Bagging a Reservation in a National Park Lodge

Published 12:01 pm Tuesday, January 30, 2018

America’s national parks have never been more popular.

Although visitation was down a little in 2017 compared to the previous year, 2016 was the heavily promoted 100th anniversary of the National Park Service. Compared to five years earlier, 2017 national park visitation was up 17 percent.

Increased national park visitation translates into increased demand for guest rooms in national park lodges. This can be a problem for travelers because the number of national park guest rooms has changed little during the years.

A large new lodging complex opened in Yellowstone, but it replaced older cabins that were removed resulting in no overall change in the number of guest rooms.

Floods and rock slides in popular Yosemite National Park have actually reduced guest room availability in that park during the last couple of decades.

The high demand for national park lodging means it is never too early to begin planning a trip that includes a stay in one or more of the lodges.

For the coming summer, some popular lodges will have already filled for the prime months of July and August.

Several common-sense steps can improve your chances of bagging a room in a national park lodge.

Before attempting reservations by phone or the Internet, study the concessionaire’s website and gain a basic understanding of facilities including the types of rooms that are available. Reservation agents are generally well-versed, but it is likely you will discover important facts on the website that will influence your conversation with a reservation agent.

Make sure you understand the cancellation policy before making a reservation.

A few lodges require as much as a 30-day notice of cancellation or 100 percent loss of your deposit. Others are more lenient, but not to the degree of most lodging facilities outside the parks.

The most obvious way to be successful in gaining a reservation is to begin the process as early as possible. Most lodges begin accepting reservations a year in advance and a surprising number of travelers choose this route to assure themselves a room.

You may not beat these individuals to the punch, but by reserving early, you’ll beat the majority of travelers.

It is important to have flexibility with respect to dates. The best opportunities to grab a room at most park are during the seasons of spring and fall when many families can’t travel because their children are in school. Try to avoid national holidays.

Remain flexible regarding the lodge and type room you will accept. Some parks have multiple lodges, thus allowing more options for a stay.

Yellowstone is home to nine lodging facilities, some quite large (Canyon) and others small (Roosevelt).

Decide you must stay in iconic Old Faithful Inn and you’re likely asking for trouble. In any case, Canyon offers a central location in a very large park.

Bryce Canyon and Zion national parks each offer cabins and motel-type rooms with cabins generally filling first.

A number of lodges have at least some guest rooms without a private bathroom. These are typically the last rooms booked despite being considerably less expensive than comparable rooms with a private bath. Yosemite National Park’s Big Tree Lodge has slightly more than 100 guest rooms, half of which require guests to use one of several community bathrooms and rent for $60 less than rooms with a private bath.

Old Faithful Inn includes some guest rooms without a private bath. Cabins with and without a private bath are available in Sequoia’s Grant Grove.

Rick Hoeninghausen, director of sales and marketing at Yellowstone National Park Lodges, suggests booking a room that may not be your first choice – for example, a room without a bath – but continue checking the website or calling reservations on the chance a more desirable option has become available.

Travelers continually cancel rooms and you may find there is an opening for your first choice of room.

First-time guests at national park lodges are sometimes disappointed when guest rooms don’t meet their expectations. Keep in mind that some of America’s best-known national park lodges are more than a century old.

Yellowstone’s iconic Old Faithful Inn opened in 1904 and the Grand Canyon’s El Tovar welcomed its initial guests in 1903. Glacier National Park’s popular Many Glacier Hotel opened in 1915.

These lodges have been updated but the structures are old. Even though the room cost may be similar to an upscale hotel in a big city, you’re unlikely to find the same amenities and service.

In any case, who needs a spa, exercise room or swimming pool when you can walk out the front door and enjoy hiking in some of America’s most beautiful places.

View our national park lodge videos at http://mypages.valdosta.edu/dlscott/lodgevideos.html

David and Kay Scott are authors of “Complete Guide to the National Park Lodges” (Globe Pequot). Visit them at mypages.valdosta.edu/dlscott/Scott.html. They live in Valdosta, Ga.

Reservation Tips

– Make reservations directly with the concessionaire.

– Begin the reservation process as early as possible.

– Remain flexible with respect to dates.

– Be willing to accept your second choice of lodge and/or room type.

– If a lodge is fully booked, keep trying. Rooms continually open up as prior reservations are cancelled.

– Understand the cancellation policy.

– At popular lodges make dinner reservations when making room reservations.