Fantastic National Park Lodges & Where to Find Them

As The Weather Gets Colder Try Heading Into One of These Lodges

Hey Folks,

Jim here, I hope everyone had a great Halloween. Today I thought I’d talk about some grand old haunts located in our national parks for those who are interested in alternatives to roughing it on their next trip to the parks.

With all the scenery it can be easy to forget that our national parks are also home to some of the most beautiful hotels in the United States. Now is part of our forgetfulness due to the fact that the eye-watering prices at these hotels keep most of us from ever considering staying in them? Probably, but I’ll get to that later.

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Visit the National Parks Like a Rockefeller

“Geoffrey, what are those diminutive canvas dwellings called?”

If you have the coin and are looking for an unforgettable national park stay I recommend splurging at one of the following national park lodges. Some cost a lot more than others, but one thing to keep in mind as we enter into November is that prices in the offseason are often heavily discounted from the peak summer rates that will send you running for the nearest campground or viable patch of dirt.

Jackson Lake Lodge

My earlier headline isn’t misleading, you can quite literally visit the national parks like a Rockefeller by staying in the Jackson Lake Lodge at Grand Teton National Park, which was commissioned by John D. Rockefeller Jr. in 1950.

Here you’ll enjoy unobstructed views of Jackson Lake and the magnificent Teton Range in a historic rustic-meets-modern design that blends harmoniously with the surrounding natural landscape.

Of course rooms start here at $450 and that’s if you can find availability. While researching this newsletter I found the lodge was booked many months in advance so you’d really need to plan ahead here (you’ll find that’s a theme with all of these lodges).

I should point out that the park’s very existence is owed to the generosity of John D. Rockefeller Jr. who, at no small expense, bought the land that now encompasses Grand Teton National Park and donated it to the government for the enjoyment of all Americans – with no strings attached. That’s quite the gift if you ask me.

The Ahwahnee

One of the most famous national park lodges, the magnificent Ahwahnee sits under Yosemite Falls and offers luxury accommodations in the midst of some of the most incredible natural splendor on earth.

Ah but the price… Rooms here start at $600, but typically cost upwards of $900 per night. Yes you read that correctly. And as you may have suspected booking needs to be done well in advance. That said, while the rooms are fairly standard, the property is spectacular and is worth visiting even if you don’t want to hand over your right arm for a room.

Oh and who could forget Delware North’s calamitous PR disaster when they absconded with the name of this iconic lodge and demanded a ransom from taxpayers for it. Fortunately it’s under new management now.

Crater Lake Lodge

This stately old lodge dates back to 1915, that is until the National Park Service had to tear it down due to safety concerns and rebuild it in 1991. Fortunately the rebuild meant that the grand old lodge could retain its original rustic character while also enjoying all of the modern conveniences of 1991 – which is a lot more than can be said for other historic park lodges.

Today visitors can spend the night at the Crater Lake Lodge at the more modest starting price of $225 if booked well enough in advance.

Many Glacier Hotel

Of course this grand old railroad hotel had to make the list. Built in 1915 in the Swiss Chalet style, the hotel was part of a Great Northern Railway campaign to encourage Americans to "See America First." At the time, Europe was the prevailing vacation spot for the wealthy and America’s burgeoning railroads were eager to get a slice of that business.

The logic was that the mountains around Glacier were better than the Swiss Alps and you could have a majestic mountain chalet experience right here at home. Hard to argue with that in my opinion.

Today visitors can enjoy the historic hotel situated on Swiftcurrent Lake high in the mountains starting at $258/night if you’re lucky. Of course you’ll need to book well in advance and remember that the hotel has a short season.

Old Faithful Inn

Perhaps the most iconic national park lodge is the Old Faithful Inn. This magnificent old lodge, the world's largest log hotel, stands as the crown jewel of the National Park Service Rustic architecture that we've all come to know and love.

Built in 1904 by the Northern Pacific Railroad, this lodge is a must visit in Yellowstone National Park, even if you don’t plan to spring for an overnight stay. Years ago, my wife and I enjoyed breakfast in the palatial dining room of the inn after witnessing Old Faithful erupt at sunrise. That memory still brings a smile to my face.

Rooms here start at about $450 and run all the way up to numbers you don’t want to fathom. It all depends on the time of year you visit and how far in advance you can book.

What’s With The Crazy Prices?

This is something Will and I have discussed and I have to say we have mixed feelings about the fact that these historic national park lodges, which are the property of the U.S. Government (aka the taxpayers), seem to be reserved only for the wealthy.

Why is it that campgrounds are at prices everyone can afford (it’s just a matter of getting there first or reserving it first) but historic park lodges are priced like The Ritz Carlton? Demand is equally high for both campsites and hotel rooms so don’t throw a supply and demand chart at me.

Could it be that the hotels are all privately run by concessionaires while campgrounds are operated by the government? Look, I understand the NPS not wanting to be in the hospitality business, but I think rates need to be capped lower, at least for a portion of the rooms to make it possible for ordinary Americans to enjoy their property without taking out a midsize loan.

I just can’t imagine that you need to charge $700/night in order to make a decent profit at these places. Anyway, feel free to let us know what you think on the matter by leaving a comment.

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Get Out And Vote!

Today is election day so make sure to look up the candidates in your elections, make an informed decision, and cast your ballot!

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The Latest From the Brothers

We’re currently going through footage we shot over the course of the year and making updates to the website as we head into the holiday season. We’re updating our gift guides this week so you’ll be ready for Black Friday – stay tuned!

We reached 10,000 YouTube subscribers! If you haven’t subscribed to our YouTube I would recommend it, we don’t release a lot of videos or spam you like other channels. It’s strictly our handful of films that we meticulously work on each year.

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Here’s the Deal On Paid Subscriptions

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If you’re new, all of our old newsletters are archived here for you to reference in case you miss one or want to look back at an old one.

We recently updated our current offerings here on Substack to include more national park resources. We’ll be adding more soon!

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My Closing Thoughts

I could go on about the lodges. There are many more worthy of inclusion in places like Sequoia, Olympic, the Grand Canyon, and Hawaii Volcanoes. Perhaps I’ll do an article about them if enough people write us wanting to read more about them.

Get out and vote and enjoy the changing of the seasons! Until next time!

– Jim