The tiny town of Tetlin is tucked into the southeast corner of Alaska's interior, near the Canadian border about 20 miles from Tok. The village itself, which has less than 120 residents in the 2000 census, lies within the 932,000-acre Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge. There is no lodging in Tetlin, but refugee visitors can find plenty of places to stay in nearby Tok.
Summer wildflowers bloom on the sod rooftops of WinterCabin's nature log cabins. Wildlife is abundant and the simple, but comfy cabins are stocked with a mini-kitchen and breakfast food. WinterCabin's owner and hostess, Alaskan writer, and lifelong resident Donna Blasor-Bernhard has written several books about the area and the property. WinterCabin has a green house on the property and visitors can pan for gold.
These basic roadside rooms along the Alaska Highway are clean and comfortable with free Wi-Fi service and a restaurant, Fast Eddy's, across the parking lot. Rooms are situated in the three single-story buildings behind Fast Eddy's, which doubles as the motel office. Young's is open year-round, and pets are welcome. Locals consider Fast Eddy's the best eating in town and contend its pizza can rival any in the state.
The 92-room Westmark Hotel is in the center of town, next to the visitor's center. Decore is dated, but the rooms are stuffed with the amenities. This large hotel also has a restaurant and lounge, coffee shop, gift shop, free Wi-Fi in the lobby, satellite TV and coin-operated laundry for guests. Westmark contracts with Holland America Line and the hotel is often packed with cruise guests in the summer.
Caribou Cabins is a cocktail of modern and rustic with log cabins situated in 10 acres of forest about one mile outside of Tok. The cabins are Alaska cozy with living room lofts above the bedroom, and loaded with amenities: free WiFi, Jacuzzi tubs, satellite TV, microwave, refrigerator and coffeemaker. Cabins are free-standing, but very close together.
