Photos in this post are courtesy of Stehekin Outfitters

Stehekin Outfitters has a unique business model: tent-to-tent hiking in a U.S. National Park.  This unique form of “hut-to-hut” seems like a great way to support hikers who want to go out for several days and don’t have the gear or experience to do full-on backpacking.

This is the first tent-to-tent accommodations program I’ve encountered.  Is anyone aware of others in USA or elsewhere?

Working under a permit from the North Cascades National Park, Stehekin Outfitters started in 2008 offering tent accommodations for hikers.  As outfitters they have been working in the area since 1947.  In addition to the tents, they provide other guide and support services, including horse supported trips for day-hikers (usually loop trails), customized day and multi-day riding trips and “drop” trips, riding lessons, etc.  Stehekin, WA is located at the NW end of Lake Chelan and provides access to gorgeous back country.

How it works: According to co-owner Nancy Hubbard, Stehekin Outiftters has one 6-person tent set up at each of two different NPS campgrounds: Bridge Creek and Cottonwood.  The Bridge Creek Tent is on the Pacific Crest Trail.  According to their website, the tents are equipped with:

• Large outfitter style tent which can sleep up to 6 people
• Sleeping cots with pads
• Sleeping bags and pillows*
• Extra blankets
• Wood heater stove inside the tent
• Propane kitchen stove
• Bear and rodent proof food storage

* Removable liners are provided with the sleeping bags and pillows. Simply put a fresh liner in before using, and remove when you leave.  See Stehekin Outfitters website for more information and reservations.

Tents also include the cooking utensils needed to prepare and eat a meal.  Hikers carry their food, clothing.  The tents can be used as base camp for day hikes in the Cascades, or as a two night through hike.  It is 3.5 miles hike to Bridge Creek, 6 miles to Cottonwood, and then about 6 miles out.  The tents are on NPS designated backcountry campsites, which include outhouses and water source.  The sites are tucked out of the way in the designated camping areas.  Stehekin tends to get bookings by small groups.  Stehekin takes the tents down in mid to late September and puts them up in mid to late June, depending on the weather.  Nancy Hubbard reports that they have a very good relationship with the National Park Service.

National Parks Service Permit: NPS Concessions Management Assistant Annelise Lesmesiter outlined the “commercial use permit” arrangements.   Stehekin Outfitters is a commercial use authorization for non-exclusive seasonal use of a camp site in two locations NPS backcountry campgrounds.  They are authorized to provide the tent to tent service use by camping alongside campers who receive regular camping permits from the North Cascade NP for the same backcountry campground (and many others).  In other words, there are often other campers in the same campground.   Because Stehekin is only using one of several sites at the two campgrounds, they are not over-using the site and there is no negative impact  on the general public’s use of the campground.

Bottom line: This strikes me as a very fair and sensible permitting arrangement.  It doesn’t impinge on existing backpacking traffic, and also provides the option of camping while carrying lighter loads (and potentially staying longer in a base camp) for those who wish to pay for the convenience.  It seems the seed of an idea that may be a suitable accommodations arrangement for other state, federal and private lands…..

by Sam Demas