Scott David Logan - The complete guide to the national park lodges

All the information in this guidebook is subject to change. We recommend that you call ahead to obtain current information before traveling. The dollar cost of rooms and meals is for summer 2011. Taxes are not included unless noted.

Maps provided are for reference only and should be used in conjunction with a road map or official park map. Distances suggested are approximate.

To buy books in quantity for corporate use or incentives, call (800) 962-0973 or e-mail premiums@GlobePequot.com.

Copyright 2012 by David L. Scott and Kay W. Scott

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, except as may be expressly permitted in writing from the publisher. Requests for permission should be addressed to Globe Pequot Press, Attn: Rights and Permissions Department, PO Box 480, Guilford, CT 06437.

Editor: Amy Lyons

Project Editor: Meredith Dias

Layout: Kirsten Livingston

Text Design: Sheryl P. Kober

Maps updated by Alena Pearce Morris Book Publishing, LLC

ISSN 1537-3312

ISBN 978-0-7627-7304-6

Printed in the United States of America

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T his seventh edition of The Complete Guide to the National Park Lodges includes many changes, both major and minor. Maps are now in color, and color photos replace the black and white sketches used in previous editions. Cavallo Point, a California lodge in Golden Gate National Recreation Area, is a new entry. Located in a historic army post just north of San Franciscos Golden Gate Bridge, this upscale and environmentally friendly lodge offers history, a spa, fine dining, and great views of San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge. The addition of Cavallo Point is offset by the loss of Echo Bay Lodge and Lake Mead Resort, 2 facilities that closed in Nevadas Lake Mead National Recreation Area. Three lodges remain in Lake Mead NRA. Bluffs Lodge on the Blue Ridge Parkway was closed for the 2011 season as the National Park Service searched for a concessionaire, but is expected to be open for the 2012 season.

Other changes include new concessionaires at Olympic National Parks Lake Crescent Lodge, Utahs Lodge at Bryce Canyon, Rocky Knob Cabins on the Blue Ridge Parkway, and Flagg Ranch in Wyomings John D. Rockefeller Jr. Parkway. In a surprising move (to us), the National Park Service replaced the cabins at Cedar Pass Lodge in Badlands National Park.

Even with these and other changes that are noted in this book, much about Americas national park lodges remains a constant. The lobby of Glacier Park Lodge is still awe-inspiring, the meals at Far View Lodge in Mesa Verde are still delicious, the canyon view from Grand Canyon Lodge on the North Rim is still amazing, and evening music from the string quartet at Lake Yellowstone Hotel continues to soothe the soul. It is time to make a reservation and join the fun.

H ave you ever thought of waking up, looking out your window, and viewing the morning sun shining on the north face of the Grand Canyon? How about an evening stroll down a dirt road from the historic hotel where you just enjoyed a dinner of walleye pike, and standing where French fur trappers portaged canoes around a waterfall? Maybe you would enjoy relaxing on a wooden deck outside your room while listening to the roar of a mountain stream. Perhaps you are a closet cowboy who has longed to spend a week riding horses at a dude ranch. These are dreams that can be brought to life by staying at a national park lodge.

The two of us have devoted more than 30 summers and numerous winter vacations to exploring Americas national parks. Most took place in a series of 4 Volkswagen campers that accumulated nearly a quarter of a million miles. Seven summers have been dedicated to experiencing national park lodges. At each lodge we walk the property, view different types of rooms, talk with employees, and sample the food. We gather information that we believe will be of value in planning a trip. Most national park lodges are in well-known and heavily visited parks, such as Grand Canyon, Death Valley, Yosemite, Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Olympic, and Glacier. However, several lesser-known parks, including Oregon Caves National Monument, Isle Royale National Park, Big Bend National Park, and Lassen Volcanic National Park, offer lodge facilities. Some of the biggest and busiest parks do not have lodges. For example, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Rocky Mountain National Park, and Acadia National Park do not offer conventional lodging inside their boundaries.

Staying in a lodge during a national park visit will enhance your experience. It certainly has ours. Spend time talking to employees and learning about the history of the building where you are staying. Most of all, travel and enjoy.

National park lodges offer a different vacation experience. Most lodges are in close proximity to things you want to see, places you want to visit, and facilities you want to utilize during a visit. At Crater Lake Lodge, you can sleep in a room with windows overlooking the crater rim. In Yellowstones Old Faithful Inn, you can walk out the entrance and view an eruption of Old Faithful geyser. At Grand Canyons El Tovar, you can step outside the hotel and gaze in wonder into the magnificent canyon. Many park lodges have large rustic lobbies where you can relax with other guests, often in front of a blazing fireplace. The lodges are frequently near National Park Service visitor centers or campgrounds where guided walks originate and natural history programs are presented. Evening programs or other entertainment can be enjoyed in many of the lodges.

Most national park lodges are owned by the government but managed by private firms subject to oversight by the park in which they are located. Managements operate as concessionaires and must obtain approval of the National Park Service for room rates, improvements, activities, and prices charged for everything from food to gasoline. Some lodges remain under private ownership on private property within a park. In general, lodges under private ownership were in operation prior to the establishment or expansion of a park. Lodges on private property are subject to less government oversight regarding what they offer and prices they charge.

Basic information regarding reservations, facilities, and policies can be helpful if you have never stayed in a national park facility or have stayed in only one or two lodges. Most lodges experience large public demand for a limited number of rooms, especially during peak season. Consider that no new accommodations have been added to most national parks in decades, and it is easy to understand why there are often insufficient rooms to meet demand. In Yosemite Valley hundreds of guest rooms have actually been lost because of flooding and rock slides. Thus, make a reservation as early as possible, especially if your planned vacation coincides with the parks busiest period. Try to book rooms at a popular lodge at least 6 months before your expected arrival. Several lodges in very busy locations such as Yosemite Valley should, if possible, be booked nearly a year in advance. Choosing to vacation in off-peak periods, normally spring and fall, makes it more likely that you will successfully obtain a reservation for the desired dates.