Yellowstone has its magnificent log cabin, Yosemite its blue-blooded Ahwahnee, Grand Teton its charming Jenny Lake Lodge. These are just three of the many lodges, hotels, and inns that can be found throughout the National Park System. Which is your favorite, and why?
Easy as that question might seem, arriving at an answer is no easy task. Where else but the Old Faithful Inn can you stay in a massive, century-old log cabin next to the world's most famous geyser? Book a room at Lake McDonald Lodge in Glacier National Park and when the sun goes down it almost feels as if the park is your own private paradise, as the day visitors vanished, leaving you on the shore of that incredible lake.
The list goes on and on. Bryce Canyon Lodge has its colorful amphitheater, El Tovar its fantastic canyon, LeConte its rumpled mountains, Rainer that grand inn.
So tell us. Which lodge is your all-time favorite?
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Comments
To help fill in some of the gaps....
Lake Crescent Lodge -- Olympic. Nice lakeside setting. Restaurant was incredible last time I was there. Roosevelt Cabins seem to be the way to go.
Kalaloch Lodge -- Restaurant's not bad, setting is great, I've really enjoyed the cabins on the bluff.
Zion Lodge -- Western cabins are the way to go.
Bryce Canyon -- Ditto on the cabins.
Far View Lodge -- Mesa Verde. Haven't stayed in any of the updated Kiva rooms, but the standard rooms were nothing special when I was there. Restaurant is one of the better ones in the park system.
Jackson Lake Lodge -- I'd quibble mightily with you, YPW, on this place. One of Underwood's worst creations, in my opinion, after all the work he did with parkitecture. The surrounding cottages are nice, though.
Colter Bay Village -- Grand Teton. The cabins are charmingly rustic and perfect for the location, though they can be stiflingly hot in August.
Lake McDonald Lodge -- Glacier. Rooms are small, restaurant is pretty good.
Furnace Creek Inn -- Death Valley. Highly priced, but beautiful architecture and setting.
Furnace Creek Ranch -- Nothing special, but affordable.
Connie
I love all the feedback! Our National Parks are true American treasures!
Connie Hopkins
I quite liked Jackson Lake Lodge. However - I'm heavily biased about that big room with the window pointing at Jackson Lake. If there's one thing Underwood was good at, it was pointing his windows.
I did stay at one of the Bryce Canyon cabins. Now those are some remarkable buildings. I heard that Underwood designed each one differently.
I've also stayed at Maswik at Grand Canyon. The cabins were unremarkable, but very affordable. Their lodge building wasn't all that great compared to the other lodges with views of the Grand Canyon.
Bryce Canyon Lodge is on top of my list! It's a classic throw-back to the lodges of old. Front desk staffs are both knowledgeable and courteous. Dinners were extremely good. Two-thumbs up for me!
Loved the lodge. We asked if they might have our cabin available early although that didn't happen.
However - we had an interesting experience at the Bryce Canyon Lodge dining room the day before (when we were staying at Ruby's Inn). We got in for a late lunch and there was only one member of the wait staff and about 12 tables occupied. We were polite to her (sort of understood her predicament). However - other patrons were complaining loudly and ranting about the slow service. So she starts rushing out with food stomping on the ground, other patrons are still complaining, and she stomps back into the kitchen and pretty much loses it. We could hear her screaming in the kitchen that she couldn't handle this alone and I think she might have been relieved for the day with the manager taking over. We asked a busboy what the deal was, and apparently they don't usually have much of a late lunch crowd and the manager didn't provide backup. The food finally arrived and was quite good.
I loved the Jackson Lake Lodge. The views were to die for and the little cabins were stylish, clean, and very eco friendly.