Get greater vacation value with wilderness getaways

When it comes to affordable getaway options, wilderness retreats have a great deal to offer. With plenty of free and cost-effective activities built into the experience, there are lots of things to love about the impact these types of trips have on your budget’s bottom line. However, free trails are only part of the vacation equation. The towns and cities near these wilderness attractions are typically willing to work hard for your tourist bucks, providing a number of high-value experiences for travelers.

Skiing: Planning a ski vacation at some of the world’s most marketed downhill destinations will certainly sink you a pretty penny, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t quality getaway options at your disposal. Consider a mountain experience that’s a bit more remote to get a greater value. One example is the Sun Valley resort near Ketchum, Idaho. Located in the mountain wilderness the area is known for, this winter wonderland is within striking distance of Sawtooth National Forest. Historically a favorite of celebrities such as Gary Cooper, Marilyn Monroe, Clark Gable and Ernest Hemingway, the town and venue offer a number of perks for penny-pinchers in search of a posh experience.

For starters, the resort offers free shuttles to and from the slopes and local airport, with easy walking access to the town of Ketchum to walk around, explore the shops and check out a local wine venue or two. Rack rates for pre-holiday ski and stay packages start as low as $84, and come with access to cost-effective activities such as $35 sleigh rides and $12 ice rink passes. The resort’s golf club restaurant has vegetarian lunch options such as falafel plates and veggie quesadillas, and turns into a Nordic center in the winter with access to 25 miles of groomed trails. If you’re staying for more than one day, the resort has a lift-ticket exchange program which lets you swap one day of lift ticket gondola access for a day at the Nordic center trails, including equipment rental.

Sightseeing: With direct access to Coconino National Forest, Grand Canyon day-trip capability and an affordable food and beverage scene, the city of Flagstaff, Ariz., is a great option for thrifty travelers. In addition to the pet-friendly trails available in both of these federal park venues, Flagstaff also has an extensive urban trail system that’s open to canine exploration. The route runs by hotels, sports parks and even has a fishing pond. And then of course, there’s the portion of the city that lies along historic Route 66. Studded with fun roadside stops to tempt travelers’ taste buds, this strip of blacktop is popular with motorcyclists and automobile road trippers alike.

For a fun retro diner stop along the Mother Road, check out Miz Zip’s. Run by the same family for three generations since the early 1950s, it’s a fun venue with a diverse customer base and basic roadside fare. A popular choice is their fruit pie, which is available by the slice. For less than $5, you can enjoy a treat along one of the most iconic stretches of highway our country has to offer.

If bar venues are more your speed, Flagstaff also boasts a number of breweries that lie along the Flagstaff Ale Trail, which allows travelers to sip their way through a northern Arizona sightseeing trip. A fun one for dog owners is Mother Road Brewing Company, which offers spent grain canine cookies along with their growlers and glasses of draft. Tasting flights are only a buck a sample, and free live music is frequently available on the weekends.

National parks and forests aren’t the only natural attractions available to Flagstaff visitors. As an international dark sky city, the residents take their starry night offerings seriously. Enjoying an evening of stargazing outside of town is certainly an enjoyable and cost-effective way to make the most of your time there. If you’d prefer something a little more hands on however, head to the Lowell Observatory, which is open to the public. The $12 adult entry fee lets you access the visitor center, participate in any scheduled viewing activities and experience a bit of astronomical history.

Snowmobiling: The town of West Yellowstone, Mont., offers a jumping-off point for exploring the mighty Yellowstone National Park that comes with tourism support infrastructure built into the equation. With rooms, restaurants and additional activities available after a day of hitting the trails and sites, it’s a great place to rest your head while you experience the outdoors.

One fun venue to check out is the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center. Located one block from the west entrance to the park, the facility offers feeding demonstrations, up-close-and-personal viewing opportunities, animal exhibits, play areas for the kids and more. Because the outdoor bear habitat is built with a natural barrier to where the guests stand, it’s a great photo opportunity that comes without a cage in front of your lens. The center is open 365 days year, and the $11.50 tickets are good for two consecutive days, providing a per-day price point that’s tough to beat.

Checking out Yellowstone National Park with your pet? It’s easier than you might think. We took ours to watch Old Faithful erupt, and we were far from the only pet parents there with a furry child along for the adventure. Winter activity enthusiasts will want to check out Yellowstone National Park during the snowy months, when it’s open to tracked vehicles such as snowmobiles. There are 300 miles of groomed trails available in the adjacent Gallatin National Forest as well. If Rover loves to go for rides in the snow, this is the destination for you.

The Yellowstone Park Hotel has pet-friendly explorer cabins that are set apart from each other and come with a porch, fireplace, kitchenette and reasonably fast Wi-Fi. S’more kits come with the cabins, which are located steps away from a communal fire pit and chairs where you can roast your marshmallows with Bowzer standing by. Winter rates for these Fido-friendly digs can be as low as $109. Since the cabins are set away from each other, it also isn’t an issue to leave a non-destructive yet chatty pet in climate-controlled comfort while you check out some of the places around town.

For example, the Branch Restaurant and Bar is a quick stroll away and offers a basic breakfast buffet along with a vegetarian-friendly dinner menu. Their white bean dip appetizer, black bean veggie burgers with fries and broiled cauliflower steak options are all available at less than 16 bucks, making for an affordable backwoods splurge on nights you don’t feel like cooking in your cabin. If you happen to be visiting the area during the warmer months with the kids, Yellowstone Aerial Adventures offers daylong adventure passes for child travelers priced at less than $50. If your youngster has a taste for adventure, this can be a huge value compared to things such as arcade visits or a day of binge move-watching at a theater.

(Myscha Theriault is a best-selling author and avid traveler. She is currently traveling through North America with her husband and Labrador retriever. Readers can follow their adventures on trekhound.com and on Twitter at @MyschaTheriault.)

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