Reader Participation Day: What Do You Think of Lodging Rates in National Parks?
What do you think of the price of a room in a national park lodge? Too much, too little, or just about right? Are some folks quite literally being priced out of a national park stay?
Those seem to be timely questions, what with last week's question concerning which is your favorite national park lodge and this week's story about how lodging rates compare to the rate of inflation. Is $105 per night for an unheated tent in Yosemite Valley reasonable? Is $91 a night for a "Housekeeping Camp" unit in the same valley, one with three concrete sides, a slab concrete floor, and a canvas roof and curtain a good deal?
How should location be factored into the cost? After all, Yosemite Valley is a pretty special place and it has a limited number of "pillows," as they say in the business. Head to Yellowstone National Park and for $113 a night -- just $8 more than that unheated tent in Curry Village -- you can sleep in a Frontier Cabin, one with two double beds and a private bath with shower, at Roosevelt...which also is a pretty nice place.
These are tough questions with hard-to-reach answers. Among the many factors that have to be considered are room rates in gateway communities, upkeep of the facilities, a reasonable return for both the National Park Service and the concessionaire, the cost of employees to clean those rooms, and, of course, inflation. And don't forget the lodging tax -- a double-digit tax in some areas -- that many communities are adding to your bill.
When you consider all those factors, are you satisfied when it's all said and done?
Comments
Connie
I don't really have a problem with the prices for various Lodges. My focus is on the Park itself and what scenery and nature it has to offer and not one kind of accomodations I am going to have. For most of the years of our marriage when our family was young, we camped the entire time at Bridge Bay in Yellowstone. Where we slept had no influence on our enjoyment of the park to the contrary, camping gave our kids piceless memories! Now that we are empty-nesters we still camp but we have also began including staying at some of the Lodges when and where we can. If I don't want to spend hundreds of dollars a night to stay in a particular Lodge then I will camp instead! I enjoy the ambiance that some of the Lodges have to offer and due to personal tastes not all of them appeal to me. If I wanted to spend the money like I was staying at "The Ritz" then I will go to New York City rather than hiking in one of our National Parks!
Connie Hopkins
Denton, Texas
I visited both Yosemite and the Grand Canyon this past year and Crater Lake last. While Yosemite's Ahwahnee was a bit steep (over $500) it was well worth the stay and enriched our stay as that hotel has so much history attached to it. The El Tovar (GCNP) and Crater Lake Lodge were pricey given the room itself but we wouldn't have stayed anywhere else. I agree with Connie in that the focus is on the park itself. The lodges just add an element of history and comfort to an already phenomenal experience!
I can't sleep on the ground and still want to go to the parks for all of the stuff other than sleeping on the ground related. At the same time, we're starting to make sufficient income now that we can afford to save up for a nice treat like a night or two in a lodge.
There have always been things I could afford and things I couldn't afford. I never resented that fact any more than the fact that there are scenic views I can handle hiking to and others that I can't.
We just got notice from a lodge that we've stayed at before of an off season buy one night, get a second free, offer, and we're making reservations. That cuts the effective price in half, and makes for a special weekend that's well within our price range. I still can't afford longer stays, and so be it.
does the parks have areas that you can pitch your own tent?without charging an arm and a leg?we went threw yellowstone last summer,i thought the lodging was nice but for the average family,just making their budgets,it was pricie. another experience was,to me to many people from other countries working at the lodges,hire more americans...thank jack
The prices are fine. You aren't spending a night in NP lodging just for a place to sleep. It's part of the experience. Look at the cultural experience of staying at OFI or El Tovar. If you're looking for Holiday Inn prices, stay at a Holiday Inn! There's no reason to expect these historic relics to compete in any form of the word with other businesses. These are unique places and are priced as such.
I (still) can't afford to stay in the lodges. That doesn't bother me: other folks can afford it, so they fulfill a need. My wife is no longer happy camping in a tent on the ground, and alas, backpacking for several nights is now out of the question. We need to negotiate combinations of more affordable lodging outside of the parks, car (tent) camping a night or 2 in the core of parks, and maybe an occasional splurge of a night at a lodge in a park. Its all good.
My wife and I are retired for 10 years now and have traveled to all of the 56 major national parks.We are not rich people but feel blessed that we have done it.We have always travelled in the off seasons to avoid the traffic and people.We have always tryed to stay at the park lodges for a night or 2 to get the experience and maybe dine out at the special park resturants.Over those 10 years we have seen the prices get so out line that it has become pretty much unaffordable to stay in most of the places we would like to go back to.My one beef is if these people would update and put some of this money back into these lodges it would not be so bad. Some are in worse shape than run down motels.But like everything today it's politics and how much MONEY can we make off these suckers.Don't get me wrong we have had some great experiences in these Natl Parks.But these Natl Parks should not be just for the rich and that's sadly whats happening.
One final note, I would like to thank Kurt for the great job he does keeping us abreast of these National Treasures.
Actually, I've been to my fair share of National Parks. The experience is priceless whether you are sleeping on nature's floor or rooming into a room. I will admit that the lodging prices are getting ridiculious. As many Concessions are cutting prices to try & fill rooms, it's still not enough. The package deals are the best as they can offer anything from breakfast & or dinner included. With ultimately high prices of gas, hotel/motel taxes, people being laid off or unemployed, It's becoming harder to visit such beautiful treasures!!
We've planned several times to go & visit several of the National Parks. We haven't been able to get the amount of money needed for any of a visit. Not even a day. So, I do think prices are out outrageous, YES!!
I can't speak to other park's lodging, but I feel both the Ahwahnee Hotel and the Yosemite Lodge are priced about twice as high in the "high season" as they should be. The Park Service has the ability to control these prices, but the concession operator in Yosemite, Delaware North, is an extrememly powerful multi-national corporation, and the Park Service tends to buckle under pressure, and to cater to the desires of the concessioner--whose primary motivation (no surprise) is to make as much money as possible. I believe the Park Service should re-establish control over lodging prices in the Valley, and bring those prices down.
I agree with Kate Wilder, the prices at the Ahwahnee Hotel, at $500.00 per night for a standard room and over $1000.00 per night for a suite, seem far beyond what the average park tourist can afford. These prices seem outrageous to me, unless the objective is to preserve a historic facility in the park that is managed as "exclusive."
Of course, these high prices at the Ahwahnee might seem reasonable compared with $105.00 per night for a spartan Civil War-style unheated tent cabin at Curry Village (bed, sheets, and wool blankets provided, and space to hang clothing is very limited; wash facilities and showers can be some distance away).
As Kate says above, the NPS has the responsibility of approving all concessioner prices. However, I don't think the NPS has much control at all over Delaware North. In fact, the massive out-transfer of NPS permanent staff that took place in Yosemite during the 1970's (and blamed on the aftermath of the infamous Stoneman Meadow Riot of July 4, 1970), is probably more connected with the political influence of high-level Curry Company officials, who reacted quite negatively to the down-turn of park visitation and an NPS emphasis on resource protection over the promotion of visitor use.
Owen Hoffman
Oak Ridge, TN 37830
I would love to stay at the Ahwahnee, but will not, due to the inflated prices. There is no reason this place should cost so much. Another fine lodge, not on NPS land is the Timberline Loge on Mount Hood, which has peak rates at $290, and the Ahwahnee has rates that start at $399 at peak. This is elitist!
Richard, I just checked Ahwahnee Hotel prices at https://smsworldbeg.dncinc.com/yosemite/BookingEngine.aspx
Your price quote above is for a specially discounted rate for off-season use. I just queried Deleware North Corporation for a reservation at the Ahwahnee for a standard room for the night of Dcember 30, 2009, and was quoted a price of $469.00, which when tax is added into the room price will exceed $500.00.
Owen Hoffman
Oak Ridge, TN 37830
How about the most expensive cabins I've heard of for an NPS authorized concessionaire?
http://www.gtlc.com/lodging/jenny-lake-lodge-accommodations.aspx
Who the heck pays $599/night for a rustic duplex cabin? I actually cringed when I paid $150 for a night at one of the Bryce Canyon Lodge cabins, although it was a really nice cabin.
I live near Glacier N.P. IF I want to stay in Glacier (or the surrounding area) in the summer we have to camp. My friend is 74 y.o. and I'm pushing 60. ....... and I mean CAMP ! .... on the ground, in a tent. When I retire (if) will we STILL be camping??? Cabin/motel/hotel rates are getting way out of control for the "common folk" who ALSO own the National Parks.
I find the cost to be quite high for what you get.
Camping: What happened to being able to pitch a tent for $15.00? Now you can't even do that at some parks without permits and per person charges in addition to your permit charge, and you may not even be able to get a permit since they only give out a certain amount.
Cabins: $150.00 for a cabin that is so slanted you are falling out of bed at night? That was a sad experience.
Lodges: I can understand some being more expensive when there are several to choose from, but when you only have one or two available, it prices me out of staying. When possible, I stay right outside of the park, which is inconvenient, but affordable.
Other lodging: Again, $150.00 a night for a room with no bathroom? At that point, camp out with an air mattress.
So sad when parks have no nearby lodging. I know when our family was first stating out, we could not take out children. They would get carsick after a two hour drive into a park. How sad they had to miss out.
I'd like to see some hostel type places to stay.
KLP,
What a great idea! If the Park Service wants to get back to the people, instead of some elitist money grubbing concessionaire, they should encourage the International Youth Hostel Association to run more places in parks. I know that they have a place at Point Reyes National Seashore. Do they have others?
I stayed a night at that hostel. It's affiliated with Hostelling International. They also have one at the Marin Headlands in Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Apparently it's pretty swanky since it was a former officers quarters at Fort Barry. The Point Reyes Hostel by comparison was a dorm for ranch hands.
http://norcalhostels.org/marin/features
They've also got a location within Redwood National Park:
http://norcalhostels.org/redwoods/
Yosemite Bug is affiliated with Hostelling International. They've got bunks for $25/night for nonmembers and $22 for HI members. They also have cabin and tent cabin options. It's not inside the park though.
http://www.yosemitebug.com/lodging.html
I would note that it's not likely that the NPS allows someone to build a new hostel. These are almost always existing housing that were then converted after the NPS took over.
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