As basic as it gets, with two small bunkrooms, a propane-powered communal kitchen and a teensy front-porch common room, Beauty Creek compensates for its minimal indoor space with a dreamy forested setting on the banks of the Sunwapta River. The riverside fire ring brings travelers together every evening, and the stargazing is, well, stellar.
In winter, the hostel is unstaffed, but still accessible by a combination lock (make reservations and get the combination through HI's Vancouver office). No running water, no electricity and pit toilets only.