There was quite a bit of discussion about Manley and Beaver Pointe Lodge. I stayed at Beaver Pointe Lodge in 2009; it was your typical Alaskan bush lodge — along the lines of Skwetna Lodge or Talvista. Having just spent two days at the Copper in subzero temperatures, I can tell you that lodging in Alaska this time of year IS expensive regardless of where you stay. The room at the Pointe Lodge checkpoint was a very basic room which was very cold (like 50 degrees). The Caribou Hotel was similar and both were in the $120 price range per room. I am unclear whether the Manley lodging is per ROOM or per PERSON, so please let me know. If per room and there are two beds, one option is to share a room. With Beaver Pointe, we will be getting three meals for the price so it is not a bad price considering the cost of food being brought in. With many nights where we will be eating frozen or freeze-dried food, I personally am fine with Beaver Pointe Lodge even though it is rustic. Manley is, for me, a bit of a closer call. I would like to know if we will have bathroom and shower facilities at the lodge in the winter and where we can cook our food. If we are in the park, where would there be bathroom facilities in a town that has 50 people and where most things are shuttered in the winter?

As for the schools, be aware that they must pay a janitor and the schools have tight budgets these days so they are obviously trying to generate some extra income. They have bathrooms and possibly showers, hot water, and internet. That’s plush for the bush. With dogs, having access to cold or hot water is pretty important. I am not thrilled that the schools are charging so much, but it is what it is. If you break down the cost of the lodging nailed down so far, it is $49 per night per person spread over the entire cost of the trip. Not staying at Manley Lodge lowers the average lodging cost to about $40 per night.