06:00 Dawn at the ridge
Glamping above the cloud line · Aldermoor Ridge

Sleep on an island in the sky.

Three hand-built domes with wood-fired hot tubs on a private ridge, 1,400 m up. Two hours from the city, a long way from everything else.

Check availability See the domes
★ 4.9 from 1,284 stays From $289 / night Free cancellation up to 14 days

Explore the island

Drag to look around · W A S D to walk · click the host or press Space for lanterns
A full day and night passes in 60 seconds, the way it does on the deck of Kestrel Dome.
4.9 ★Average from 1,284 verified stays
Since 2016Family-run on a former hill farm
1,400 mAbove sea level, above most clouds
100%Solar power and spring water
Stay

Three places to sleep. Each with its own view.

Every dome sits on its own deck at least 90 m from the next, with a private wood-fired hot tub, heated floors and bedding washed on site.

DomeGuestsSun–Thu nightFri & Sat nightCleaning feeMinimum stay

Prices in USD per night for the whole dome, not per person. Local lodging tax of 8% is added at checkout. Holiday weeks (Dec 22 – Jan 2) are +20%.

Included in every stay

Wild outside. Properly comfortable inside.

No generators, no shared bathrooms, no plastic chairs. Here is what you will find when you open the door.

Wood-fired hot tub

Cedar, 39°C, lit for you before arrival.

Star-gazing window

A 1.2 m clear panel right above the bed.

Wood stove & heated floors

Warm at 3°C outside, even in March.

Outdoor rain shower

Hot water, screened by larch boards.

Kitchenette

Two-ring stove, fridge, pour-over kit and local beans.

Hotel-grade bedding

King beds, linen sheets, wool blankets.

Wi-Fi in the lodge only

Domes are offline by design. Signal at the lodge.

EV charging

Two 11 kW chargers at the parking area.

Experiences

Things worth waking up early for.

Book at checkout or at the lodge up to 6 pm the day before. Groups are small: never more than eight guests.

Daily · 5:40 am90 min

Sunrise cloud walk

A guided walk to the east edge of the ridge to watch the valley fill with cloud. Hot cocoa and a thermos of coffee at the top.

$35per person
Tue, Fri, Sat · 9:30 pm2 h

Stargazing with an astronomer

Our 10-inch telescope, a sky map for your dome and a resident astronomer who explains what you are actually looking at.

$49per person · kids $25
Daily · by slot60 min

Private sauna & cold plunge

The ridge sauna is yours for an hour: birch whisks, spring-fed plunge pool and robes. Up to four people.

$60per session
Thu–Sun · 7:00 pm2.5 h

Campfire supper

Three courses cooked over the fire pit from farms in the valley. Vegetarian menu on request, wine pairing optional.

$58per person · wine +$22
Daily · 10:00 am4 h

Ridge line hike

An 8 km loop past three waterfalls with a mountain guide, packed lunch included. Moderate, 320 m of climbing.

$45per person
Daily · 11 am – 7 pm60 or 90 min

In-dome massage

A licensed therapist comes to your dome with a heated table. Deep tissue, relaxing or hot stone.

$12060 min · 90 min $165
Our story

A sheep farm that was always a little too high up.

Mara Ellison grew up on this ridge when it still had 300 sheep and no road. In 2016 she and her partner Theo Park built one dome on the old shearing platform, mostly to have somewhere to watch the clouds come in.

Friends asked to stay, then friends of friends. Today there are three domes, a small lodge and a sauna, all on 42 acres of meadow and larch. We still cap the ridge at a dozen guests a night, and we still bring the firewood up ourselves.

Everything runs on solar power and spring water. Your stay funds the replanting of 2 hectares of native larch each year.

9,800+guests since 2016
4.9average rating, 1,284 reviews
42 acresprivate ridge, 12 guests max
96%would book again
ME
Mara EllisonFounder & host. Knows every trail.
TP
Theo ParkBuilt the domes. Runs the sauna.
RA
Rosa AldenResident astronomer, Tue to Sat.
Guest reviews

What people write after they come down.

★★★★★
We sat in the hot tub while the valley disappeared under the clouds. The fire was already lit when we arrived. I have never been looked after this quietly.
Hannah · Kestrel Dome · October
★★★★★
Two kids, one dog, zero screens for three days and nobody complained. The stargazing night with Rosa was the highlight of our whole summer.
Marcus · Osprey Family Dome · August
★★★★★
Booked the Summit Cabin for a 40th birthday. The campfire supper was better than most restaurants in the city, and the sauna after the ridge hike was perfect.
Priya · Summit Cabin · February
4.9★★★★★1,284 reviews · 96% would book again · Cleanliness 4.9 · Location 5.0 · Hosts 5.0
Availability & booking

Pick your dates. See your total.

Choose a dome and dates, and we hold it for 24 hours while we confirm by email. No payment is taken until you approve.

1 · Dome
2 · Dates & guests
Next 14 nights OpenYour stayBooked
Adults
2
Children (3–12)
0
3 · Extras
4 · Your details
Getting here

Two hours from the city. The last mile is gravel.

Check-in is 3 – 8 pm at the lodge. Check-out by 11 am. We carry your bags from the car park to your dome by electric cart.

Address
1180 Kestrel Ridge Road
Aldermoor, Pinecrest County 48120

By car 2 h from the city

Take Route 14 north from Pinecrest for 36 km to Aldermoor Village, then follow the brown SKYCABIN signs up Kestrel Ridge Road. The last 1.6 km is graded gravel; any car manages it from April to October. From November to March we recommend AWD or winter tires.

By train & shuttle $30 per person

Trains run hourly to Pinecrest station. Our shuttle meets the 2:10 pm and 5:10 pm arrivals and takes 45 minutes. Book it at least 48 hours ahead.

Parking free

Car park 400 m below the lodge, with two EV chargers. We collect you and your bags by electric cart.

Policies

The small print, kept short.

Questions about any of these? Write to us before you book and we will answer the same day.

01Check-in & check-out

Check-in 3 – 8 pm at the lodge. Check-out by 11 am. Arriving after 8 pm? Tell us and we leave a lantern and keys in the lockbox.

02Cancellation

Free cancellation up to 14 days before arrival. 7 – 13 days: 50% refund. Under 7 days: no refund, but you can move dates once within 6 months.

03Deposit & payment

30% deposit to confirm, balance charged 14 days before arrival. Cards and bank transfer accepted. Prices include linen and firewood.

04Children & pets

Children are welcome in Osprey and Summit; Kestrel is adults only. One well-behaved dog is allowed in Osprey for $30 per stay.

05Quiet & fire

Quiet hours 10 pm – 7 am. Fires only in the fire pits and stoves. On red-flag days we switch to gas lanterns and tell you at check-in.

06Weather

If the access road is closed by snow or storm, we move your stay to new dates of your choice with no fee, or refund in full.

FAQ

Before you pack.

Still unsure? Call the lodge on +1 (555) 014-2290, 8 am – 8 pm every day.

Is it cold at night?

From October to April nights drop to 0 – 5°C. Every dome has a wood stove plus heated floors on a thermostat, so inside stays at 21°C. Bring a warm layer for the hot tub walk.

Is there a bathroom inside the dome?

Yes. Each dome has a private bathroom with a flushing composting toilet, sink and hot indoor shower, plus the outdoor rain shower on the deck.

Will my phone work up there?

Mobile signal is patchy on the ridge and strong at the lodge, where there is also free Wi-Fi. The domes themselves are intentionally offline.

What should we bring?

Walking shoes, a warm layer, swimwear and a head torch. We provide towels, robes, bedding, firewood, a basic pantry and coffee.

Can we see the clouds below us every day?

The ridge sits above the valley cloud on roughly 2 mornings out of 3 between September and May. In summer it happens about once a week, usually after rain.

Contact

Talk to a person, not a call center.

Check availability
Phone+1 (555) 014-2290Lodge desk, 8 am – 8 pm daily
Emailstay@skycabin.exampleReplies within 2 hours in the day
Lodge hoursMon – SunCheck-in 3 – 8 pm · Office 8 am – 8 pm
Address1180 Kestrel Ridge RoadAldermoor, Pinecrest County 48120