Lercheggalm

Lercheggalm sits at 1,602m in the Loferer and Leogantner limestone massif, roughly 90 minutes' drive south of Salzburg. The approach from Saalfelden takes 2.5 hours on foot via the Reiterjoch pass (1,881m), a steady climb through mixed forest and alpine meadow. A cable car from Loferer reduces this to 45 minutes' walking time, making it accessible for less ambitious hikers. The hut works well as a base for ridge traverses across the Loferberge or as a refueling stop on longer mountain traverses.
Lercheggalm is a working alpine dairy hut with around 40 beds in simple rooms and a dormitory. Meals are hearty and focused on what they produce on-site—cheese and dairy feature prominently. The kitchen can handle vegetarian requests with advance notice. Full-board (Halbpension) is standard. Water and basic shower facilities are available. The hut operates year-round but is quietest in winter; July and August see heavy weekend traffic from valley visitors using the cable car.
Book 6 weeks ahead for July and August weekends. Contact directly by phone (+43 6581 6464) or through the OeAV (Austrian Alpine Club) booking service. They accept walk-ins on weekdays outside peak season, but don't rely on it. Lercheggalm is close enough to Saalfelden that a car isn't essential if you use public transport and the cable car, though having one gives you flexibility for approaches from different valleys.