The Underrated Alaskan Getaway You Want To Move To The Top Of Your Bucket List
By Lea Monroe|Published October 02, 2019
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Lea Monroe
Author
Writer for Only In Your State. Scribbling about all things New York and Buffalo related while also keeping you updated on the latest travel news! Inquiries: Lmonroe@onlyinyourstate.com
We often share amazing vacations that provide a peaceful getaway, but if you’re a traveler who enjoys a bit of isolation, then we have the ultimate destination for you. Ready for an adventure that will take you a million miles away from it all?
The home belonged to a pilot named Don Sheldon, who explored much of the surrounding territory during the 1950s, before Alaska even became a state in 1959. The five-acre property sits at an elevation of 6,000 feet on the Sheldon Nunatak, and when Don Sheldon passed away in 1975, the government honored the man who helped to map this region of the Alaska Range by naming the 30-square-mile basin around the nunatak the Don Sheldon Amphitheater.
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Following Sheldon’s death, two of Don’s sons decided to turn their father's small home into something new and spectacular by transforming it into an adventurous, yet peaceful, getaway destination.
When Denali National Park was initially founded in 1917, the Sheldon property sat outside of its boundary, but the park’s expansion in 1980 brought the chalet within its borders, making it a truly unique place to stay amidst the untouched beauty of the Alaskan wilderness. At just 10 miles from Denali’s peak, you can’t get much closer to North America’s tallest mountain than this.
The Sheldon brothers completed the transformation in 2018 and the chalet was almost instantly recognized as one of the most magnificent places one could possibly stay.
Time magazine named it on its prestigious list of “World’s Greatest Places in 2018” and Travel+Leisure recognized it on its “2019 It-List” of best new hotels in the world.
Nearly every room inside the two-story, five-bedroom chalet offers panoramic views of the gorgeous scenery, making you feel like you have Alaska’s famous mountains all to yourself.
As tempting as it is to stay tucked away in the luxuriously cozy chalet, guests also have the opportunity to set up unique guided hikes and outdoor adventures, including helicopter and ski plane tours.
Sound like a perfect getaway? You can learn more about the chalet and find information about booking a stay at this gloriously remote destination on the Sheldon Chalet website and by following along on the chalet’s Facebook page.
