New Canyon Lodges open in Yellowstone National Park

FUTURE GREAT LODGES

I had always written off Canyon Village as an overnight destination while visiting Yellowstone until this summer. We were hoping that the new lodges would be ready for our July Nana & Papa Camp, but they were still under construction. Instead, we stayed at Dunraven Lodge at Canyon Village and while it's not one of the historic great lodges I usually prefer, it was very  nice. I can only imagine how lovely the lodges in the redevelopment project must be!

Two of three new lodges opened August 1 and the third is slated to open August 22. There are two more that will open the summer of 2016. Canyon Village may not have the spectacular setting of Old Faithful Inn, Mammoth Hot Springs or Lake Yellowstone Hotel, but tucked in a forest it is so centrally located that anywhere in the park is at your fingertips. It also offers plenty of amenities including two restaurants.

But what is cool about the new Canyon lodges (offering 409 new rooms) is the innovative approach to the development. Gone are the rundown Frontier Cabins and in their place architecturally lovely lodges all built with sustainability in mind.

I just got a press release that quickly outlines specific steps taken by the concessionaire, Xanterra in planning and building the new lodges. Keep in mind, new overnight lodging in national parks is rare, so it's pretty exciting that they seem to be doing it right!

One of the new Canyon lodges under construction July 2015.

One day these could well be historic Great Lodges of the National Parks!

• Hiring a builder located within 500 miles of Canyon Lodge.
• Sourcing many raw materials for assembly and finishing within 500 miles of Canyon Lodge whenever possible.
• Reducing light pollution.
• Recycling and reusing materials generated during demolition.
• Using some retired Frontier cabins for structural firefighting training.
• Using a modular building process. Since the industrial building process is closely controlled and efficient, materials are protected from weather damage and processed to industrial specifications. This step reduces waste typically associated with on-site builds.
• Installing low-emitting, recycled content carpet.
• Using Marmoleum flooring comprised of all-natural rapidly renewable materials.
• Installing high-energy efficient windows featuring low emissions.
• Constructing trim, wainscoting, coat hangers and other wood products from regional beetle-kill pine.
• Installing automated "smart switches" in rooms for reduced energy usage.
• Installing low-flow fixtures and toilets.
• Installing plumbing fixtures featuring recycled content.
• Installing recycled content countertops, window sills and back splashes fabricated from fly ash (a byproduct of coal burning) and ground recycled glass (some of it sourced from the park).

Martel Construction of Bozeman, Mont. is the general contractor for this job. Barker Rinker Seacat Architecture of Denver is the architect. The modular components that ultimately became the lodges were built by Guerdon Enterprises, LLC of Boise, Idaho.

Reservations for Canyon Lodge & Cabins as well as for eight other lodges in the park can be made by visiting www.YellowstoneNationalParkLodges.com or by calling 1-307-344-7311 or toll free 1-866-GEYSERLAND (1-866-439-7375).