It's the rare, rugged individual who ventures into the wilds of Alaska, where nature is at its most unruly, and decides to call it home. Rarer still are the folks who, having settled in such a place, swing open the cabin doors to city-softened visitors and host them with panache.

Michael and Diane McBride are two such characters. They built a waterfront cabin in the 1970s, and started welcoming guests shortly thereafter. In the years since, Kachemak Bay has become one of the world's

It's the rare, rugged individual who ventures into the wilds of Alaska, where nature is at its most unruly, and decides to call it home. Rarer still are the folks who, having settled in such a place, swing open the cabin doors to city-softened visitors and host them with panache.

Michael and Diane McBride are two such characters. They built a waterfront cabin in the 1970s, and started welcoming guests shortly thereafter. In the years since, Kachemak Bay has become one of the world's finest wilderness lodges.

The McBrides are more than affable adventurers; they are skippers, naturalists, and environmental advocates whose creativity has enhanced everything from the handcrafted furnishings in the cabins to the gourmet dishes on the dinner plates. They are also the resident experts on the plants, animals, and trails in a glacial valley so remote that no one has bothered to name it.

You'll begin to understand their passion for this place when your boat or floatplane pulls up to the dock (there are no roads here) and your arrival is the only commotion in an otherwise placid setting of mountains, glaciers, and ocean. Trails wind through wildflower-filled meadows and zig-zag up the forested slopes to frozen peaks. Massive sea stars and other marine life occupy the tidepools during new and full moons. Seabirds gather at a rookery that you can visit on a kayak trip through the calm estuary.

And then there's the fishing. Hike, canoe, or take a floatplane to an alpine lake that's teeming with rainbow trout; cast for salmon, char, or flounder in the estuary; troll for King salmon just offshore; or go deep-sea fishing for halibut. The fish or shellfish you take may end up on your plate—flounder ceviche, grilled salmon, and blue mussels make frequent appearances in the dining room, enhanced by fresh-baked breads and garden-fresh veggies and herbs.

Each of the lodge's private wood cabins has a wood-burning stove, a homemade quilt, and 19th-century antique furniture. The views from the deck are exquisite. Enjoy the time between activities with a soak in the outdoor hot tub, a book by the big stone fireplace in the main lodge, maybe a gentle yoga class.

Or chat with the McBrides about their vision for Kachemak Bay, which is on its way to becoming an environmental, arts, and cultural center. Over the years, they have witnessed the effects of climate change on the local marine life, and they hope to create a place where policymakers can study environmental issues and work toward making positive change. By staying at Kachemak Bay, you'll be helping the cause.

Kimberly Lisagor is a freelance journalist who covers travel and the environment from her home base in San Luis Obispo, California. She is the co-author of the book Disappearing Destinations: 37 Places in Peril and What Can Be Done to Help Save Them and has written for publications including Outside, National Geographic Adventure, and Men's Journal.