Top Ten Historic National Park Lodges

The US National Parks have been called “America’s best Idea”. I call the Historic National Park Lodges, built in the early 1900’s, “the second-best idea”! Not only are they iconic grand log structures, but they have increased access to and conservation of the parks. At the time the lodges were being constructed, railroads were also being built across the United State, so rail access to the parks and building the lodges often went “hand in hand”.

I love historic architecture in addition to parks.  Whenever possible, in conjunction with our quest to visit all, now 63, National Parks, we stay inside each park, and in the National Park Lodge when there is one. It’s simply magical to be in a park when most guests have left for the day and to experience nature as it once was as the sun sets and as it rises. However, not all visitors appreciate the sometimes-rustic accommodations.

Most of my top ten historic National Park lodges had Stephen Mather, the first Superintendent of the National Park Service, as an influential proponent and are now Historic Landmarks. The amazing structures are a “must see” whether you stay at them or not!  

These lodges require reservations 6-12 months ahead of time. It’s not uncommon to “man the phones” at 7 am the day their reservations open for the season! Each lodge has a separate operating agreement with organizations, so the food, rooms, service and amenities differ from lodge to lodge.

Without further ado, here is my list of the top ten historic National Park lodges in the order of the year built (1891-1927) with #1 being the first, oldest:

View from the Grand Canyon Lodge on the north rim of the Grand Canyon, AZ

10.   Grand Canyon Lodge, North Rim Grand Canyon 1927

I would have never thought the Grand Canyon Lodge would be the newest of my “Top Ten historic National Park Lodges” but, of course, 1927 isn’t that new.

It’s incredible that this lodge was built sitting atop, and I mean right on the cliff of Bright Angel Point, of the north rim back in 1927! I think we spent half the time on our visit on the east and west rim terraces flanking the lodge gawking at the canyon’s geologic layers in differing light.

While this lodge is hard to get to, it’s worth it. The north rim is much less crowded, is higher and thus cooler than the south rim and the lodge is fab!

Designed by Gilbert Stanley Underwood, this lodge was built for the Union Pacific Railroad. The massive native ponderosa beams and Kaibab limestone façade make quite an impression at the end of the road before one even sets their eyes on the Grand Canyon itself.

The Spanish style lodge originally had 140 additional cabins. A devastating fire which started in the basement quickly destroyed it in 1936 but only consumed two of the cabins. During the re-build, the structure was modified to accommodate heavy winter snowfall and it successfully re-opened in 1938.

Walk in the lobby’s front door, down a couple of steps into the “surprise sunroom” and feast your eyes on the first view of the Grand Canyon! And, then enjoy more incredible views to either side on the terraces. Today the lodge has different grades of cabins (no lodge rooms) and a beautiful dining room.

We stayed in the basic cabins which were fine, nothing fancy, as is often the case. The best cabins are 301, 305, 306 and 309 – they have their own private view of the Canyon.

The lodge is generally open May 15 to October 15th because of the harsh winters. Get your reservations early!

Ahwahnee Hotel, Yosemite, CA

9.       Ahwahnee Hotel, Yosemite, CA 1927

So really the Grand Canyon Lodge isn’t the newest of my “top ten”. It shares 1927 with two other lodges including the Ahwahnee Hotel, named after the native site. Based on our experience this lodge is the priciest of the lodges. So much so that we didn’t stay at the lodge but spent a lot of time in the stylish lobby with along with many others due to inclement weather.

The luxurious Y shaped hotel is 150,000 square feet with 97 hotel rooms, 24 cottages and several public rooms including the timber framed iconic Grand Dining Room. Many upgrades were made between 1950 and 1980.

The sunny hotel site on the Yosemite Valley floor sits at the base of the Royal Arches rock formation and has spectacular views of iconic Glacier Point, Half Dome and Yosemite Falls.

Gilbert Stanley Underwood designed the Ahwahnee in addition to the National Park’s rustic style Grand Canyon Lodge. The Ahwahnee is a stunning example of “parkitecture”!

We stayed in Curry Village name after the two schoolteachers who originally brought tourists to Yosemite Valley. The Yosemite Park and Curry Company was the concessionaire who proposed the luxury hotel and oversaw the construction.

This is one of the few lodges designed to maximize every season – it’s open year around!

The Inn at Death Valley, Death Valley National Park, CA

8.       The Inn at Death Valley (formerly Furnace Creek Inn), Death Valley, CA, 1927

Sunsets from the terraced stone patio at the Inn at Death Valley looking out over the palm trees across expansive Death Valley are spectacular – one of my favorite memories of Death Valley National Park.

The Spanish Style stucco Inn was originally constructed in 1927 by Borax magnate Richard C Baker. Nearby, now defunct, rail lines transported Borax from mines in the area. Once Richard Baker took ownership of the cash strapped rail lines, he constructed the Furnace Creek Inn as a luxury hotel for tourists wanting to experience Death Valley. He hired the Fred Harvey company to promote and manage the Inn – this continued for decades.

The Inn completed a $100 Million renovation in 2019 refurbishing the rooms, lobby, restaurant, terraces and the beautiful spring fed tile pool. 22 casitas were added among the date palms. Unique to National Park Lodges, this Inn has tennis courts and as unbelievable as it sounds, a golf course. Now marketed as a luxury hotel, prices compete with the Ahwahnee!

The Inn is in the middle of the park, at the Oasis at Death Valley, six miles from Zabrinski Point, an iconic spot in Death Valley. In addition to the Inn, at the Oasis, there is a campground and cabins.  We stayed in the cabins at the more reasonably priced Ranch at Death Valley, a short walk to the Inn, where we enjoyed the lobby, dining room and lovely terraces.

This Inn is open October-May, the complete opposite months of most of the National Park Lodges due to extreme summertime heat – one of the few parks to visit in the winter!

7.  Paradise Inn, Mt Rainer National Park, WA, 1916

(The header photo is Paradise Inn)

Nestled in the south slope of Mt Rainer, at 5,400 feet, just below the Nisqually Glacier, sits the historic Paradise Inn. The area is aptly named Paradise, with its grand views of Mt Rainer, the Tatoosh Range and expansive wildflower fields.

Originally, a tent camp for those who wanted to be up closer to “the Mountain” than the Longmire area, the lodge was built with big timbers from fire-kill just below Narada Falls. The frame-exposed interior including the grand dining room, rock fireplaces, clock and piano are as they were in 1916 after a businessman from Tacoma formed the Rainer National Park Corporation (RNPC) and built the lodge.

Coincidentally, my grandfather drove in the first automobile trip up to Paradise with the Rotary Club of Tacoma in 1911.

First automobile trip up to Paradise Lodge, Mt Rainer National Park, WA

Today there are 121 rooms, including an annex, and a new (2008) visitor center. Don’t miss the native wildflower painted lanterns in the lodge viewed well from the lobby balcony! Many people enjoy Paradise, from those beginning their ascent to the 14,400 summit, casual hikers, wildflower seekers and those just wanting to see Mt Rainer up close. The lobby and patio are great places to hang out.

As a Washington State native, I have spent many nights at Paradise Lodge and much time hiking and cycling in Mt Rainer National Park. Both the park and lodge are American treasures!

The lodge and dining room are generally open from late May-Sept but the road from Longmire is open year around, weather dependent, for hiking and winter sports.

Crater Lake Lodge, OR

6.       Crater Lake Lodge, Crater Lake, OR, 1915    

Spectacular Crater Lake Lodge is perched on the volcanic rim, 1,000 feet above Crater Lake and Wizard Island. Sitting on the veranda (1932 addition) overlooking Crater Lake is something everyone should do once in their life!

We are lucky to have this magnificence. The original Lodge, built in 1915, was sparse. After a foreclosure early on, WWII closure, ownership changes, water and sewer contamination and plans to reduce the structure for a visitor center, who would have predicted what we enjoy today!

When the National Park Service proposed demolition, they heard loud and clear from the public that we wanted Crater Lake Lodge! After decades of decline a major reconstruction and renovation project began in 1991 and the new Lodge was opened in May of 1995 with 71 rooms and a reconstructed Great Hall.  Again, the veranda is my fav!

Today the lodge is more modern than many others. The rooms, dining room and lobby are lovely but not on the grand scale of the big timber lodges.

With 533 average inches of snowfall each year the lodge is open mid-May through mid-October. Don’t be surprised if you are snowshoeing in huge snow drifts in May like we were!

Many Glaciers Lodge, Glacier National Park MT

5.       Many Glaciers Lodge, Glacier National Park, MT, 1914

What I’ll always remember about Many Glaciers Lodge are the bell boys who greeted us in lederhosen, a long-time tradition in this Swiss style massive “hotel”, the largest of the lodges in Glacier National Park, built by the Great Northern Railway.

The Lodge is on a rocky ledge above Swiftcurrent Lake, in the heart of the park, and gazes upon angular Grinnell Point and its symmetrical neighboring peaks - nicknamed the “American Alps” with good reason.

With enormous logs hewn from the park itself and rigged up by the railroad bridgebuilders, the hotel was built in one year. The lodges in Glacier National Park were built by the Great Northern Railway to promote visitation to this spectacular American treasure and compete with Union Pacific and Northern Pacific who had great access to Yellowstone. The Railway was instrumental in getting Congress to designate Glacier as a National Park.

Several chalets such as Sperry Chalet were also built, as a day’s horse ride away from the core structures of Many Glaciers Lodge, Glacier Park Lodge and Lake McDonald Lodge creating a lodging complex in the park.

While the structure itself is an impressive presence in the valley, the accommodations are modest but sufficient even after it was partially re-modeled in 2016. The hotel is painted brown with Swiss style trim. Don’t miss the large deck overlooking the spectacular scenery, it’s awesome!

Today there are 2 suites, 7 family rooms and 207 rooms. Many Glaciers Lodge is only open early June through mid-September. Imagine staffing up each year as a manager of one of these lodges!

Glacier Park Lodge, MT

4.       Glacier Park Lodge, East Glacier, MT, 1913

Glacier Park Lodge, also built by the Great Norther Railroad is just outside the park in East Glacier. The Railroad depot is within walking distance to the western timber lodge making it a natural stopping spot while visiting the park. Here is where the well-known Red Bus Tours begin.

While not in the park this massive timber lodge was designed in the rustic National Park lodge style and is surrounded by sprawling lawn and wonderful gardens. I loved rocking on the porch overlooking the somewhat urban landscape. The lodge was modeled after the Forestry Building at the 1905 Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition in Portland Oregon. The three-story lobby is surrounded by enormous Douglas Fir columns.

Rooms in the lodge are accessed from the balcony overlooking the grand lobby. Each room looks out onto the gardens or to the mountains. Initially there were 61 rooms but upon completion the lodge expanded and doubled its capacity due to its popularity!

The grand lobby hosts the Grand Northern Dining Room and Empire Lounge modeled after rail car dining. And today there are 161 rooms and an outdoor swimming pool.

Glacier Park Lodge is open late-May-mid-Sept.

Old Faithful Lodge, Yellowstone National Park, WY

3.       Old Faithful Inn, Yellowstone National Park, WY, 1904

There isn’t a National Park Lodge more iconic than the Old Faithful Inn! Sited close to the Old Faithful Geyser, and now a newer Old Faithful Visitor Education Center, you can see the Geyser “go off” from the spectacular “old world” dining room.  Not only did the Old Faithful Inn introduce “parkitecture” to the National Park Service for future lodges but it is considered the largest log structure in the world.

The Old Faithful Inn replaced Upper Geyser Basin Hotel after it was destroyed in a fire. The Yellowstone Park Company (aka Northern Pacific Railway) required that it be built no closer than 1/8 of a mile from the Old Faithful Geyser. Originally designed as a Queen Anne turreted structure, architect Robert Reamer was hired and then designed this tremendous National Park Lodge in the rustic style. He began with the “old house”, a seven-story lobby and guest rooms. In 1914 the east wing was added and in 1927 the west wing was added creating a nearly 700-foot-long building! Local lodgepole pine and rhyolite stone were the primary local building materials.

The massive lobby is accentuated with a commanding 16-foot-tall fireplace and with not one but two levels of balconies. My favorite stop when climbing around the balconies was the “crows’ nest” where musicians serenaded guests! The interior and exterior framing is supported by curved and twisted branches adding to the highly rustic feel.

The Inn was closed during WWII, highly damaged in the Hebgen Lake Earthquake of 1959 and nearly consumed in the 1988 North Fork Fire. But through repairs, updates and expansions the historic character has been maintained!

The lodge is open early May – early October.

View from the Grand Teton Lodge, WY

2. Jackson Lake Lodge, Teton National Park, WY, 1903

Towering over Jackson Lake, the Grand Tetons are simply breathtaking to behold. The beauty of the Jackson Lake Lodge is how it maximizes this spectacular sight, “bringing the outside in”! Views from the Mural Room, bar, lobby and the lovely outdoor walkway and patio are astonishing. I can’t imagine anyone visiting and not leaving with several fabulous photos!

The Jackson Lake Lodge was originally built in 1903 in Moran. In 1929 John D Rockefeller Jr purchased most of the town and eventually built the current Lodge in 1955 to accommodate the subsequent increased visitation.

The design was a break from the rustic, big timber lodges previously designed by architect Stanley Gilbert Underwood. The Lodge is the National Park Services interpretation of the International Style used in US Government buildings at the time. It combines rustic with modern elements.

The Lodge is quite peaceful and a nice change of pace from nearby more hectic Yellowstone. Today there are 385 suites, hotel rooms and cabins. We enjoyed a renovated cabin just outside the lodge.

The Lodge is open early May – early October.

Lake Yellowstone Hotel, WY

1.       Lake Yellowstone Hotel, Yellowstone National Park, WY, 1891

The very first National Park lodge, overlooks Yellowstone Lake in magnificence! It’s not your typical timber frame lodge but a grand and elegant colonial revival building dressed in bright yellow with large white ionic columns that greet you.

Originally built in 1891 by the Northern Pacific Railway as a smaller clapboard building, its expansion, in 1903, was designed by Robert Reamer who also designed the Old Faithful Inn. Further expansion, designed by Reamer, in 1923 and 1928, defined the hotel’s colonial revival style we know it today.

The first renovation was completed in 1990. Another extensive renovation in 2015 brought back the charm of its glory days to current times.  

There isn’t much better than sitting in the grand sunroom, gazing out over the lake while being serenaded on the grand piano before heading into the beautifully restored dining room!

Today there are 210 renovated hotel rooms along with 186 renovated cabins behind the hotel.

 The hotel is open late June – late September

See below for more information on the parks in this blog:

Waterton - Glacier National Peace Park - In and Around the Four Historic Lodges

Is that a Cactus in Joshua Tree National Park? Will I Die in Death Valley?

Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks via Bozeman, MT and Wallace, ID

Redwoods, Yosemite, Mt Lassen and Crater Lake National Park - Our First Four

Cycling in Mt Rainer National Park

We like to give back to the National Parks through the National Park Foundation.