Thunderbird Lodge in Canyon de Chelly National Monument( Arizona)
Originally constructed in 1902 as a trading post on a 10-acre parcel of land, Thunderbird Lodge is comprised of several adobe and stone buildings scattered about a grassy courtyard. Most of the 70 guest rooms are in four adobe buildings. We have always found the facility to be well maintained. The lodge is a short distance inside the national monument entrance and a half mile from the National Park Service visitor center.
Guided canyon tours depart from the adobe registration building. A cafeteria located in the historic trading post serves relatively inexpensive food including Navajo tacos and blue corn pancakes. Guest rooms are $ 120 to $ 130 depending on bedding. Canyon de Chelly is three hours from Mesa Verde National Park and 40 minutes from Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site.
The Lodge at Mammoth Cave in Mammoth Cave National Park( Kentucky)
The Lodge at Mammoth Cave offers a variety of lodging ranging from historic cabins to motel-style units. ExplorUS, the park’ s new concessionaire, is in the process of adding two-story family cabins.
All lodging is near the restaurant and a relatively new National Park visitor center where buses depart for cave tours. We have found the lodge a pleasant place to spend the night even when we weren’ t interested in taking another cave tour.
The lodging area is generally very quiet in the late afternoons after cave tours have ended and day visitors have departed.
Historic cottages for two adults rent for $ 127. Woodland cottages with two rooms that can sleep up to 6 people rent for $ 146.
Far View Lodge in Mesa Verde National Park( Colorado)
Mesa Verde, home to cliff dwellings, pit houses and other structures abandoned in the late 1200s, has a single lodging facility. Far View Lodge offers 150 guest rooms spread among 17 motel-style buildings.
At an elevation of 8,250 feet, the views are outstanding. Amazing views are also available from the lodge cocktail lounge and dining room in the registration building. Room prices haven’ t changed much in the last eight years and begin at $ 150 with advance purchase.
Guided tours are available and can be included as a lodging package. Far View Lodge is a three-hour drive from Thunderbird Lodge in Canyon de Chelly.
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