Not Really Roughing It

By Lisa McLaughlin

Love the outdoors but hate to sleep there? For camping-wary adventurers, hut hiking allows you to ditch the bulky sleeping bag and clunky camp stoves. Accommodations can range from simple yurts to posh lodges, but even the most rustic have cozy beds. Many also serve great food, making the wilderness seem a little less wild. --By Lisa McLaughlin

Colorado The 10th Mountain Division Hut Association manages a system of 29 comfortable backcountry huts in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. The camps are connected by 350 miles of suggested routes for hiking, mountain biking and cross-country skiing

New Zealand The Abel Tasman Coastal Walk is a 30-mile, three- to five-day hike through native forests and along golden beaches. Accommodation options include eight basic huts scattered along the trail, a houseboat dorm anchored in the turquoise bay and the luxe eco-friendly Awaroa Lodge, inset

Canada At the Alpine Club of Canada, huts range from remote bivvy shelters at the base of snowcapped mountains to cozy log cabins like the Elizabeth Parker Hut, above, in Yoho National Park. The hut has a well-equipped kitchen and can sleep 24

New Hampshire The Appalachian Mountain Club maintains a network of eight huts, spaced a day's hike apart, on a 56-mile stretch of the Appalachian Trail in the White Mountain National Forest