GPS: 39°39'N 106°49'W
Among skiers, the 10th Mountain Division huts need no introduction. Less well-known is that the same luxurious-for-the-wilderness cabins also thrill hikers. With 25 summer huts arrayed in three distinct systems, the route-building options are limitless. (Summer season begins July 1.) Our recommendation: a four-day trek into the Sawatch Range that jumps from Polar Star to Peter Estin to Harry Gates huts. The route covers 28 miles (45 kilometers), but your mileage won’t be your priority when hanging out on a cabin deck, savoring the alpenglow on surrounding mountains.
Vitals: 10th Mountain Division Hut Association; $96; www.huts.org
Originally published in the April 2008 edition of National Geographic Adventure
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