Long Shadow Lodge at Tal-Wi-Wi

The lodge got its start with Dale Bumstead, who founded Tal-Wi-Wi Ranch in present-day Litchfield Park, west of Phoenix, in the 1920s; the name was said to be a Hopi phrase meaning “where the sun first shines upon the fertile earth.” Desiring a summer counterpart to his desert agricultural empire, Bumstead bought land in the Alpine area and named it Tal-Wi-Wi as well.

Now part of a quaint village, the lodge got its start in the 1940s and changed hands several times after Bumstead’s death in 1952, but its idyllic surroundings continued to draw guests — and mentions in this magazine’s pages. “The Tal-Wi-Wi Lodge is a welcome sight,” Tom Dollar wrote in September 1995. “Smoke curls from fireplace chimneys rising above snow-laden roofs; lights glowing within rooms shine like beacons — at last, a port in the storm.”

By the time the McCarthy family took over the lodge in 2024, it was in need of an update, say siblings Emily and Daniel McCarthy, who manage the property. Now, smart TVs, Wi-Fi and new bedding are helping the lodge appeal to a new generation of travelers, and more upgrades are planned for the coming years.

Half of the 20 rustic, motel-style rooms have a king bed, while the other half offer two double beds. A few rooms have a hot tub or fireplace, giving guests an easy way to stay warm on cool mountain nights. And the lodge is a short drive away from Escudilla Mountain hiking trails and Alpine’s restaurants.

Another dining option, though, is right on the property. The Tal-Wi-Wi Lodge previously operated a restaurant, but it was shuttered for years before the McCarthys reopened it as Shadows in 2025. Open seasonally, it features elevated American food made with locally sourced ingredients, including beef from the nearby X Diamond Ranch.

And then, of course, there’s the lush forest all around the lodge — which might make desert dwellers momentarily forget where they are. “The views are great, and you’re going to see elk and other animals,” Daniel says. “For an outdoorsy person, or even the average person who’s never seen that before, you wouldn’t realize it’s Arizona. It’s an in-state getaway.”