How to Take Advantage of the U.S. Huts System

“It only seems natural in one of the most beautiful places in the world to have [huts],” says Michael Henrich, 65, who has trekked the huts in the Dolomites in Italy and has been an avid hutter in Alaska since he moved there in 1985. “My goal is to get more kids out in the outdoors, because they’re gonna be the ones that protect it in the long run,” he says, encouraging grandparents to lead the way. For intergenerational hut trips, Swiny recommends the Manitoba Cabin, a renovated miner’s cabin in the Chugach National Forest originally built in 1936 and opened to the public in 2012. 

Hut access

The American huts system “is not for everyone; but, instead of being for the 1 percent who are among the most physically resilient in the United States, it is for a much, much broader spectrum of humanity,” says Demas. “It has helped open up the wilderness to more people.”

“Humans love to be outside, but we also love shelter,” says American Prairie’s Kautz. “And that mix of exposure and shelter is something that humans find satisfying.”

Industry experts note the continued interest in outdoor adventure, especially for those older than 50. Snowsports Industries America reported a 90 percent growth in Alpine touring participation during the 2022-2023 winter season for all ages. Meanwhile the Outdoor Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Outdoor Industry Association, reported a more than 14 percent increase of participants 55-plus in outdoor adventure between 2019 and 2022, with participants 65 and older in the fastest-growing age group (16.9 percent growth) since the pandemic began.

Some of the huts systems are so popular they require membership just to sign up for a hut lottery, which is how Colorado’s 10th Mountain does it. Others, like American Prairie, open the calendar first to supporters and then on a rolling basis to the public. Some huts systems book only by bunk, hosting anywhere from a dozen guests to nearly 100, like at AMC’s Lake of the Clouds. Some limit stays to two nights, while others will allow for longer stays. Prices range from $20 per night per person to upwards of $150 per night per person for a full service adventure in peak season. To encourage people to “replicate the ancient practice of pilgrimage,” Demas of Hut2Hut created an interactive map of U.S. huts systems that includes planned expansions in places such as Oregon and Minnesota.

For those new to hutting, 10th Mountain’s Dodge suggests having a conversation with a hut system and starting with a summer experience. There’s also the option of hiring a guide or outfitter – helpful, especially, to those coming from out of state who may not be able to travel with packs and food. AMC will plan itineraries based on a group’s challenge level and limitations, even offering “pep talks,” says hut manager Bethany Taylor. And, while newbies should expect “more of a trip than a vacation,” she says it’s one that ends with a wonderful “sense of accomplishment.”

Taylor notes how a person’s experience in a hut today is almost exactly the same as someone’s 50 years ago. “We wouldn’t have this if the past generations hadn’t done it for us. So I really, really enjoy that sense of being hooked into something larger than myself that is designed to preserve these really beautiful places for others.”