Located 28 miles south of Tok, 300 miles northeast of Anchorage, 240 miles southwest of Fairbanks, six miles from the nearest neighbors, John and Jill's 11 acres are surrounded by millions of acres of public land. Though off the electrical grid and far from the nearest cell phone tower, free WiFi service is available to visitors of at this intersection of rural and modern living.

Log Cabin Wilderness Lodge is the complete package of amazing scenery and frequent wildlife sightings, comfortable buildings – some historic, some just a couple of years old – hearty home-cooked meals, a variety of activities. Moreover, a visit to Log Cabin Wilderness Lodge stands out because it includes the opportunity to experience the lifestyle and daily activities of year-round residents.

John and Jill have been building toward the reality of Log Cabin Wilderness Lodge throughout their lives together and officially opened the business on May 18, 2008. It was a shared project that began to take shape in the 1980s when they were working and raising their family in the tiny, remote villages of Chalkyitsik and Central. They moved to the Mentasta Valley in 1988 and then a bit farther north to the crossroads community of Tok, where they launched Cleft in the Rock Bed and Breakfast, which quickly became a very popular and successful enterprise.

For a number of years, John and Jill were interested in purchasing the "Log Cabin Inn," property, which was developed in the 1940s on what was then the main road from Tok to Anchorage. Among the guests who found their way to the Log Cabin Inn during its early years of operation were Hollywood stars John Wayne and Andy Devine.

The Log Cabin Inn closed in 1970 when the road was moved to more stable ground on the western side of the valley and became a private residence. When the property became available in 2004, John and Jill were ready to begin another chapter in their adventure.

"Jill and I knew this was the right location," John says. "A meandering creek, swooping peaks, wildlife all around us and plenty of history in a place that oozes Alaska. We love it and our guests will, too."