Plan ahead for your National Park family vacation
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Located 330 feet from the rim of the Grand Canyon, the El Tovar hotel opened in 1905 as one of the original Harvey Houses.
Plan ahead for your National Park family vacation. (The best lodging fills quickly.) Choose from these historic gems to add a layer of history to your outdoor adventure:
1. Lake Yellowstone Hotel
Yellowstone National Park
Captivating views of Yellowstone Lake are best appreciated from this elegant hotel’s Sun Room, where classical music performances enchant guests of all ages most evenings during the summer season. The lyrical sounds of a string quartet often serve as a delicious backdrop as guests, in multiple accents and languages, share their experiences of the day and plans for tomorrow. First opened in 1891, in an era when guests arrived by stagecoach, the Grand Old Lady of the Lake was restored to her Colonial Revival heritage during a multi-million-dollar renovation completed in 2014. Walking tours of the hotel are offered for those interested in learning more about its history.
Contact: YellowstoneNationalParkLodges.com; TravelWyoming.com
2. Old Faithful Snow Lodge
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Yellowstone National Park
Built in 1999, recycled timbers were used in the construction of this lodge that offers easy access to the Old Faithful geyser and the wealth of natural resources that attract visitors each year from around the world. Accommodations include lodge rooms and cabins with wildlife and park themes. America’s first national park, established in 1872, Yellowstone spreads into Wyoming, Montana and Idaho, and is home to abundant wildlife including grizzly bears, wolves, bison and elk. Check out the hot springs and geysers and experience a ride in the historic yellow touring cars that add to the historic park experience. The grand Old Faithful Inn recently underwent renovations.
Contact: YellowstoneNationalParkLodges.com
3. El Tovar
Grand Canyon National Park
Find inspiration in this National Historic Landmark hotel, perched just steps from the world’s grandest canyon. Completed in 1905 by the Fred Harvey Co., now the Xanterra Travel Collection, to accommodate tourists arriving to this wonder of the world, El Tovar provides a history-rich lodging experience on the South Rim of the canyon. From your cozy digs, set out for hiking, photographing, journaling and people watching.
Contact: GrandCanyonLodges.com; VisitArizona.com
4. Zion Lodge
Zion National Park
Peace and refuge. That’s what the name Zion means. And in this beautiful Southern Utah park, filled with shifting and photographic opportunity, you’ll find plenty of both. Bike, stroll or cycle through 146,000 acres of uninterrupted beauty, punctuated by colorful cliffs and canyons as well as diverse plant and animal life. The lodge, the only in-park lodging, features historic cabins as well as motel- style rooms with balconies or porches.
Contact: ZionLodge.com; VisitUtah.com
5. Many Glacier Hotel
Glacier National Park
There are few places on the planet as stunning as Glacier National Park. And one could argue that the historic Many Glacier Hotel is the ideal venue from which to appreciate the vast and astonishing landscape. Located on the shores of Swiftcurrent Lake with jagged peaks as backdrop, the iconic hotel was built by the Great Northern Railway in 1914 to lure tourists to the Wild West. Today, visitors from around the world find their way to this northwestern corner of Montana, eager to see the disappearing glaciers, hike aside azure-colored lakes and to catch a glimpse of resident wildlife.
This secluded, five-story hotel has undergone a multi-million dollar renovation inkeeping with its historic roots and offers visitors a window into the past with old-world style guest rooms and a Swiss Alpine theme.
