Lake Yellowstone Hotel in Yellowstone National Park , Wyoming ( NPS photo - Neal Herbert )
Commercial facilities in national parks are owned by the U . S . Government but operated under lease by private firms . The price travelers pay for lodging is generally established by agreements between park officials and their business partners . The National Park Service solicits bids from private firms interested in operating the restaurants , gift shops and lodges , typically for a length of 10 years . In place of fixed rent , operators are required to pay the parks a percentage of gross revenues generated by the business . For example , a contract may require a lodge or gift shop operator to remit 15 % of gross revenues to the park .
Several factors boost the expense of operating commercial facilities in the national parks . Many parks have short seasons .
Glacier National Park ’ s most popular lodge , Many Glacier Hotel , is typically open from late May through mid-September . Yellowstone ’ s iconic Old Faithful Inn generally welcomes guests for only five months annually . Short seasons result in a limited period to earn a year ’ s worth of revenue . The operators compensate by charging relatively high prices .
50 March 2025 | Thomasville Scene