8 of the Best Hotels Inside U.S. National Parks

If you’re trying to check off as many national parks as possible to see some of America’s most famous natural landmarks, you may have noticed that finding an accommodation near the park entrance can be a daunting feat. Many roadside inns and motels in these remote areas have limited rooms and parking spots available, and sometimes outdated amenities and spotty service. Luckily, these eight national park hotels are top-rated with prime locations that all but guarantee a great view. (Just be sure to book well in advance since rooms tend to fill up fast!)

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The Ahwahnee – Yosemite National Park, California

One of California’s most storied properties, the Ahwahnee is a four-star hotel inside Yosemite National Park. The hotel’s rustic design reflects the rugged beauty of the park’s standout natural features, including Yosemite Falls, Half Dome, and Glacier Point.

Inside, the Ahwahnee features a cozy bar, an elegant dining room with floor-to-ceiling windows to highlight the surrounding wilderness, a heated outdoor swimming pool, and a gift shop selling locally made souvenirs. Opened in 1927, the hotel is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a National Historic Landmark. 

Kenai Fjords Glacier Lodge – Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska

Roughly 51% of Alaska’s 700,000-acre Kenai Fjords National Park is covered by glaciers, making finding an accommodation around the icefields difficult. So, many visitors who explore the park in the remote Kenai Peninsula stay in the port city of Seward and book boat tours for viewing the glaciers and wildlife from a safe distance.

But the five-star Kenai Fjords Glacier Lodge is a woodsy eco-lodge nestled within a Native American-owned wildlife sanctuary inside the park. Lodge guests take a complimentary cruise from Seward to remote Fox Island, where they can enjoy kayaking, hiking, upscale dining, and wildlife viewing with their stay. 

El Tovar Hotel – Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

The magnificent four-star El Tovar Hotel, standing on the rim of the Grand Canyon, first opened its doors in 1905, making it the oldest hotel still operating within the national park. For many years, it was heralded as the most elegant accommodation west of the Mississippi River. 

Built from local limestone and pine, the Swiss chalet-style property at Grand Canyon Village inside Grand Canyon National Park features a grand dining room with epic views of the canyon, a souvenir shop, and a lounge. Notable past guests include Theodore Roosevelt, Albert Einstein, Paul McCartney, Oprah Winfrey, and many other luminaries. 

The Inn at Death Valley – Death Valley National Park, California

Old Hollywood legends like Marlon Brando and Clark Gable once stayed at this below-sea-level hideaway in Death Valley. Fitting of its glamorous past, the Inn at Death Valley, which has been open since 1927 and was formerly known as the Furnace Creek Inn. Part of the Oasis at Death Valley, the property received a $250 million luxury renovation in 2018. 

Guests can now enjoy a spring-fed pool with cabanas nestled among breezy date palms, a spa with hot-stone massages, a revamped bar and library lounge area with nods to the park’s historic mining past, and a golf course with views of the valley. Those who book one of the 22 casitas at the four-star inn also receive a complimentary golf cart with their stay, so they can easily navigate the resort grounds before exploring all Death Valley National Park has to offer.

Paradise Inn – Mount Rainier National Park, Washington

Open mid-May to late September, Paradise Inn boasts some of the best views in Washington state. When you check in, you’ll probably agree it doesn’t get much better than this historic 121-room property if you want to get close to the snowy peaks and alpine meadows of wildflowers within Mount Rainier National Park. 

Guests at the hotel can enjoy hearty Pacific Northwestern fare at the on-site restaurant or cozy up by the fire in the lounge with a 1920s-inspired cocktail post-hike. With no phone service, television, or Wi-Fi, the lodge emphasizes that it’s ideal for those seeking a true off-the-grid adventure. After all, miles of hiking trails are waiting just outside the inn’s front door, so what more do you need? 

Many Glacier Hotel – Glacier National Park, Montana

Located on the shores of Swiftcurrent Lake at the base of Mount Grinnell, Many Glacier Hotel is tailor-made for those looking to explore the remote wilds of Montana. With a location in the heart of Glacier National Park, the five-story lodge is open from early June to late September and offers guests a variety of activities, including horseback riding, boat tours, and ranger-led programs. The historic hote was built by the Great Northern Railway from 1914 to 1915, and was most recently updated in 2016 with modern amenities.

Asticou Hotel – Acadia National Park, Maine

While there are no accommodations actually inside park boundaries, Asticou Hotel is about as close as you can get to Acadia — the first national park designated east of the Mississippi River in 1929. Set to reopen in summer 2025 following a $28 million restoration that lasted a year, the hotel has a history dating back to 1884. 

The 82-room inn is located a few miles from Acadia National Park’s Northeast Harbor and is one of the few remaining hotels on Mount Desert Island built before World War II. The revamped property will feature manicured azalea gardens, elegant dining options with local seafood on the menu, a pool and fitness center, EV charging stations, and a cabana bar perfect for sipping cocktails at sunset.  

Ma Johnson’s Historical Hotel – Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve, Alaska

Many travelers don’t get to witness the jaw-dropping beauty of Alaska’s interior, but a flight to Fairbanks and an off-road vehicle rental are all you need to take the infamous McCarthy Road to Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve. 

This once-in-a-lifetime adventure to see the historic mines of Kennecott and Root Glacier is easily accessible from Ma Johnson’s Historical Hotel inside the park. Each room is outfitted with period-specific décor from the town’s glory days, and guests will receive a hearty breakfast before they can catch the shuttle to hike the glacier or explore the historic sites. Bears are common in the area, so it’s also a great place for wildlife viewing from a safe distance.