When vacationing the last thing you want to have to worry about are your lodging arrangements. It’s best to take care of this matter as early as you know when and where you’re going. When visiting national parks it is usually best to book your lodging rooms at least 6 months in advance (12 for the busier parks).
The questions to keep in mind are: How long will be in one area? How far is the lodging from the attractions we want to see? and What special accommodation do we need (i.e. pets, extra beds, etc)? Here are just a few of your national park lodging options, with Shenandoah National Park being the example park for this article.
Shenandoah Hotels
A hotel is generally an establishment that provides paid lodging, usually on a short-term basis. Hotels often provide a number of additional guest services such as a restaurant, a swimming pool or childcare.
National Park hotels are often fine accommodations if you’re planning on sight-seeing for much of the day but wish to come back to accommodations with many amenities like a pool, restaurant, and room service. Shenandoah Hotels include:
An Inn, in a true sense, is an establishment where travelers can procure lodging, food, and drink. An Inn does not normally have the amenities of a hotel and is traditionally more like a tavern. Today many hotels in the U.S. are also named inns to convey certain quaintness.
A Lodge is typically a building, often in a resort or camp setting, providing sleeping accommodations, meeting rooms, and restaurants. A lodge affords guests a space to congregate and unwind, often in a great room style setting.
Finally, cabins are a wonderful choice for the travel that wants some autonomy, and space in a comfortable home-style setting. Cabins are typically individual one-room structures (sometimes including a separate bedroom and bathroom) that have a kitchenette, dining table, sofa, and some other amenities. National Park cabins are often decorated to accent the area of the park.