When people talk about national park lodges, the conversation usually turns to the iconic ones like Old Faithful Inn, Many Glacier Hotel, Paradise Inn, and El Tovar. These grand lodges are well known for their size, beauty, and prime locations.
But you don’t need to stay in a famous lodge to have an unforgettable park experience. Some of our most memorable park experiences have come from lesser-known lodges that are still full of character and history—and often a bit more affordable. Here are six underrated national park lodges we’ve stayed in and recommend.
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1. National Park Inn – Mount Rainier National Park, WA
While most visitors to Mount Rainier National Park head straight to the famous Paradise Inn, the National Park Inn in the Longmire area is worth serious consideration. It’s open year-round, unlike its counterpart up the mountain, and offers a quiet and cozy experience.
The original National Park Inn was built in 1906 by the Tacoma and Eastern Railroad Company but burned down in 1926. The annex building survived and was turned into the current inn, which has 25 guest rooms. Some rooms have private baths, while others share bathrooms down the hall.
The lobby has a stone fireplace, and there are tables where guests can eat, play games, or work on puzzles.
This lodge is especially inviting in winter, when it’s decorated for Christmas and provides easy access to snowshoeing and quiet walks. The Longmire area, once the original park headquarters, also has a museum, a general store, a wilderness information center, and employee housing.
Right behind the housing is the oldest vehicle suspension bridge in the national park system. Completed in 1924 and opened in 1925, the bridge is a picturesque example of National Park Service rustic architecture.
2. Big Meadows Lodge – Shenandoah National Park, VA
Big Meadows Lodge sits off Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park, close to mile marker 51. We’ve stayed there in the fall, and it’s especially beautiful when the leaves change color. There’s a comfortable, quiet feeling to the place that makes it a great base for exploring.
The lodge was built in 1939 with stones from Massanutten Mountain and wormy chestnut wood that is now rare. President Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicated Shenandoah National Park at the nearby Big Meadows area in 1935, just a few years before the lodge opened.
Hiking trails like Dark Hollow Falls and the Appalachian Trail are within walking distance. In fact, the Appalachian Trail runs right by the lodge.
Guests can choose between hotel-style rooms and cabins. It’s worth noting that the cabins have double beds, which can be a tight squeeze for guests like us who prefer a little more room when we sleep.
The lodge has both a restaurant and a downstairs tavern. One popular item to order at the restaurant is the blackberry ice cream pie. It’s a standout dessert.
The setting, the rustic design, and the proximity to popular trails make this a solid choice for a stay in Shenandoah. While it may not have the grandeur of some other park lodges, it’s full of charm and history.
3. Lake Crescent Lodge – Olympic National Park, WA
Lake Crescent Lodge sits right on the shore of Lake Crescent and offers one of the most scenic locations in Olympic National Park. While the lodge building is small, the setting is hard to beat.
The lodge opened in 1915 as Singer’s Lake Crescent Tavern, long before Olympic was officially designated as a national park in 1938.
The main building includes a small lobby, a fireplace, a restaurant, and a gift shop. Upstairs are a few guest rooms with shared bathrooms. Outside the main lodge are several cottages, including the Singer Tavern Cottages and Roosevelt Cabins. The Roosevelt Cabins are popular because they have fireplaces and one- or two-bedroom options. Some cottages are duplexes and others are stand-alone.
The lake draws plenty of daytime visitors who come to swim, kayak, or paddleboard. But staying overnight at the lodge means you get the place mostly to yourself in the early morning and evening, once the day visitors have left.
Hiking options nearby include the family-friendly Marymere Falls trail, which is about a mile each way. For those looking for a more strenuous experience, the Mount Storm King trail branches off from the Marymere Falls path.
This lodge is also close to other key park destinations like Hurricane Ridge and Sol Duc Hot Springs, making it a convenient base for exploring the park.
4. Belton Chalet – Glacier National Park, MT
The Belton Chalet is located just outside the west entrance of Glacier National Park in West Glacier. It was the first chalet built by the Great Northern Railway and opened in 1910, the same year Glacier became a national park.
This lodge served as the main entry point for visitors arriving by train. From there, travelers would head into the park by horseback or stagecoach. The architecture reflects the Swiss chalet style, and the building was carefully restored and reopened in 1998.
Today, the lodge has hotel rooms in the main building as well as a couple highly sought-after cottages. It’s often overlooked because it’s tucked away down Highway 2 just past the park’s west entrance, and many visitors turn off toward the park before reaching it. But it’s a hidden gem with beautiful views, well-preserved architecture, and fewer crowds.
An interesting note: the Belton Chalet is known for being haunted. Articles posted in the upstairs hallway describe a ghost named “Belton Bob,” who is said to play harmless pranks like hiding keys or turning on faucets. He’s considered a friendly ghost, and his story adds an extra layer of charm to the place.
The location, affordability, and availability of reservations make Belton Chalet a great alternative to Glacier’s more famous in-park lodges.
Read our blog post featuring the Belton Chalet here.
5. Swiftcurrent Motor Inn and Cabins – Glacier National Park, MT
Located in the Many Glacier area of Glacier National Park, Swiftcurrent Motor Inn is just down the road from the more famous Many Glacier Hotel. While it doesn’t have the same grandeur, Swiftcurrent is a convenient and often less expensive place to stay.
The property was originally established in 1911 as a teepee camp run by the Great Northern Railway. Visitors slept on army cots in replicas of Blackfeet Indian teepees. In 1935, it became the Many Glacier Auto Tourist Camp, with 27 cabins. Cabins in Circles D and E were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps, adding historical value to the site.
Today the property includes motel rooms, cabins, a camp store, and Nell’s Restaurant. The restaurant has a friendly, casual atmosphere and offers hearty meals. The area is a jumping-off point for some of Glacier’s most popular hikes, including Iceberg Lake and Ptarmigan Tunnel.
While it will be closed in 2025 for infrastructure work in the area, Swiftcurrent Motor Inn is worth planning for in future trips. Its backcountry feel, combined with its proximity to major trails, gives it a relaxed, summer-camp vibe that many visitors love.
6. Bright Angel Lodge – Grand Canyon National Park, AZ
Bright Angel Lodge sits near the rim of the Grand Canyon and is often overlooked in favor of the more luxurious El Tovar Hotel just up the sidewalk. But this historic lodge has its own unique character and history.
The original Bright Angel Hotel served guests from 1896 to 1935, but over the years it had become worn and cluttered with mismatched additions. In the 1930s, the Santa Fe Railway hired architect Mary Colter to design a replacement. The new lodge opened in 1935 and features rustic elements meant to blend into the canyon’s natural surroundings.
Today, Bright Angel Lodge includes a mix of standard lodge rooms, historic cabins, and rooms with shared baths. It also has a gift shop, a lounge, two restaurants, and a transportation desk where guests can book mule rides and tours.
One standout feature is the fireplace in the lobby, which was built with rock layers that replicate the Grand Canyon’s geologic sequence—starting with the 1.7-billion year old Vishnu Schist and Zoroaster Granite.
The lodge’s proximity to the Bright Angel Trailhead makes it an excellent base for hikers. And its position along the canyon rim offers easy access to some of the best sunrise and sunset views in the park.
Final Thoughts
These six lodges may not have the fame of the park system’s marquee properties, but they offer charm, history, and convenient locations. Staying inside or close to a park allows you to enjoy the quieter early mornings and peaceful evenings after the crowds go home. If you’re planning a national park trip, these underrated lodges are well worth considering.
