Check out the following story ideas for inspiration and read AMC's seasonal press releases and summer multi-activity itineraries:

1. Hike to the oldest mountain hut in the U.S., reopening after extensive renovations
   
   
2. "Kid Spoken Here" rolls out at Highland Lodge with new outdoor playscape, Kids Club, and more
   
   
3. Maine Wilderness Lodge opens for first summer season
   
   
4. Rare wildflower bloom: June White Mountain alpine flower hikes
   
   

1. Hike to the oldest mountain hut in the U.S., reopening after extensive renovations
Lace up your boots and hike to AMC's newly renovated Madison Spring Hut, the oldest continuously operating mountain hut in the U.S. The hut reopens June 2 following an extensive renovation that improves its comfort and “green” features. Perched at an elevation of 4,825 feet in New Hampshire’s Presidential Range, Madison Spring Hut has evolved significantly since opening as a basic hiker shelter in 1889. Today’s guests are greeted by knowledgeable hut “croo” serving up freshly prepared meals, along with evening naturalist programs, trail information, and weather reports. All eight AMC huts are operated “off the grid” using renewable energy and sustainable practices that reduce environmental impact.

Feeling ambitious -- then try “hut bagging” all eight AMC huts and take home a limited edition AMC patch. Start by picking up AMC's new Passport to AMC’s High Huts in the White Mountains, an easy-to-carry book commemorating each hut stay with a page to stamp the hut’s name, elevation, and date visited. As special recognition for bagging all eight huts, the hut crew will award AMC’s limited edition High Hut Patch with the final stamp.

New AMC Hiker Shuttle stops this summer also connect with Concord Coach Lines bus service, enabling car-free hiking vacations from Boston and southern New Hampshire. The shuttle connects popular trailheads serving the AMC hut network to AMC roadside lodges, Joe Dodge Lodge in Pinkham Notch and Highland Lodge in Crawford Notch, as well as Lincoln and North Conway, New Hampshire.

See press release>>

2. "Kid Spoken Here" rolls out at Highland Lodge with new outdoor playscape, Kids Club, and more
AMC is rolling out its new “Kid Spoken Here” offering this summer, and the greatest changes are coming to AMC’s Highland Lodge with a new “big mountain” outdoor playscape and child-only Kids Club activities everyday throughout July and August. Kids will also have lots to do in specially-designated “Kids Zones,” including a games room and activity room for animal track casting, building fairy houses, and other arts and crafts. After a fun dinner such as an outdoor BBQ or make-your-own-pizza night, kids can look forward to evening programs for the whole family, like movie nights, campfires, ice cream socials, and nighttime outdoor explorations. AMC has also lowered everyday lodging rates for children and added a new teen rate, helping families stretch their family vacation budgets.

For an even greater variety of guided activities, Highland Lodge Family Adventure Weekends are offered throughout the month of July, and 5-night Family Adventure Camps are offered in August.

See press release>>

3. Maine Wilderness Lodge opens for first summer season
AMC's newly opened Gorman Chairback Lodge & Cabins in Maine is heading into its first summer season on July 1st. AMC is also in the process of pursuing the first LEED green building certification for a sporting camp lodge in Maine. Outdoor adventures are many on AMC's 66,000 acres of Maine Woods conservation land, and Gorman Chairback offers the perfect basecamp for day hikes to stunning vistas like Chairback Ridge and Gulf Hagas, paddling on Long Pond, and fly fishing for wild brook trout. There are also plenty of opportunities for wildlife watching and possibly catching a glimpse of moose, loons, eagles, Canada lynx, red fox, and river otters. Birdwatchers will find many boreal birds, like black-backed woodpeckers and spruce grouse.

Gorman Chairback is also hosting its first AMC Family Adventure Camp this summer. Spend your days taking naturalist hikes and walks, paddling remote ponds to look for signs of wildlife, studying aquatic insects, newts, and frogs living in nearby ponds, and learning the basics of fly fishing. At night, relax in the comfort of your private cabin, enjoy home-cooked meals, and sit around the campfire under the starlit Maine Woods sky.

4. Rare wildflower bloom: June White Mountain alpine flower hikes
Sometime around the summer solstice, long after desert wildflowers and cherry blossoms have peaked elsewhere, swaths of rare alpine flowers begin blooming in shades of pinks, whites, and purples against the dramatic scenery of New Hampshire's White Mountains.

June wildflower hikes range from forested, family-friendly nature walks to challenging jaunts to the star attraction of the June bloom, Mt. Washington's Alpine Garden area. Lesser-known, above tree-line spots and woodland wildflower picks offer broader exploration. The area surrounding AMC’s Lakes of the Clouds Hut boasts two rare species, including the largest population of Boott’s rattlesnake-root, found only on 10 of the tallest mountains in the Northeast. A viewing garden for dwarf cinquefoil offers a glimpse of this once Federally Endangered species, which grows only in the White Mountains.

Learn more about AMC wildflower activities and packages>>