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Spirit Lake Lodge

Stay at Spirit Lake Lodge, basic lakeside cabins with wood stoves and pet-friendly amenities in Manila, UT. Close to Spirit Lake and Vernal Regional Airport.

Forest Rd 001, Manila, UT 84046, United States View on map
9.8/10
Exceptional Based on 46 recent guest reviews
Pet-friendly
What recent guests emphasize

Spirit Lake Lodge Review Highlights

Guests appreciate the lodge’s rustic charm, natural setting, and welcoming staff, while noting the back-to-basics amenities and remote location.

Guests often praise

  • Clean, cozy cabins with effective wood-burning stoves for warmth.
  • Friendly, accommodating, and helpful lodge staff.
  • Beautiful, rugged natural surroundings ideal for fishing, hiking, and wildlife watching.
  • Opportunity to unplug fully due to no Wi-Fi or cell service.
  • Well-maintained grounds including clean shared bathrooms and outdoor fire pits.

Worth knowing

  • Cabins have no electricity or inside running water; restrooms are shared and a short walk away.
  • Remote location means trails can be wet or muddy; weather can be variable with cool nights and possible rains.
  • Rates may seem high given the primitive amenities.
  • The property is pet-friendly but does not offer Wi-Fi or cell phone reception.
  • The dirt access road is maintained but requires comfortable driving on unpaved surfaces.

Best for

  • Travelers seeking solitude and a rustic, off-grid mountain experience.
  • Outdoor enthusiasts interested in fishing, paddling, and hiking nearby trails.
  • Families wanting a nature-focused getaway with kids enjoying wildlife and outdoor activities.
  • Vacationers aiming to disconnect from technology and recharge in a remote setting.
  • Pet owners looking for pet-friendly accommodations in a natural environment.
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About this property

Welcome to Spirit Lake Lodge

Spirit Lake Lodge offers basic lakeside cabins situated at 10,000 feet in the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest. The accommodations reflect a pioneer-style simplicity, featuring wood-burning stoves for heating and shared shower facilities. Guests will find free parking on-site but should note there is no electricity or Wi-Fi available, making it a place for visitors seeking to unplug and experience a more rustic environment.

Located on Forest Rd 001 in Manila, Utah, the lodge provides easy access to natural attractions such as Spirit Lake, Browne Lake, and Leidy Peak, all popular with hikers and outdoor enthusiasts. The property is roughly a 52-mile drive from Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area and about 70 miles from the town of Vernal. Vernal Regional Airport is the nearest airport, approximately a two-hour drive away by car.

Guest reviews highlight the cleanliness and coziness of the cabins, along with the warmth provided by the wood stoves. Many visitors appreciate the solitude and natural beauty, with fishing, hiking, and wildlife observation frequently mentioned activities. While some find the primitive facilities — such as distant shared toilets and the lack of electricity — less convenient, others value the opportunity to disconnect completely from modern technology.

This lodge is well suited for travelers comfortable with basic amenities who want a genuine outdoor experience and a peaceful lakeside setting. It is also pet-friendly, which appeals to those wishing to bring animals along. The friendly and accommodating staff contribute positively to the overall stay, enhancing the property's appeal for those looking to immerse themselves in the high Uintas wilderness.

Summary compiled by GoHotelly editors from verified guest reviews, partner descriptions and editorial notes.
Facilities & essentials

What's on-site and what you should know before you arrive

The short version: what's available day-to-day, and the key practical details most travelers search for.

Most popular facilities

Pet-friendly

Not available at this property

Wi-Fi
Verified guest reviews

What recent guests are actually saying

Reviews from travelers who stayed here in the last 12 months, grouped to help you spot the pattern quickly.

DO
Dan Olson Mar 14, 2026
10

Beds and cabin were very clean and cozy. Stove kept us very warm. Best place to unplug and relax. Fishing was excellent right off the dock. Kids absolutely enjoyed hiking, the outside fire pit, all the birds, they wanted to stay “forever”. Definitely will return.

ZY
Zhou YU Mar 05, 2026
10

Went there on June 9, 2013. The place could have changed since. Stayed overnight on the first day it was opened. very friendly staff. property just changed hand. so they could not give us much information about the surrounding area. trails all very wet impossible to hike around the lake. no electricity. so take your stove. enough wood for heating. quite clean. but all in all very primitive. only shared toilet far away... $120 a night was too expensive, even though kids enjoyed. Visited again in Aug 2021. GrEAT! Updated!

TA
Travis Ackermann Feb 19, 2026
10

The folks who run the lodge are GREAT - very accomodating, helpful, friendly, and hard working. You get the full high Uinta experience... Solitude, beauty, rugged scenery, afternoon rains, cool nights, great fishing, flowers, wildlife, and swarms of mosquitos. The dirt road up is well maintained. The lake is the perfect size for paddling around. The nearby trails are breathtaking.

WW
Wayne Wengreen Feb 03, 2026
10

I came up here years ago and hiked to Dagget Lake. Then last year, I brought my wife up on a drive from Flaming Gorge Lodge and she said we had to visit and we did. We rented Lewis and Clark and both levels for several days. We had a great time. We loved the deck with room to set to the kitchen. The lake, wild life, weather (dry and wet), and the staff were all great! The toilets are nice and close. I don’t mind not having power or water and loved that there wasn’t WIFI or cell service.

RH
Rachel Harrison Jan 12, 2026
10

Nestled in the Uintas, Spirit Lake Lodge was the perfect spot for a weekend getaway. You are absolutely surrounded by beautiful nature. As if being there and soaking it all in isn’t enough there are plenty of activities you can do from paddling, fishing or hiking. We hiked to Jessen Lake from the lodge and felt complete solitude and stillness! Our cabin was very nice and the folks who run the lodge were very welcoming and accommodating. Seeing a moose was the cherry on top of a wonderful stay! We will certainly be back!

MC
Melanie Cox Jan 01, 2026
10

Glamping and rugged, no electricity, wood burning stove in clean, well kept cabins. Restroom in walking distance with running water. No service/wifi is a great spot to truly disconnect. We go every year.

MM
Mobile Mike Dec 28, 2025
10

I've been going here for almost 40 years now. Love it. For what you get the cabins are spendy (no inside water/electricity), but I have no problem dumping coin in to help keep the place running. Honestly though, you'll find the sound roof over your head worth the price when one of the common High Uintah torrential rain storms drops in. I've tented near here before and have been flooded out. Backpacking to some of the surrounding lakes is second to none. It's raw nature at its finest.

CS
Chad Stoe Dec 26, 2025
10

This place is amazing! Clean cabins, and the owners are great people. Clean bathrooms, and the main lodge is spectacular. If you're looking to disconnect from everyday life, this is the place. No cell service, nor wifi. The fishing was great, and so was the paddle boarding. We will definitely be going back!

Location & neighborhood

Where you'll find Spirit Lake Lodge

Manila, Utah, USA

Set by a lake at 10,000ft in the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest, this back-to-basics pioneer-style lodge is a 52-mile drive from the Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area and a 70-mile drive from the town of Vernal, Utah.

  • Vernal Regional Airport 1 hr 55 Car
Things to do nearby

Worth the walk or a quick ride

Curated spots travelers usually pair with a stay in Utah. Distances are rough real-world times, not straight-line.

Spirit Lake 47 reviews

Spirit Lake

Utah, USA

4.7 · Lake
Leidy Peak 1 reviews

Leidy Peak

Utah 84078, United States

5 · Mountain Peak
Browne Lake 21 reviews

Browne Lake

Utah, USA

4.7 · Lake
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