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AMC Cardigan Lodge & Campsites
Categories: Hotels & Travel Campgrounds Event Planning & Services Hotels Hotels & Travel Hotels Campgrounds, Hotels [Edit]
774 Shem Valley RdAlexandria, NH 03222
(603) 744-8011
One review for AMC Cardigan Lodge & Campsites
1 review in English
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Review from Dawn E.
8/25/2008
The first thing you need to know about Cardigan Lodge is that it's an absolute MUST you follow their directions to get there. They warn you on their website that Mapquest might lead you to the wrong side of the mountain but they do not warn you that the other roads that link up to the roads they suggest (and according to my GPS, are such a shorter route), could get you killed. (Video of me screaming and praying while driving downhill on a road that I'm surprised didn't break my Saturn in half to be posted on YouTube later...)
Shem Valley Road ends with Cardigan Lodge, and when you get there you'll be able to park right in front of the lodge itself.
I did not stay in the lodge, but I did take my meals there (was camping alone and 'twas easier than dealing with cooking for one). The rooms in the lodge, I believe, are all bunk style, and I don't know how much privacy there is from other lodgers, so be sure to ask before you book. Breakfast is served promptly at 8am (they send someone up to ring bells through all the floor of the lodge so lodgers can wake and come down, but campers are on their own for timing and if you're late you might be SOL) and dinner is served promptly at 6pm (sans bells). The meals are edible but a little bland, but then, it's easier to please a lot of people with bland than it is with spicy. There is usually a soup and salad and entree course with dinner and breakfast has a primary option along with various breads to toast an oatmeal. Lunch is a trail lunch that you make yourself with fresh cut lettuce and tomato and cheese and sandwich meats along with some sort of granola bar and chopped veggies and a cookie option. If you take your meals at Cardigan, it's unlikely you'll go hungry. Also, it should be noted the staff is very nice and accommodating (be sure to tip them, there's a box for tipping at the supply counter.) Meals come with lodge stay and, as a camper, I paid $33 per day for three meals daily and then I also tipped.
The campsites vary from remote to semi remote (you won't see lights from the lodge but you will see your neighbors). In one of the remote sites, you will only see the folks you come with and trees. They also have stars both in the trees and under the stars. It's all a matter of preference. And there is a group site way in the back where you can fit 20-40 people. (Group site is $70/night and regular site is $22.) Also, all of the sites have established fire pits but not all have a grill surface that drops over the pit for fire cooking. If you want to cook on the fire, be sure to ask if the site you're booking is set up for this.
There are various outhouses (composting) and port-a-potties scattered about. It is my opinion that these take away from the sites. Some of them smell (either of chemicals or shit). The composters should have no smell but they are not all properly maintained. A gust of wind in the right direction can waft a faint toilet smell to your campsite (this only happened once for a moment at our site, but I imagine it happens to most). The Port-a-Potties are worse than the composters though. So out of place in nature... even if I couldn't smell then I could see them. MEH!!! If it weren't for the toilets, I'd give Cardigan four stars, but the toilets really take away from the experience. If a campsite is going to have toilets, it is better to have a few in a central location... no toilets at all would also be just fine, it is camping, after all. **Essential toilet-free Camping tools: Shovel and biodegrable TP. Luxury Item: Bucket with bottom cut out and toilet seat attached.**
There is a pond for swimming and various trails for hiking. I did not hike to the summit, but be advised, if you do, I have heard the shortest route is straight up and is pretty much rock climbing without rope. Bristol is nearby for boating and such and also offers some antique shops if that's your thing.
Note: If I rate the sky alone. 5+ stars! BEAUTIFUL. I wonder if any of those wishes will...Listed in: Go Outside Damnit
Specialties
Built by the AMC as one of New Hampshire's first ski lodges and newly renovated in 2005, Cardigan Lodge is set on a 1,200-acre reservation owned and managed by the AMC. Cardigan Lodge offers an extensive trail network for hiking and cross-country skiing, a nature trail and swimming pond, and family-friendly programs and theme weekends.
Cardigan Lodge is located in Alexandria, New Hampshire, surrounded by 5,000-acre Mount Cardigan State Forest. Newfound Lake and Wellington State Park are nearby.
Meet the Business Owner: AM C.
The Appalachian Mountain Club promotes the protection, enjoyment, and understanding of the mountains, forests, waters, and trails of the Appalachian region.
We believe these resources have intrinsic worth and also provide recreational opportunities, spiritual renewal, and ecological and economic health for the region. Because successful conservation depends on active engagement with the outdoors, we encourage people to experience, learn about, and appreciate the natural world.
