The place is mostly built with hand-milled driftwood. The owners are religious about recycling. The only grid they operate on comes in the form of a cold stream that rushes down the forested mountain behind the lodge and provides them with all of their electricity. Oh yeah, and they drink that water too and claim that it will probably be the cleanest and tastiest water guests have ever had.
This is the Sadie Cove Wilderness Lodge and it’s no wonder that this model for sustainable business (and living) consistently makes it onto the list of the top ten eco-lodges in North America.
Situated in a remote, quiet cove surrounded by hills covered in old-growth coniferous forests, the lodge also has some pretty stunning surroundings! In fact, the area looked so nice that it was declared a state park not long after the property was bought by the owner of Sadie Lodge, Keith Iverson. A former architectural consultant, he traded life in the fast lane for a more rugged, basic, and fulfilling existence in Alaska. Adapting to using whatever resources were on hand probably influenced the sustainable nature of Sadie Cove Wilderness Lodge and sets a good example to follow for other hotels and homes.
In addition to relaxing on the porch of the lodge and watching Bald Eagles fish in the still waters of the cove, guests have the trails through fragrant evergreen forests all to themselves and can fish for halibut and salmon right from the lodge. Kayaks are also available as are spotting scopes that make it easier to see wildlife such as the bears that come to the far shore to fish for salmon.
Although the place might look rustic, it’s more like a comfortable, cozy vacation house than a hotel, especially since there is room for very few guests. Meals are also intimate with gourmet dishes serving wild-caught seafood, salmon smoked right at the lodge, and produce from their organic garden.
