, etc). There was no one around and we had self check in. It felt like we were on our own. For example, I ran out of Kleenex and did not know where to get more and I had no where to put my full garbages so we brought them into town and got rid of them at the gas station. It seems they are still using Covid as an excuse to provide less, but yet we paid quite a bit of money to stay there. If you can’t offer what you once did, you shouldn’t charge what you once did. The dog sled informational session was still running and we did attend and enjoyed that. My husband was exceptionally unnerved that the WiFi password had two sets of the number “666” in it as it is generally understood as a satanic reference. They might want to change that so as not to offend others in the future.…
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Date of stay: July 2022Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
Response from Jon Nierenberg, Owner at EarthSong Lodge - Denali's Natural Retreat
Responded 3 weeks ago
We're sorry our guests from Minnesota were unhappy with their visit to EarthSong. Above all, we do try to provide a high quality and unique experience for our guests, as is generally reflected in reviews both on TripAdvisor and other platforms. To be fair, I'll address these issues brought up. Our cabins are clean. Look at other reviews. It's one thing that we are generally well-known for, and the amount of time our staff spends cleaning each cabin is significantly more than the average hotel room. Extra efforts for cleanliness are made due to the ongoing COVID issue (it is not being used as an excuse, but is a fact). Our cabins are small. We have floorplans on our website that are accurate, so people know what they are getting. If a guest has problems with space, they likely chose the wrong cabin when making a reservation. It's always good to contact us directly if uncertain which of the five different size cabins are best for a group. We are not staffing our office. COVID is not over, and we are still trying to mitigate exposure to both guests and our staff. But importantly there is a phone number and a staff member (manager or owner) just a quick call away if anyone needs anything. The number is on our check-in paperwork, on the office door, and on our website. Right before this review came in I was out visiting with guests, going over hiking suggestions in the parking lot. They waited 30 seconds after calling me and it was after-hours. While we are not automatically providing daily housekeeping, each cabin has a sign outside the door indicating if the guest wants daily check-ons (which would have emptied their garbage) or don't need anything. And (again) a quick phone call would have eliminated the garbage issue. And we do have two dumpsters on the property, and garbage can in the communal kiosk that is open 24 hours a day. We have not raised our rates or prices at the coffeehouse at all since the start of 2022. That cannot be said for the majority of businesses in our area, that have raised prices to reflect the dramatic increase in operating costs due to inflation. So it can be seen as our guests getting the same or more for their money than previous years. To say we are using COVID as an excuse is nonsense. I think much of the issue our guests had with EarthSong is mentioned at the end of this review, our wifi password and "666". The passcode numbers and sled dog name combined together is a reference to one of my best old sled dogs that was known by many lovingly as the "Devil Dog". For a variety of reasons. It also is a password that is easy for guests to remember. We've been open since 1997, and never had a review that took offense at our wifi password. Hardly seems a reason to be offended enough to write a disparaging review, but everyone is entitled to their opinion. Again, we're disappointed that these guests were unhappy with their experience, but hope they had better times the rest of their Alaskan travels.
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Loved the location! Beautiful, peaceful, lovely boardwalks and gardens. Henry's coffee wasn't open yet, but Courtney provided coffee and tea in the community building, which also had a full-size refrigerator that we and other guests made use of. We loved meeting Courtney's sled dogs in the mornings, and they were great with our little kids. Our family cabin was just the right size for 3 adults and two small kids, and with the thoughtful furniture/shelving/hooks we were able to organize and stow all of our stuff and put our empty luggage in our car. I recommend using packing cubes, these worked well to stack on the shelves for our clothing. Beds were comfortable with 100% cotton sheets and ample pillows.
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Date of stay: June 2022Trip type: Traveled with family
Room Tip: Bring 30% deet, use packing cubes
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
Response from Jon Nierenberg, Owner at EarthSong Lodge - Denali's Natural Retreat
Responded Jun 24, 2022
Thanks LightPacker for the excellent review! We appreciate the fact that you had a good time at EarthSong and enjoyed our sled dogs, one of the highlights of staying with us. Hope to see you sometime in the future.
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I had a great experience staying here and driving to and from Denali. The lodges are rustic and fun to stay in. Owner is super nice and gives a little demo of the dog kennel each day. If you have a car I highly recommend staying here.
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Date of stay: June 2022
Rooms
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Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
Response from Jon Nierenberg, Owner at EarthSong Lodge - Denali's Natural Retreat
Responded Jun 24, 2022
We appreciate the great review from HeatFan, thanks! Having a car, if rented in one of the cities or locally, is really a must even if you don't stay with us....but it allows you to stay at our place and get away from all the noise and congestion at the park entrance. We hope to see you in the future.
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Our family stayed in two cabins at EarthSong in July of this year (2021). We traveled all over the state, and stayed in many different places (some much more expensive and "nicer"), but among us, we all enjoyed our stay at Earthsong the most. We really appreciated the way we were treated by the staff, including Courtney (manager), who we communicated with prior to, and during our stay. She was warm and welcoming, and allowed us to spend extra time with their sled dogs (we loved the dogs - especially Basil), while she sat and visited with us. We also appreciated Scout, who operated Henry's Coffee House (and breakfast bar). Her service was great, and she was very enjoyable to talk with. The cabins were basic, but were clean and comfortable. The grouping of the cabins along the boardwalks was homey, and had a bit of a "Shire" feel. Because I had to reschedule our trip from 2020 to 2021, I had spoken with the John, the owner numerous times. I always enjoyed talking with him, and he provided me with some tips for our visit to Denali and the hiking I wanted to do there. After reading about him, the family was sorry they did not get to meet him, as he had to be away at the time of our stay. We did some dog mushing before we got to EarthSong. Having spoken with Courtney about dog mushing expeditions they offer, I am very interested in going back to participate in one of their multi-day Denali backcountry sledding trips. If we were back in the area, we would most definitely return to EarthSong.…
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Date of stay: July 2021
Rooms
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Room Tip: There is a good variety of occupancy ranges for the cabins.
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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+1
John treated with the best care you could ask for. He opened his coffeehouse that was closed just for us. Looking forward to going again We were treated to personally visiting their sled dogs. The cabins are very nice with seating places all around.
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Date of stay: September 2021Trip type: Traveled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
They do sled dog tours most mornings, you get to see the dogs up close and personal as well as the sleds. You actually get to play a little with the sled dogs. Was one of the highlights of the trip. The hotel is made up of individual cottages. We stayed in the queen suite and were very happy. FYI, we loved our stay however it is not for everyone. It is out of the way on a remote road (we saw a moose on the side of the road on one of our drives to the lodge). The road to the lodge is paved, although a little rough towards the end. Wonderful view of mountains in the distance. The cabins are a bit rustic. We liked them but definitely not modern luxury accommodations. We were happy to trade luxury for the surroundings. Bring insect repellent, there are mosquitos. There are mosquitos throughout Alaska.…
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Date of stay: June 2021
Rooms
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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My daughter and I spent two nights in the Gold Rush cabin (2-room) in late August. We had a great time playing with the dogs on the morning we arrived and on the morning we left. The cabin was in great shape and beautifully decorated. The beds were comfy and the bathroom had some nice complimentary toiletries. It was unfortunate the coffee house was closed due to lower staffing at the end of the season but if I will be recommending this place to anyone who is headed to the Denali area. We also drove about 4 miles down the road to see Denali on a clear morning!
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Date of stay: August 2021
Value
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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This is a truly special place. Do yourself a favor and stay here instead of the more touristy spots near the park’s opening (if you have a car). It is a short drive from the mouth of the park and from everything else you will want to do in the Denali area. Jon and Karin have created such a cozy and homey experience at their lodge in Healy. The cabins themselves are comfortable, charming, warm and so thoughtfully decorated. The views are awesome and the wildlife is right at your doorstep. Waking up in the morning, going to their coffee house, meeting the sled dogs and heading to the park was all so wonderful. I will recommend this to anyone I know who travels to the Denali area.
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Date of stay: August 2021Trip type: Traveled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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The EarthSong Lodge cabins were even cuter than pictured. Everywhere we looked were little details and personal touches by owners Jon and Karin. The manager Courtney was outstanding. We had a chance to meet her at check-in, she offered lunches for our Denali trip and did a wonderful job sharing about the beautiful sled dogs. Henry's Coffeehouse on-site is a great option for breakfast sandwiches, cinnamon rolls before heading out for the day. The cabins are clean and made with love and care. We were quite cramped as a family of four in the two-bedroom cabin, but we knew that it was a smaller space when booking. Worth it to be away from the commercial spots near the Denali entrance and to have such a unique experience.
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Date of stay: August 2021
Value
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
Response from Jon Nierenberg, Owner at EarthSong Lodge - Denali's Natural Retreat
Responded Aug 18, 2021
Thank you Nikki for a great review! We do try to offer a little bit extra, with service and facilities. We hope to see you sometime in the future.
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PRICE RANGE
$214 - $278 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
earthsong lodge - denali`s natural retreat hotel healy
LOCATION
United StatesAlaskaDenali National Park and PreserveHealy
NUMBER OF ROOMS
12
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Claim Your Listing Frequently Asked Questions about EarthSong Lodge - Denali's Natural Retreat
Which popular attractions are close to EarthSong Lodge - Denali's Natural Retreat?
Nearby attractions include Donna's House of Petals & Gifts (4.4 miles) and Karibu Gallery & Gifts (3.2 miles).
What are some of the property amenities at EarthSong Lodge - Denali's Natural Retreat?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include free parking, free internet access, and breakfast.
What food & drink options are available at EarthSong Lodge - Denali's Natural Retreat?
Guests can enjoy breakfast during their stay.
Is parking available at EarthSong Lodge - Denali's Natural Retreat?
Yes, free parking is available to guests.
What are some restaurants close to EarthSong Lodge - Denali's Natural Retreat?
Conveniently located restaurants include 49th State Brewing - Denali Park, Rose's Cafe, and Black Diamond Grill.
Does EarthSong Lodge - Denali's Natural Retreat have any great views?
Yes, guests often enjoy the mountain view available here.