These Most Secluded Stays That Will Make You Rethink Vacation
Across the world, there are places where distance still defines daily life. Reaching them means crossing glaciers, deserts, or rivers with few travelers. These are stays built for those who want to experience isolation directly.
Sheldon Chalet, Alaska
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On Denali’s Ruth Glacier, Sheldon Chalet is reachable only by helicopter from Talkeetna. The structure sits thousands of feet above shifting ice, surrounded by peaks that cut through the Arctic air. Visitors experience just the sound of wind moving across miles of frozen rock.
White Desert Camp, Antarctica
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Set on a blue-ice runway deep in Antarctica, White Desert Camp connects travelers with scientists working nearby. Guests stay in insulated pods powered by solar systems. Days involve glacier walks and ice climbing, nights spent under constant daylight or darkness. It’s one of the planet’s most controlled remote operations.
Ungava Polar Eco-Tours Camp, Canada
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This Inuit-led camp is located on Tiercel Island, near the Arctic Circle, and offers a window into subarctic life. Its heated domes overlook sea ice where polar bears and seals roam. Travelers join local guides to navigate frozen coasts and learn traditional survival techniques that remain central to northern Canadian culture.
Ramaditas Mountain Lodge, Bolivia
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At 13,000 feet in Bolivia’s high plateau, Ramaditas overlooks a salt lagoon dotted with flamingos. It’s surrounded by volcanoes and gives scientists and trekkers access to an environment shaped by thin air and temperature extremes.
Three Camel Lodge, Mongolia
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Inside Mongolia’s Gobi Desert, travelers stay in hand-built felt gers warmed by stoves. The lodge partners with herder families to support traditional skills while managing tourism in fragile terrain. Days include horseback travel, fossil studies, and visits to ancient petroglyphs that reveal the desert’s long history of human adaptation.
Fish River Lodge, Namibia
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Fish River Lodge rests on the edge of Africa’s largest canyon, where trails lead down eroded walls carved over millions of years. The chalets use solar energy and natural stone to blend with the desert. Visitors explore dry riverbeds while tracking wildlife that survives on scarce rain and resilience.
Sal Salis Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia
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Along the Indian Ocean, Sal Salis sits between red dunes and a coral reef. The camp limits power and water to protect its setting. Days are spent snorkeling among tropical fish and whale sharks, or hiking limestone gorges. It demonstrates how controlled habitation can function inside a living marine ecosystem.
Nanoq Lodge, East Greenland
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Nanoq Lodge acts as a small wooden base for remote Arctic expeditions. It’s reached by flight from Reykjavik and then by boat or snowmobile. The lodge offers a rare glimpse of Greenland’s vast, nearly untouched wilderness.
Lord Howe Island, Australia
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Lord Howe Island lies far off mainland Australia, with a cap of 400 visitors at a time. Coral reefs, volcanic ridges, and a dense forest define its landscape. Locals maintain a self-sustaining community, and strict conservation rules protect endemic species found nowhere else in the Pacific.
Hornstrandir Nature Reserve, Iceland
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Hornstrandir sits beyond Iceland’s roads, reachable only by boat from Ísafjörður. Hikers follow coastal cliffs and fjords once abandoned by farmers. Arctic foxes roam freely, unbothered by human presence. With no permanent buildings and strict leave-no-trace rules, it remains one of Europe’s purest wilderness zones.
Uunartoq Hot Springs, Greenland
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Uunartoq’s geothermal pools remain naturally warm, staying around 100°F despite the surrounding ice. Archaeological evidence suggests that Vikings might have used these pools centuries ago. Visitors arrive by small boat, often in summer, to soak among icebergs drifting through the fjord.
Three Fingers Lookout, Washington
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This former fire lookout, built by hand in 1933, crowns a peak in Washington’s North Cascades. Reaching it requires climbing ladders and crossing old glaciers. Volunteers keep the site open to overnight visitors who stay in a single-room shelter surrounded by uninterrupted views of the Cascade Range.
Middle Fork of the Salmon River, Idaho
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The Middle Fork runs for about 100 miles through the Frank Church–River of No Return Wilderness in Idaho. It moves fast, cutting through steep canyon walls and untouched forest. A strict permit system limits access to protect wildlife and water quality. Rafters set up camp on sandbars, visit hot springs, and see ancient rock carvings that show how long people have lived along this river.
Santa Rosa Island, California
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Santa Rosa Island protects grasslands, beaches, and endemic wildlife within Channel Islands National Park. Campers reach it by ferry while carrying supplies since there are no shops or roads.
Mount Khuiten, Mongolia
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Mount Khuiten rises above Mongolia’s Altai Mountains at over 14,000 feet, where the borders of Russia and China meet. Climbers trek through valleys with glaciers and herder camps before the ascent. The region’s remoteness preserves Bronze Age rock carvings and alpine ecosystems rarely touched by modern settlement.