Four National Park lodges that won’ t empty your wallet
Consumers have suffered from significant price increases for food, vehicles, real estate, public services, airline tickets and just about everything else. Unfortunately for travelers overnight stays in America’ s national park lodges haven’ t escaped this trend.
National park lodging cost increases
STORY AND PHOTOS BY David and Kay Scott
have substantially outpaced the rise in consumer prices. Based on our 25-year study, guest room prices at national park lodges have increased at approximately twice the rate of consumer prices. At the extreme, tent cabins in Yosemite National Park’ s Curry Village quadrupled from 1999 to 2024. Rooms at Grand Teton National Park’ s Jackson Lake Lodge more than tripled.
Despite steep guest room prices at most national park lodges, several bargains remain for travelers on a tight budget. Below are four national park lodges that offer reasonable room prices. We have enjoyed several stays in each facility.
Kettle Falls Hotel in Voyageurs National Park( Minnesota)
Built in the early 1900s for stonecutters, masons, and lumberjacks, the two-story frame hotel has 12 basic but clean guest rooms on the second floor. The rooms do not have private bathrooms and require guests to use one of three modern community bathrooms, each with a shower.
Although the hotel is primarily geared to anglers, we haven’ t fished since childhood, but enjoyed our own stays that included hiking, conversing with other guests on the large screened porch and knocking back a cold one in a very unusual saloon. The facility also includes several villas with private baths.
A double room in the hotel is $ 90. Villas are significantly higher. Full-day canoe rentals are at a bargain price of $ 15.
The hotel is reachable only by boat or hotel shuttle($ 45 per person round trip).
David and Kay Scott live in Valdosta, GA, and are authors of“ Complete Guide to the National Park Lodges”( Globe Pequot). Visit them at blog. valdosta. edu / dlscott.
6 Community Life