Great Smoky Mountains, North Carolina
Located on the North Carolina-Tennessee border, this park is the most visited park in the USA, with more than 10 million visitors in 2015. Camp for free in one of 12 primitive backpacker shelters on the Appalachian Trail or relax at the Almost Heaven log cabin in Gatlinburg, your gateway to the park and home to a variety of dining options. Or save money by cooking in your cabin, which features a kitchen, outdoor barbecue grill, outdoor pool, private hot tub and fireplace.
One-bedroom cabins start at $145 a night, almostheavenresort.com. To reserve a shelter (most are free), visit hikinginthesmokys.com.
Grand Canyon, Arizona
Hiking down from the south rim of the Grand Canyon. Photo: Scott Tham
It may be second in total visitors, but it’s first in grandeur. There are campsites, cabins and hotel rooms on both the north and south rims, but the most unusual place to stay is Phantom Ranch, located at the bottom of the canyon. Accessible only by foot, mule or raft, this hideaway has been welcoming travelers since the 1920s. Book a bed in a private cabin or bunkhouse and enjoy steaks and stews in the historic diner restaurant as a reward for hiking the seven miles from the south rim.
Cabins from $142 a night, bunk beds from $49, grandcanyonlodges.com, book early
Colorado Rocky Mountains
Moraine Park Campground. Photo: Dennis LeBlanc/Outdoor Project
The mountain range stretches from northern New Mexico into Canada, and this stretch near Estes Park protects a small, untouched patch of alpine habitat northwest of Denver. One of the best places to stay is Moraine Park Campground, 2.5 miles south of the Beaver Meadows entrance. It’s a scenic spot to start acclimating to the high elevation (2,487 meters). It’s open year-round, but reservations are recommended in the summer.
$26 per vehicle per night, nps.gov/romo
Yosemite, California
Relax at the Majestic Yosemite Hotel.
Majestic Yosemite (formerly Ahwahnee) is one of the service’s flagship hotels, built in a distinctive rustic style with local stone, timber, and plenty of windows framing the famous towering granite walls. But at $500 a night, it’s beyond the budget of most travelers. Head instead to Camp 4, this walk-in tent-only campground has been a favorite basecamp for climbers for decades. At the edge of the property is the 30-foot-tall Columbia Boulder, which boasts several challenging climbing routes, including the iconic Midnight Lightning.
Pitch fee $6 per night, nps.gov/yose
Yellowstone, Wyoming
Old Faithful Inn, Yellowstone. Photo: Alamy
Built in 1904, Yellowstone’s Old Faithful Inn (named after the famous geyser just nearby) is another historic lodge built in a rustic style. It is the largest log hotel in the world, and some say the largest standing log building in the world. Above the multi-story lobby, a set of staircases and catwalks lead up to the Crow’s Nest, a tree house-like space where musicians used to perform for guests. Old Faithful’s periodic eruptions can be seen from the front door.
Double rooms from $229, room only, yellowstonenationalparklodges.com
Zion, Utah
Zion Ponderosa Resort.
Surrounded by canyons carved into dramatic red, pink and white sandstone by the Virgin River, Zion is a mecca for hikers, climbers and desert lovers. Just outside the eastern entrance is the 4,000-acre Zion Ponderosa Resort, a historic ranch with a variety of accommodations ranging from well-appointed villas to rustic cabins and renovated wagons. The ranch also offers fine dining, cowboy cookouts, 4WD rentals and horseback riding.
Cabins start at $200 a night, wagons from $60 a night, zionponderosa.com
Olympics, Washington
Waterfront cabins at Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort. Photo: Jeff Caven/Alamar
It’s one of the few places in the world where you can hike from sandy beaches through rainforest to glacier-covered mountain peaks. After exploring all these diverse ecological zones, soothe your tired muscles at Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort. Located on the Sol Duc River in the northwest of the park, these natural springs were used by Native Americans long before the resort was built in the early 1900s. Today, there are three pools with temperatures ranging from 37 to 40 degrees.
Cabins start at $200 a night, and RV and tent rates are $40 and $20, respectively. olympicnationalparks.com
Grand Teton, Wyoming
Mule deer at Jenny Lake Campground in Grand Teton. Photo: Alamy
Once you see the Tetons, you might not want to close your eyes, not even to sleep. But there’s no better way to enjoy all the activities Jackson Hole’s valley and mountains have to offer than by sleeping on the shores of the park’s Jenny Lake, where you’ll see the majestic mountains across the lake. Get up close to the dramatic peaks by boat, bike or on foot. Jenny Lake Boating offers kayak and canoe rentals. Or hop on the bike path that runs past the campground. The bike path circles the lake and connects with the popular Cascade Canyon Trail, which leads to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point.
Vehicles $25/night, gtlc.com
Acadia, Maine
Acadia National Park. Photo: Alamy
The park is located on two-lobed Mount Desert Island, off the coast of Maine’s scenic, rugged coastline. Only three campgrounds offer overnight stays within the park’s boundaries: two on the main island and one on Isle aux Hauts, accessible by ferry. A good option for renting a seaside cabin or vacation home is the Cranberry Islands, south of the mainland, which are home to a vibrant community of sailors, lobstermen and artists.
Places to stay start at $15/night at nps.gov/acad. Cabins and villas start at $160/night at airbnb.com
Glacier, Montana
Many Glacier Hotel on Swift Current Lake. Photo: Alamy
The Many Glacier Hotel’s chalet architecture and alpine scenery make it easy to see why the park earned the nickname “The Switzerland of North America.” Located on the shores of Swiftcurrent Lake in the east of the park, Many Glacier is reached by driving north on the scenic Going-to-the-Sun Road. The hotel offers pontoon boat tours across the lake, canoe rentals, and hiking trails to Grinnell Glacier.
Double rooms from $220 (room only), glaciernationalparklodges.com Pitches from $10, glaciernationalparklodges.com nps.gov/glac
Mary Caperton Morton is a freelance science and travel writer based in Big Sky, Montana. Follow her at theblondecoyote.com.
