Best Places to Stay in U.S. National Parks

U.S. national parks have long been popular vacation destinations, especially for hikers and primitive campers. While camping is certainly a distinct pleasure for some, those who prefer to fulfill their wanderlust with more civilized accommodations can find unique overnight amenities in some of the nation's most well-known parks. Ranging from rustically romantic to turn-of-the-century aristocratic charm, there is something for just about every budget.

Here are highlights of a few of the best lodgings available inside some of our wonderful national parks:

The Ahwahnee Hotel
Yosemite National Park, California
(801) 559-4884
www.yosemitepark.com

There are several hotels to choose from at Yosemite, but, if you are looking for the very best, The Ahwahnee is where you are going to want to hang your hat. Accommodations include 99 hotel rooms, 24 cottages with private baths and stone patios, and two suites. The Eldorado Diggins Suite features a sunken living room and the only Jacuzzi tub in the park. The Mary Curry Tresider Suite is an ideal destination for a honeymoon, even a second one. In 1983, Queen Elizabeth II stayed in this suite. There are also four parlor rooms that combine with standard hotel rooms to form suites - perfect for families.

Rates range from $249 and up. Reservations are necessary and should be made as early as one year for the summer peak season and at least three months in advance for off-peak times.

Fun fact: Built in 1927, the "redwood" exterior of the hotel is actually poured concrete shaped and stained to resemble the local wood. This was a precautionary measure taken to protect the lodge from the many California wildfires that had destroyed many of the park's earlier hotels.

El Tovar
Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
(888) 297-2757
www.grandcanyonlodges.com

Entering through the "Rendezvous Room", guests are immediately welcomed by the turn-of-the-century lodge ambiance that is an integral part of the El Tovar experience. Log-slab paneling and exposed log rafters frame trophy heads of moose, elk, deer, and pronghorn. One of seven lodges inside the Grand Canyon Park, El Tovar was renovated in 2005. There are 78 rooms and suites, but reservations should be made well in advance. The winter months are the area's slower season. Rates range from $174 and up.

Fun fact: The hotel was built in 1905 and has been visited by Theodore Roosevelt, Albert Einstein and Zane Grey.

Kettle Falls Hotel & Resort
Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota
(218) 240-1724
www.kettlefallshotel.com

Kettle Falls Hotel and Resort sits at the border of Minnesota and Canada where Native Americans once fished for sturgeon and French Canadian trappers portaged their canoes. It is only accessible by sea or air. The 12 hotel rooms share three bathrooms. The Villas accommodate two to eight guests, some with kitchenettes. Two lodge units are handicapped accessible, but the hotel rooms are all on the second floor and are not. Rates range from $60 per person per night to $290 per night for a villa that sleeps eight.

Fun fact: The hotel was built in 1910 by timber baron Ed Rose, but was purportedly financed by the notorious Nellie Bly.

Old Faithful Inn
Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
(866) 439-7375
www.travelyellowstone.com

The Old Faithful Inn is scheduled to open May 7, 2010, but this date is subject to National Park Service approval. This is a summer-only lodge, and its season ends on October 17, 2010.

The Inn strives to maintain its rustic allure and, to that end, does not offer televisions, radios, air-conditioning or Internet service. Accommodations range from rooms with shared bathrooms to suites with parlor and refrigerator. This facility is the most requested lodging accommodation in Yellowstone, so reservations are strongly advised. Rates range from: $98 (hallway bathroom) to $528.

Fun fact: Old Faithful Inn was built in 1904 adjacent to the Old Faithful Geyser. It is the largest log structure in the world. Its recent renovation is being completed using only turn-of-the-century tools.

Kalaloch Lodge
Olympic National Park, Washington
(888) 896-3826
www.visitkalaloch.com

Want to enjoy majestic mountains, the rugged Pacific coastline, and the natural beauty of a rainforest, but can't decide where to vacation? No need to choose, just head to Olympic National Park and stay at the Kalaloch Lodge. Located between two rainforests, the Lodge sits in the shadow of glacier-capped mountains with the Pacific Ocean as its front yard. (Be sure to try your hand at some clam digging!)

Three ocean-view rooms and two ocean-view suites are available in the main lodge. Seven different cabins dot the property and can accommodate groups of two to seven guests. The Seacreast Building offers hotel rooms (up to four guests) and suites (up to six guests). Rates start at $122 per night.

Fun fact: Due to the popularity of the Twilight books and films, the lodge is offering a special "Twilight Package" that includes an Olympic Peninsula area map that highlights locations mentioned in the books. (Packages begin at $149.)