AMC Mizpah Spring Hut — Hotel in New England

We decided in March that we wanted to spread out a Presidential Traverse over many days and stay in the huts along the way so we didn't have to camp out and carry much food. We targeted July 4th weekend because that seemed like the best chance for good weather, and we were surprised there were still enough isolated days open for booking that we were able to patch together a trip going from south (Highland Center) to north (Madison Springs). We joined the AMC with a $60 family membership because their discounts on rooms more than made up for it, and always happy to support a great conservation organization. See our other hut reviews for more details. For this hut (Mizpah), we paid $108 each ($216) plus tax for a night (after our AMC member / multi-night discount). We left Highland Center in the morning and then hiked via Webster Jackson Trail to Mt. Webster & Mt. Jackson before arriving here at 3,800FT.||||You Should Have Known When You Booked (So Don't Complain):||- No Showers||- No Hot Water||- Shared Rooms with Bunk Beds....and they ONLY provide you a thin rubber mattress, thin pillow, and 3 wool blankets (if you want anything else, you should know to bring it yourself)||- Shared Bathrooms||- In the Middle of the National Forest||- No TVs, No Outlets for Power||- This is a community experience, you will be eating at large tables with other hikers, as well as socializing with them in your free time||- Yeah, it is expensive....but look where you are and what it takes to keep this place going||||Good||- Very friendly staff who have fun with their duties (lunch/ breakfast/ tips for hikers)||- Very tasty food, plenty of it, and such a treat considering where you are||- They provide free earplugs (you will definitely need them) and free hot drinks to overnight guests||- Free potable water to everyone||- Free soap AND hand sanitizer in the bathrooms||||Challenges/ Improvements/ Considerations||- This hut felt like the oldest and smallest of those we stayed at. A little darker in the rooms, less things to see from outside the windows or in the vicinity (no nearby lakes).||- They supposedly do a cleaning of the cabin after every evening but our bunk mattresses still had a light sprinkling of sand and dirt on them from the previous guest(s)||- While the morning skit after breakfast was fun, it also held everyone captive when we wanted to be hitting the trail (can this be done after dinner instead?). The real point of the skit in general was a fun reminder that they work for tips, it wasn't obnoxious and I didn't mind since they didn't mention it all otherwise. They don't force anyone to tip and just have a container at the front door - we left $5-$10 per night for 2 of us.||- They offered a naturalist talk/ walk after dinner, pretty brief and more children oriented||- Definitely be prepared for lots of families/ children - we were really surprised how many kids - made a little more "busy" but also thrilled they are outside and not on their devices.||||Overall, this was exactly what we expected and had a great stay. That said, it wasn't one of our favorite huts, and if we were going to skip Webster/ Jackson then there would be no reason to do both this hut and Highland, as they are only a few miles apart. Next morning - off to Lakes...

My girlfriend & I stopped in here after hiking Mt. Pierce. We had never stayed at a hut, so we grabbed the opportunity. It was after Labor Day & they had vacancies. (I always heard you had to book months in advance). We had no sleeping bags, but they provide everyone with 3 blankets & a pillow. It was in the 40's this night, but we were warm. Be prepared! It is rustic, but that's part of the experience. There is no heat or hot water. There are no showers, but there is running cold water in the bathrooms. And there is potable water from a faucet downstairs. There is no electricity, but the solar panels make enough for the full kitchen & dining room lights. Bring a headlamp or flashlight for the bedrooms. We had the luxury tonight of getting our own room, but usually you are bunking with others.||I always heard the best part of staying at a hut was the home cooked dinner. It was OK, but not awesome. Both the soup & homemade bread were great. The chicken & broccoli entrée was a little dry. Apple crisp desert was a little dry also. Coffee was awful. But we are in the middle of the forest - All is good & I am grateful! Breakfast was much better (We got woken up by a girl reading a poem in the hallway @ 6:50am-that was cool!). We had pancakes w/real maple syrup, oatmeal & bacon.||The young, college-aged staff was super friendly, entertaining & accommodating. The older caretaker was also very helpful & knowledgeable to answer any question. ||Ultimately, it is a safe, comfortable shelter in the woods & they give you 2 square meals. Also, it gives you an opportunity to start hiking early in the morning from an already high elevation. Overall, it was a great experience! It exposed us to something new & now we want to stay at all the...

Take a moderate 2-3 hour hike to enjoy this great family spot. Book in advance to stay the night and enjoy delicious made-from-scratch dinner and breakfast. Some dietary accommodations made for allergies/vegetarian when known in advance so mention when booking your stay. Bring a sleeping bag or sheets; semi private bunks, pillow, wool blankets provided. Indoor "latrine," no showers, no heat, limited solar powered lighting so a headlamp is handy after dark. Also, late September means possible snow at this elevation (3800ft) - hat, mittens, layers may be most comfortable even inside the building. Essential items, shelf-stable snacks and a few drinks are available at reasonable (cash) cost. An AMC volunteer is available at the desk to answer questions. Beautiful forested...