Land of Liberty Explorers

Staying at a national park lodge is a great way to experience the history of the park. Most park lodges are built in the National Park Service Rustic – or “Parkitecture” – style, which is a style of architecture developed in the early 1900s in an effort to make the National Park Service’s buildings blend in with their natural surroundings. Here are some of our favorite National Park lodges…

Old Faithful Inn – Yellowstone National Park

The Yellowstone Park Company built Old Faithful Inn’s “Old House” between 1903 and 1904. Architect Robert Reamer designed the hotel so that the porch at its entrance frames Old Faithful geyser. The porch’s roof serves as viewing platform where guests can watch Old Faithful and other nearby geysers erupting. The east wing was completed in 1914 and a west wing was added in 1927. The lobby is our favorite feature of Old Faithful Inn. It features multiple balconies and a tree house near the ceiling. During construction, workers scoured the forest to find uniquely shaped trees that were turned into hand railings. The lobby’s central feature is a massive stone fireplace with a custom iron work clock.

We stayed in an Old House room. Old House rooms are simple, but very reasonably priced. Each room has a full size bed, a sink, and an antique piece of furniture. Guests used shared bathrooms that have private shower stalls. There is also a unique Tub Room that is divided into two smaller rooms each housing a claw footed bathtub. The east and west wings feature more modern style guest rooms.

Staying at Old Faithful Inn was convenient for visiting the Old Faithful area. Nearby Observation Point offers a great view of Old Faithful and the Old Faithful Inn. The trail to Observation Point is short at about a half mile, but it is steep. The Park’s concessionaire offers daily tours of the Inn that are very informative about the Inn’s history and design. We enjoyed picking up a Huckleberry ice cream cone at the Inn’s deli and watching Old Faithful erupt from the deck above the porch. Some of the iconic Yellowstone Yellow Bus tours leave from the Old Faithful Inn for guests who want to experience the park like travelers did in the 1920s.

Old Faithful and Old Faithful Inn from Observation Point

Lake McDonald Lodge – Glacier National Park

Lake McDonald Lodge was initially known as Lewis Glacier Lodge. It was built by John Lewis, a land speculator from Columbia Falls, Montana. Architect Kirtland Cutter designed the three and and half story building with a Swiss cottage theme that matched the style of the Great Northern Railway’s nearby hotels and chalets. The Lodge’s front door faces Lake McDonald because guests originally arrived by ferry. Today, most guests enter from the Lodge’s rear. The Great Northern Railway obtained the lodge in 1930. Like Old Faithful Inn, Lake McDonald Lodge’s lobby is impressive. It rises from the ground floor all the way to the third story ceiling and features many mounts of elk and deer around the balconies and Native American art.

Our room at Lake McDonald Lodge was actually located in Synder Hall. Synder Hall opened in 1911. It was originally built to house dances and public meetings but was later converted to a dormitory for park employees. Today the two story building contains several guest rooms that share bathrooms. Our stay at Synder Hall was during the summer of 2020, when COVID-19 caused many disruptions in the park. For public safety reasons, each Synder Hall room was assigned one of the shared bathrooms, so we technically had a private bathroom during our stay.

Paradise Inn – Mount Rainier National Park

The Mount Rainier National Park Company built Paradise Inn at Mount Rainier in 1915. It was designed by Tacoma architect Frederick Heath in the National Park Service rustic style. The Inn’s structural frame work is made from exposed cedar logs that frame French doors that may be opened to let the mountain air inside. In 1920, additional rooms were added when a four story annex was built. President Harry S. Truman played the piano in the lobby during his stay at Paradise. We loved staying here because of the easy access to all the Paradise trailheads. Hiking in Paradise with all of its amazing wildflowers is one of our favorite national park experiences.

Wawona Hotel – Yosemite National Park

Wawona Hotel is a Victorian style hotel that opened in 1876. It is located near the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias at the southern edge of the park. Most of the rooms open onto the hotel’s large verandas where guests can enjoy Adirondack chairs and piano music echoing from the hotel lobby. The walk to the shared restroom in the early morning mountain air was brisk, but our stay at Wawona was very nice. The Park Service runs a shuttle bus from Wawona to Yosemite Valley, which we found very convenient. Interestingly, the Wawona Hotel has a nine hole golf course making it unique in the National Park system.

Zion Lodge – Zion National Park

The Utah Parks Company, a subsidiary of Union Pacific Railroad, built Zion Lodge in 1924. Architect Gilbert Stanley Underwood‘s design represents a compromise between the railroad’s desire for a large hotel and National Park Service director Stephen Mather’s preference for smaller scale development in Zion. In 1966, a fire destroyed Underwood’s original design. The Parks Service quickly rebuilt the lodge but lost the original rustic look. In 1990, the lodge was restored to represent Underwood’s original style. We took advantage of the “bed and breakfast” package during our stay at Zion Lodge. We enjoyed watching the mule deer gather on the lodge’s large lawn each morning while we had breakfast in the dining room.

Bryce Canyon Lodge – Bryce Canyon National Park

Gilbert Stanley Underwood also designed Bryce Canyon Lodge, which was completed in 1927. The Utah Parks Company hoped building nice hotels at Zion, Bryce, and the Grand Canyon would increase tourism on the Union Pacific Railroad. Underwood designed Bryce Canyon Lodge in an Arts and Crafts style. We liked the green roofs on the lodge and its surrounding cabins. Staying at Bryce Canyon Lodge and experiencing the park from dawn until dusk definitely enhanced our trip to Bryce Canyon, and it contributed to establishing Bryce Canyon as one of our favorite national parks. The main lodge was closed for the season during our stay, so we stayed in one of the newer buildings nearby.

Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel – Yellowstone National Park

Historically, guests took the train to Gardiner, Montana then a stage coach to Yellowstone. The guests’ first stop in the park was Mammoth Hot Springs. The first hotel built at Mammoth Hot Springs was called The National. It was built in 1883. In 1913, architect Robert Reamer led a remodel of the National Hotel – which included a new east wing, that is still part of today’s existing structure. Reamer led another remodel in 1936, which resulted in the hotel being painted gray and taking on an Art Moderne style popular in 1930s architecture. Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel is one of the few Parks Service buildings built in the Art Moderne style. We stayed in a cabin behind the main hotel building. It was nice having our own private space, though we had to use a shared bathroom. The elk and marmots that hang out around the hotel kept us entertained.

Great Sand Dunes Lodge – Great Sand Dunes National Park

While not really inside the national park, and not as close to the dunes as it appears in photos, Great Sand Dunes Lodge is the closest hotel (or motel) to Great Sand Dunes National Park. Built in more of a traditional motel style, Great Sand Dunes Lodge features a variety of room types and sizes, but each has its own patio with a gas grill and a view into the national park. We enjoyed watching the hummingbirds zooming between the lodge’s feeders in the morning and evening during our stay. The lodge now rents sand sleds and boards, which adds a convenience for its guests. While no one should confuse Great Sand Dunes Lodge for a five star resort, it serves its purpose. With all that sand, it has to be a nightmare to keep it clean.