High up the Macal in beautiful Black Rock Canyon, this is a stunning setting for a jungle adventure. Slate-and-wood cabins are fan-cooled and have lovely verandas overlooking the river and up toward towering cliffs. Black Rock is all about the location and activities; you can hike pristine trails, ride a horse to Vaca Falls or canoe down the Macal River.

　　The inviting dining area and deck, covered by a palapa (open-air shelter with a thatched roof), is fantastic for birding, and you may also spot howler monkeys, otters and iguanas. An onsite organic farm provides produce for some of the meals served in the restaurant, and all electricity is solar and hydro powered. Black Rock Lodge is at the end of a rugged, well-signposted, 6-mile unpaved road that leaves Chial Rd 0.8 miles off the Western Hwy.