It's said that the United States is blessed by geography. Two coasts flanking an extraordinary mountain range called the Rockies; great, fertile, plains in the Midwest; and lush forests in the East and West make the country a topographical treasure. Despite funding cuts, our national parks work to preserve those lands in their natural state. Whether you like to fish, to hike, to take long walks in the woods, to ride horse, or just to experience the peace and quiet that only nature can offer, the United States National Parks deliver that and more.
For upscale resorts at affordable prices, Xanterra Parks and Resorts (tel. 888/297-2757; www.xanterra.com), the country's largest park management company, has lodges and accommodations on twelve national parks and several state parks. From Mt. Rushmore to Zion to the Everglades to the Grand Canyon, Xanterra offers specials, lodging and activities at all these great outdoor playgrounds.
Take the operations at Oregon's Crater Lake (tel. 541/830-8700; www.craterlakelodges.com). The name says it all as a huge caldera filled with crystal blue water is the main draw at this park. If the country's deepest lake doesn't wow you, there's also has 9,000-foot Mt. Scott, a major hiking and rock climbing venue. The Mt. Crater Lodge is a 71-room old lodge located directly on the lake. Open seasonally from May through October, the lodge has room rates beginning at just $129 per night and going up to $245 for spacious rooms that sleep up to six people. Rustic in its charm, the lodge ushers travelers back to the 1920s when it was originally built. Updated in the 90s, still retains its original elegance. The Crater Lake Lodge Dining Room is an on-premise restaurant serving traditional Oregon cuisine including duck and salmon with entrees priced around $20 served in a stone-walled setting including a large fireplace.
Other places to stay at Crater Lake include the 40-room Cabins at Mazama Village. Located seven miles from the rim of the Lake, the cabins at Mazama Village offer no telephones, televisions or air conditioning. Rates start at $111 per room for this "in the woods" living. Of course, there is also a camping site on park premises. The Mazama Village Campground has 211 tent and RV sites that start at $18 per tent site. The campground is open from June to October with spaces available on a first-come, first-serve basis. There is a gift shop and restaurant nearby.
At Stovepipe Wells Village (tel. 760/786-2387; www.stovepipewells.com) in Death Valley National Park, family fun comes first. Characterized by five-billion-year-old rock formations with ethereal sunsets over sand dunes and desert plant and wildlife, Death Valley National Park is a place where you'll easily feel like you're on another planet. At kid- and pet-friendly Stovepipe Wells, guests can expect groundfloor rooms, a bar and restaurant, a poolside barbecue, a gas station to fill up before long desert drives, and a private air strip. Rates for a deluxe room start at around $107 per night. On property and in park activities include golfing, tennis, climbing, camping, horseback riding, education programs for children and adults, museums, a heated swimming pool open all year round, and local annual events and festivals celebrating the 49er lifestyle and history.
Most activities like hiking and walking, or fishing, are free of charge in the U.S. parks system. Visitors are, however, subject to an entrance fee usually costing $10 to $20 per vehicle per park. To save money and enjoy the system nationwide, you can purchase a National Parks Pass at www.nps.gov/fees_passes.htm or by calling 888/467-2757. Costing $50, the pass is good for one year from the time of the first usage. It admits anyone in a private vehicle where the park charges per vehicle and admits the pass holder, their children, spouse and parents where park admission is per person. Unfortunately, the pass does not give you discounts on camping fees or in the gift shops selling park souvenirs and camping equipment.
One place to start looking for information is the very excellent official website for the national parks system at www.nps.gov. The site is a delight to surf, offering detailed history, lodging and activity information on all the parks. You can search for specific places by geographic area, by alphabetical order, by topics (like American presidents) or activities (like biking). There are so many national parks, about 390 in all, that half the fun is surfing the list of parks and choosing parks with an interesting name or by strange activity.
Doing a search by "Dinosaur/fossil," we found 23 matches including the Fossil Butte National Park (tel. 307/877-4455; www.nps.gov/fobu/index.htm) in southwest Wyoming. Opened in 1972, Fossil Butte is a 50-million-year-old lake bed considered one of the richest fossil preserves in the world. Wildlife on the park includes a proliferation of deer and antelope and some sightings of elk, beaver and the occasional moose. The Fossil Butte National Park is free. Facilities include an open-all year visitors center, weekend fossil quarry visits, educational programs, an exhibit center with over 75 fossils on display.
Other national parks listings give accommodations and camping information for the specific park. At the Mt. Rainier National Park (tel. 360/569-2211; www.nps.gov/mora/index.htm) in Washington State, listed lodging includes the National Park Inn, a 25-room guest house located in the Longmire Historic District at an elevation of 2,700 feet. Rates start at $108 per night for a room with a shared bath and go up to $185 for a two-room unit sleeping four. Fishing, hiking and bird-watching are big here, but rock-climbing is king in this area of Mt. Rainier with spectacular views of the mountain and adjacent countryside.