Lodges made for winter

I was making national park reservations for NEXT July at Yellowstone, and finally found rooms at 4 different lodges during stay. Crazy. But it got me thinking about winter in the National Parks and how much easier that would be. Here are some of my favorites:

DEATH VALLEY NATIONAL PARK, CA

Furnace Creek Inn, Photo David Morris

Furnace Creek Inn closes each summer as temperatures soar, but come October the 1927, luxury resort reopens. This is the ultimate oasis with fresh water, spring-fed swimming pool, lush gardens, locally inspired cuisine and the kind of setting that drew the Hollywood crowd of the Roaring 20s. Guests still get VIP treatment at this intimate retreat where days are filled with exploring the park, playing golf on the lowest elevation course in America or taking part in a variety of special events at the inn. The best part of one's stay is simply the solitude. As one park ranger said of Death Valley, "The silence is deafening."  There are special Stay and Play packages at the Inn or the less expensive Ranch at Furnace Creek. www.furnacecreekresort.com or 800-236-7916.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK, COLO

Stephen King may have been inspired to write The Shining after a stay at The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park, but today the elegant 1909 Colonial Revival hotel is anything but creepy. The devastating flood that hit Estes Park didn’t touch The Stanley. No rustic design here, rather a neo-Classical hotel that is magical come wintertime. www.stanleyhotel.com or 800-976-1377.

OLYMPIC NATIONAL FOREST, WA

Set along the shore of Lake Quinault, surrounded by one of the Western Hemisphere's three temperate coniferous rainforests is the shingle-covered shake-roofed Lake Quinault Lodge. The lodge is located in the south central portion of Washington's Olympic Peninsula. Guests gather around the massive brick fireplace for games of Scrabble and chess while they look out through floor-to-ceiling paned windows at the wonder of it all. Meals are served in the same dining room where President Franklin D. Roosevelt dined during his 1937 tour of the peninsula while evaluating the feasibility of creating Olympic National Park. Bring your rain gear and a good book www.visitlakequinault.com or 888-896-3827.

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, CA

The Awhwanee Hotel stands as the most elegant lodge in a National Park. Designed by Gilbert Stanley Underwood, the towering stone, glass and concrete (made to look like wood) hotel was meant to draw visitors of "means" to the park. The hotel opened in 1927 and fabulous public rooms such as the 77-foot long Great Lounge and rustic yet formal dining room along with intimate spaces such as the Mural Room or Solarium wowed guests then as they do today. Winter hotel events include Vinter’s Holiday with three remaining “sessions” in November and December, Bracebridge Dinner (Dec. 13-25), but nothing beats taking in the breathtaking views of the frozen Yosemite Falls, Half Dome or Glacier Point from one of the hotel’s many vantage points.

www.yosemitepark.com/Accommodations_TheAhwahnee.aspx or 801-559-4884.

Most visitors to Yosemite know about The Ahwahnee, but one of the oldest mountain resorts in California is located just seven miles from the park’s south entrance. Built in 1879, the Wawona Hotel is part of eight New England-style buildings set on the site of old Clark Station and lodge in the park. The hotel is an ideal place for skiers headed to Badger Pass Ski Area. The 12 Days of Christmas is also celebrated from Dec. 20-Jan. 1. If you’re looking for a Currier and Ives setting in California, the Wawona Hotel is it. www.yosemitepark.com/Accommodations_WawonaHotel.aspx or 801-559-4884.

GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, AZ

The 1905 El Tovar Hotel is the classiest lodge on the South Rim: Great rooms, gorgeous dining room and history-seeped atmosphere. Winter is an ideal time to miss the crowds at the canyon without sacrificing the heart-stopping views found just steps from the hotel. Xanterra operates the Inn along with other less expensive lodges on the South Rim. Special winter rates along with packages on the Grand Canyon Railway from Williams to the South Rim station on the Polar Express make for some pretty special winter adventures. www.thetrain.com, or 800-843-8724 for the railway and  www.grandcanyonlodges.com or 888-297-2757 for lodging information.

MOUNT HOOD NATIONAL FOREST, OR

Timberline Lodge, photo by Jon Tullis

Most lodges were built with summer in mind, but six miles up a winding road on Mount Hood, Oregon, stands the 74,000-square-foot Timberline Lodge. This elegant piece of architecture is often buried in snow drifts and melds into the backdrop of the looming presence of Oregon's highest peak. Built by the WPA during the Great Depression, this is the ultimate ski lodge where everything remains as it was in 1935. The Cascade Dining room offers fabulous Northwest cuisine and if you have a family, check out the “dorm rooms”.  www.timberlinelodge.com or 800-547-1406. You might also check out Silcox Hut a small lodge that rents to groups of at least 12 and also features a Winemakers Dinner series featuring Oregon Wineries. A mile above Timberline, it is a world away….from everything! Same website, same phone number as Timberline Lodge.

GLACIER NATIONAL PARK, MT

 The big lodges at Glacier National Park close up for the brutal winters, but the intimate Belton Chalet reopens for the snowy season. Tucked against the hillside outside the west entrance of the park, the chalet opened in 1910 the same year President Taft signed a bill creating Glacier National Park. Cottages and rooms are available, and the restaurant and taproom are open on weekends during the winter season (beginning Dec. 12). You won’t find crowds this time of year, but you will discover a slice of “real” Montana. www.beltonchalet.com or 406-888-5000. If you hanker for something else, try Isaac Walton Inn in Essex, Montana. This family-run historic hotel and refurbished train cars is a great spot to stay if you’re a cross-country ski fan. www.isaacwaltoninn.com or 406-888-5700

GOLDEN GATE NATIONAL PARK, CA

Set within the Golden Gate National Parks at Fort Baker, just north of the Golden Gate Bridge near Sausalito, California, is the national park's newest "historic" lodge. Cavallo Point Lodge is a compound of twenty-four former military buildings, transformed into a combination of historic rehabilitation and contemporary construction. The one-time military post became a 350-acre national park site in 2002, and in 2008 the parade grounds and hillside became a “green” destination resort. Cavallo Point offers a high-end Healing Arts Center & Spa, posh restaurant with extensive wine cellar, cooking classes, meditation and yoga in the former chapel, hiking and biking. Not exactly what those who awoke to revelry found. www.cavallopoint.com or 888-651-2003.

Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel
photo by Xanterra

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, WY
The venerable 1904 Old Faithful is shuttered against the elements each winter, but winter guests to the park find accommodations at Old Faithful Snow Lodge  the historic Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel. Half of the fun is just getting there. The interior of the park is only accessible by snowmobile, snowcoach or cross-country skis. Winter packages include snowcoach transportation. Once you’ve checked in, the park is yours via cross country skiing, snowshoeing, or limited snowmobile and snowcoach rides. Geysers, roaming wildlife and the stark beauty of the snow-covered landscape make it a favorite time for a visit. www.YellowstoneNationalParkLodges.com or 866-439-7375

Old Faithful Snow Lodge
photo by Xanterra

ZION NATIONAL PARK, UT

Zion Park Lodge, the park’s only lodging facility, offers budget-friendly travelers  “Winter Bed & Breakfast” package through March 20, 1915. The original lodge burned to the ground in the 1960s, but the quickly rebuilt main lodge has been refurbished and the historic cabins are charming. www.zionparklodge.com/dealsandpackages/Winter-Bed-Braekfast.com or 888-297-2757.

Volcano House, photo by Jerry Barnes

VOLCANOS NATIONAL PARK, BIG ISLAND OF HAWAII
We took the grandkids to Volcano House last summer, and I can guarantee winter is perfection. The hotel has been totally renovated taking it back to its hey-day. The restaurant views along with the lobby views of the calders have all been restored. The bar is even a treat! Remember, with the high elevation, we are not talking balmy weather rather spectacular geology. Hiking and taking in lava tubes, steam vents and the sight of lava flowing and spewing is spectacular. www.hawaiivolcanohouse.com or 866-536-7972. What? You want a picture of the Volcano House not our grandkids? More on the blog about Volcano House to come!

All photos copyright as noted on captions. Read more about these lodges in Great Lodges of the National Parks, original and Volume Two