Bluesberry Inn - Cantwell, Alaska

Veronika Gatszegi

The owner of the property Rod is the nicest person. He manages the property all by himself. The beds were comfortable, the room was clean. Once we arrived at 10:30pm we were greeted by a mama moose and her two babies (BEWARE, they r very dangerous). Rod brought us freshly ground coffee and creamer for the morning. The location is great if you wanna explore Denali National park since the entrance is only 25 mins away or drive the Denali Highway.
Price is very reasonable.
We stayed for two nights and Rod gave us the “clean room discount” for the second night because we did not need any room service.
We need to support small businesses like this one.

Frank Gibbs

Best price and not far from Denali. Rod went out of his way to take care of us. Good, clean, private rooms. Better than hostel rooms or tents plus your own restroom.

John

I really like this place compared to many other places I've stayed at in Alaska. The beds were extremely comfortable, the rooms were very clean, the views were nice and the host was extremely friendly. It was also very peaceful and quiet.

Nathan Davis

Great low key spot, room was very comfortable and the owner is a great guy, only 20 minutes south of Denali but feels very isolated from the tourist crowds.

Regina D

Nice clean room, comfortable bed, coffee maker, fridge and microwave (I had room 5). It's a motel like log cabin-free internet, did not use TV but it's there. Private bath with tub. Needed to use the heat while here in June! Rod is a great host - use the website to reserve a room or just turn off the highway in Cantwell and call him. Amenities in town include a small restaurant and a gas station. Very nice rustic town. Peace and quiet after a long day in the Park. Campers/RV's will fit here and there's picnic tables- rooms about $100/night. Do inquire!! This motel/inn housed the movie crew from the movie "Into the Wild"- The replica bus from the movie is in Healy at the 49th State Brewery.

Murray W

On our trip to Alaska on our motorcycles, stopping at the Bluesberry Inn provided us with the most authentic Alaska experience of our trip. For me it was certainly one of the highlights. Unpretentious but very enjoyable, and priced reasonably for where it is located in Alaska. The setting is beautiful, and the owner, Rod (Buckwheat) Smith is a one-of-a-kind host who is very friendly, welcoming, and knowledgeable. I would say that he is the 'real deal' in terms of the self-reliant type of people you expect to meet in Alaska and we spent quite a bit of time visiting with him. I will admit that first impressions of the place were not great as the exterior of the inn is a little run-down and unkempt; however, once inside our cabin (the Mountain Sheep room), we were very pleased. Everything met our expectations. The inside was rustic, but well kept, clean, and comfortable. Everything worked, the beds were comfortable, and the wi-fi was rock solid (the best we experienced in our time in Alaska). Given the location it was very quiet and the view right outside of our door was fantastic, which is to be expected as Cantwell is where the movie 'Into the Wild' was shot. The coffee provided to us by Buckwheat was excellent! As another reviewer noted, this is certainly a spot for persons who are more adventurous and somewhat flexible, and I would highly recommend it for motorcyclists traveling through Alaska, especially those who want to travel the Denali Highway. The Bluesberry Inn does not serve food but is located just down the road from a fuel stop and convenience store, and is approximately 13 miles from the Creekside Inn which has a restaurant with good food. Although I realize that this venue would not be the first choice for many people, for me staying at the Bluesberry Inn was a great experience and I hope to return here at some time in the future.

Cheyenne Gibson

I still have one more night at the inn, but I wanted to go ahead and do my review because I absolutely LOVE this place. To start off, the inn is located in an absolutely beautiful location. Nothing beats the scenery, and the rooms are very nice and accommodating. It truly gives you a taste of what it is like to live in Alaska!

However, what makes my stay here truly great is the owner, Rod. He is one of the kindest people that I have ever met, and he goes out of his way to ensure that his guests are happy and comfortable. He hand grinds us coffee, and came to check on us to make sure everything was going ok! He likes to talk to his guests, and is very helpful when planning excursions in the area. He printed me and my fiancé off maps of great hiking areas, and told us of some recommended drives (the Denali Highway). You can really tell that he cares about the inn and is doing a great job of preserving it, and opening it up to any potential guests. The prices are great (especially if you agree to the clean room policy). We have traveled for over a month across the United States, and the Bluesberry Inn is by far our favorite place that we have stayed. When we come back to Alaska we will definitely stay here again, and would recommend Rod to ANYONE. 🙂

PhilUSA2010

This is an older style lodging 1/2 hour away from Denali NP. It is quite basic, unfinished and old. However it is clean, very affordable for this part of Alaska and a warm and welcoming owner that goes out of his way to assist in providing local knowledge.||||I would have preferred an easier check-in rather than having to phone on arrival, but other than that it was fine. Bathroom within the room was good to have as well. Beautiful mountain setting.