More 2020 Yellowstone Lodging Opening This Month

Above, there's a chance that Old Faithful Inn will reopen later in the season. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

There's some good news coming from Yellowstone National Park.

Yellowstone Insider reported:

If you plan on a July-October visit, you’ll have more options when it comes to 2020 Yellowstone lodging, as concessionaire Xanterra plans on opening Lake, Canyon and Old Faithful Snow Lodge rooms for the rest of the season. 

So far so good when it’s come to COVID-19 mitigation in Yellowstone National Park, with the latest test results showing no positives from NPS and concessionaire employees in the latest period–adding to no positive results in previous testing, also. And with visitors flocking to the park at levels close to 2019 visitation levels in June 2020, it looks like park officials and concessionaires are balancing safety concerns with access. 

So, as Xanterra promised, we’ll see new 2020 Yellowstone lodging options come July, as offerings other than standalone cabins and cottages with bathrooms will be available.

Still closed are Grant Village, Old Faithful Inn and Roosevelt Lodge. There is a chance that they open later in the season. Keep your fingers crossed!

To read more, go here. 

America's National Parks Begin To Reopen

Above, the Colorado River flows through the Grand Canyon. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Summer 2020 is shaping up to be the "road trip summer" as people are shunning air travel and cruises and favoring the old-fashioned road trip. The national parks are beginning to reopen.

According to Forbes:

This is not only the summer of domestic travel and the summer of the road trip. It’s also shaping up to be the summer to visit America’s national parks, according to Xanterra Travel Collection and Aramark, two companies that operate facilities in some of the parks. 

Lodges, dining, concessions and RV Parks in Grand Canyon South Rim, Glacier National Park, Rocky Mountain National Park, Yellowstone National Park, and Zion National Park are now for the summer of 2020. The Oasis in Death Valley at Death Valley National Park is anticipated to open on June 18, 2020. These operations are under the Xanterra Travel Collection, the largest operator of lodging, dining and concessions in the majority of the national parks west of the Mississippi. . It also operates the facilities at Mount Rushmore National Monument, which is also open.

Maybe it's time to dig out that old VHS or DVD of National Lampoon's Vacation.

To read more, go heres.

Yellowstone To Open In Phases

Above, the Lower Falls at Yellowstone National Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

We know a little more now on what the plan is for reopening Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming.

Both Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks will be opened in stages.

The Cowboy State Daily reported:

CODY, WYO. — The first Friday in May has traditionally marked the opening of the East Gate to Yellowstone National Park, drawing a mix of locals and hearty travelers anxious to experience spring in a park still thawing out from a long winter. 

But with Yellowstone still closed to help slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus, tourism industry insiders are grappling with a plan for what summer might look like in the park and the gateway towns that rely on a steady stream of visitors to fill restaurants, hotels and attractions. 

Park manages still haven’t announced an opening date. But they have said that Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks will see staged openings that start small and rely on fewer seasonal employees, with reduced services and a focus on visitor and worker safety.

Xanterra Travel Collection, Yellowstone’s primary concessioner and operator of most hotels and campgrounds in the park, is planning on starting operations in mid-June.
Rick Hoeninghausen, director of sales and marketing for Xanterra, said Thursday that guest lodging will be limited at first to campgrounds and cabins that include bathrooms. Hotels will not open in June, Hoeninghausen said, but managers will assess options throughout the summer as public health conditions and National Park Service guidance allows.

To read more, go here. 

Yellowstone's Largest Concessionaire Starting Operations June 15

Above, Old Faithful Inn does not have an opening date at present. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Now that the pandemic is starting to taper off (well, somewhat), decisions for openings by national park concessionaires are beginning to be made.

The latest is at Yellowstone National Park.

From the Gillette News Record:

CODY (WNE) —Yellowstone National Park’s largest concessionaire has announced it will not begin operations until June 15, and some of its most iconic structures may not open at all this summer. 

The Park itself is also closed, with likely delays to opening the east gate. 

Xanterra Travel Collection, operator of more than 830 buildings, nine hotels and more than 30 food service facilities and tour operations, said when operations do begin lodging and service operations will be limited. Its operations at other parks are also delayed. 

Rick Hoeninghausen, a media representative for Xanterra, said initially, lodging operations will be limited to cabins with private bathrooms – meaning only Frontier Cabins, Western Cabins, and Cottages at Old Faithful, Canyon, Mammoth and Lake areas will open. 

The Old Faithful Inn however, does not have an opening date, along with Grant Village, and Roosevelt Lodge. Those with reservations at any of these lodging facilities during the closure will have their reservations canceled and refunded their money.

To read more, go here. 

Living & Working In Yellowstone National Park This Fall

Above, the lobby of Old Faithful Inn. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Ever thought of living and working in Yellowstone National Park?

An opportunity for working and living in the park for five weeks this fall is being offered.

According to Travel + Leisure:

It’s well-documented that spending time in nature is good for your health. The fresh air can put your mind at ease, a walk through the woods can give you just the right amount of cardio, and the pristine vistas of the great outdoors can give you a whole new perspective on the world. So, of course we should all be spending more time outside. But now, it appears we can get paid for it too. 

Helping Hands, a year-old organization run by Xanterra Travel Collection, is on the hunt for a few more workers for its yearly part-time and seasonal job openings at Yellowstone National Park Lodges. 

The gigs require all participants to work 20 hours per week, between four and eight hours per day. According to Helping Hands, participants in the program live inside the park in dorm-like accommodations. Bernd Linzbach, a 2018 participant in the program explained in a statement that the lodging is very bare-bones with nary a television in sight. But, they do come with WiFi (albeit slow), and some even have private baths. All meals are served cafeteria-style, and as Linzbach said, living and working like a college kid in one of America’s most beautiful places is absolutely worth it. 

“I don’t know too many people who get to spend five weeks in Yellowstone,” Linzbach said. “It was a great opportunity to explore the park.” 

Want in on this dream gig? All you need to do is submit your application now for the fall season, which begins on either Sept. 5 or 12, 2019. You’ll depart from your post on Oct. 15, 2019.

To read more, go here.