When planning an Alaska vacation, it’s easy to think every destination deserves several days—and often, that’s true. But travel itineraries don’t always cooperate. Whether you’re just passing through on a drive along the Seward Highway, filling one night before or after a cruise, or visiting Kenai Fjords National Park, sometimes one night is all you have.
The beauty of an Alaska summer is that one night can still feel like a full getaway. With daylight stretching well into the evening, there’s plenty of time to kayak or paddleboard around the island, try a little casual fishing, explore the shoreline, or even snorkel in the clear waters of Resurrection Bay. Or you can simply settle into an Adirondack chair, breathe in the fresh ocean air, and watch eagles soar overhead as the evening light lingers.
Experience an entire wildlife tour – just on the way to and from your Yurt
Part of what makes even a single night feel substantial is the journey itself. Getting to Orca Island Cabins starts with a private, hour-long boat ride from Seward through Resurrection Bay, and it’s a wildlife tour in its own right. Porpoises often surf the boat’s wake, sea otters float on their backs watching you pass, and Steller sea lions haul out on the rocks along the way. Seals bob near the shoreline, sea birds wheel overhead, and on the right day, whales surface in the distance. Guests regularly see more wildlife on the ride in than on a dedicated bay tour—except here, it’s simply the way you get to your cabin. By the time you reach the sheltered waters of Humpy Cove, you’ve already had the kind of up-close encounters people plan entire excursions around.
Pure Comfort. Absolute Seclusion.
The cabins themselves are part of the draw. Each of the eight waterfront yurts is private, with its own deck, a full kitchen setup, and an ensuite bathroom with a hot shower—simple, comfortable, and built to blend into the landscape rather than compete with it. There’s no WiFi and no TV, which sounds like a sacrifice until you’re actually there. Instead, there’s a skylight over the bed for stargazing, a wood stove for cooler evenings, and the sound of the cove instead of notifications.
The experience of a night at Orca Island Cabins is something that’s becoming increasingly rare: seclusion. Surrounded by mountains and ocean instead of roads and crowds, it’s an opportunity to experience the kind of remote Alaska that so many travelers imagine before they arrive. You don’t have to sacrifice comfort to enjoy that sense of wilderness—the experience combines the feeling of being far from everything with the welcoming accommodations that make it easy to relax after a day on the water.
And a single night still comes with full access to the island’s activities. Sea kayaks, paddleboards, rowboats, fishing gear, and snorkeling equipment are all sitting right on the property, ready to go whenever you are—no rental counter, no scheduled tour time, no waiting. With Alaska’s summer daylight lasting well past 10 p.m., there’s nothing stopping you from paddling out after dinner for a late-night kayak around the cove, when the water is calm and the light turns golden. Even guests staying just one night have time for a full paddle, a quiet drift in the rowboat, or a last look at the shoreline before turning in.
We’ve always recommended staying for several nights because there’s so much to experience here. But every summer, a handful of one-night openings become available. If your Alaska itinerary only has room for a single evening, don’t pass it by. Sometimes one night is all it takes to experience the quintessential Alaska getaway—and it may become the part of your trip you remember most.
Check out our availability calendar, and snag one of our few remaining July 2026 openings while they last: https://hotels.cloudbeds.com/reservation/ypiEGr
