If you want to see all the natural wonders, adorable animals, and stunning sights at Yellowstone National Park, you’ll probably need to plan for more than a single day’s visit. So, where can you rest your head at night after a day of exploring the region? When it comes to places to stay near the park, visitors will find traditional campgrounds, backcountry camping, cozy lodges, and even cabins to choose from. Today, let’s explore some of these Yellowstone National Park lodging options.
Find the right stay for you with this photo guide to nine of Yellowstone’s lodges, hotels, and cabins. Once you’ve booked your stay, gear up with these park maps and this guide to Yellowstone’s best hikes.
Santa Cruz, California, is an unmatched destination for outdoor recreation. In the south, you can watch monarch butterflies flourish in the preserve near Natural Bridges State Beach. Up north, hikers and cyclists can explore glorious redwood forests. The city is also home to robust surfing and skating communities. For travelers who prioritize action-packed itineraries and outdoor recreation, few towns offer the variety found in Santa Cruz. And when a day full of adventure ends, visitors can stay connected to the local landscape while relaxing at the recently revamped Hotel Paradox.
You’ll find Hotel Paradox near the Riverwalk, centrally located between a treasure trove of local landmarks. The Santa Cruz Boardwalk is only about a mile away, and Natural Bridges is just under four miles from the hotel. Visitors can reach fascinating experiences like the Roaring Camp redwood train ride less than seven miles away. These nearby spots are a huge perk for guests, but there’s even more to love inside Hotel Paradox.
Photo by William James
This year, the hotel completed a massive renovation project that sought to emphasize Santa Cruz’s unique charms. Inspired by the region’s natural beauty, Hotel Paradox made organic wood features and vibrant greenery focal points of its new lobby. A huge chunk of eucalyptus tree serves as the reception desk, and tree trunk columns throughout the area build a relaxing indoor forest atmosphere. Meanwhile, green accents and funky modern decor complement the nature-inspired base and turn the lobby into an inviting space for guests to unwind.
Photo by William James
Past the lobby, visitors can experience another facet of Hotel Paradox’s new style at Solaire Restaurant + Bar. The space connects to the outdoor patio and, beyond that, the pool and firepit area. This open layout and abundant natural light contribute to an indoor-outdoor living vibe that makes the restaurant perfect for a fun dinner with friends or family.
Photo by William James
Even the menu pays homage to Santa Cruz’s natural wonders. Delightful cocktails, desserts, and the fresh brioche bread incorporate honey from the hotel’s rooftop apiaries (maintained by beekeeper Emily Bondor, owner of Santa Cruz Bee Company). Drinks like the Live Oak Bramble will make you feel like you’re eating blackberries in a fairytale forest. The kitchen also focuses on local ingredients and sustainable cuisine to help preserve the local environments that inspire the menu.
Photo by William James
After a day of adventuring around Santa Cruz and dinner at Solaire, Hotel Paradox guests can head out to the pool to take a dip or cozy up by the firepit. The surrounding trees make the pool deck feel like the world’s most luxurious summer camp. For dessert, you can keep the summer camp ambiance going by toasting s’mores by the poolside. It’s the ideal treat to enjoy before heading back to your room to recharge for another day of adventure.
Photo by William James
Disclaimer: While this article was not sponsored, Outdoors Wire did visit Hotel Paradox during a press trip to Santa Cruz, California. As always, Outdoors Wire operates independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.
Are you one of those people that listen for bird song when you travel? Do you see a little critter fly by and try to identify it? Then you’re the ideal guest for a new collaboration between the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the Enthusiast Hotel Collection.
Enthusiast has seven properties spanning from the U.S. West Coast to the Caribbean. They include gorgeous places like A Stone’s Throw Away in the Bahamas, with a wraparound porch perfect for watching birds and other wildlife in the surrounding jungle. Or you could scan the sky for seabirds at the Brewery Gulch Inn on California’s Mendocino coast. Enthusiast’s on-site bird ambassador program helps answer all your avian questions. The hotel group also sets up tours in and around its properties led by local birdwatchingguides. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology supplies each hotel with relevant bird info. Guests can borrow binoculars at no additional cost.
A red-headed woodpecker at Casa Morada in the Florida Keys. / Photo courtesy of the Enthusiast Hotel Collection
“We are excited to announce our partnership with Enthusiast Hotel Collection,” Mary Guthrie, director of corporate partnerships at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, said in a statement. “Whether guests are lifelong birders or just getting started, our resources are designed to inspire and spark a deep connection with nature.” The lab, founded in 1915, is a nonprofit organization internationally known for its bird studies and conservation efforts.
Swifts swirling around the chimney of the Historic Tapoco Lodge in North Carolina. / Photo courtesy of Enthusiast Hotel Collection
Motivated guests can start their bird studies before leaving for their trip. Cornell Lab’s Bird Academy offers a Joy of Birdwatching course and access to lectures by ornithologists. You can contribute to the lab’s work of helping scientists track bird populations by submitting your sightings online through the Lab’s eBird platform or the eBird app.
An acorn woodpecker in Mendocino, California. / Photo courtesy of Enthusiast Hotel Collection
Whether you’re a bird lover or just want to blast the competition on trivia night, staying at an Enthusiast property can expand your knowledge of migration patterns and nesting rituals. “Now birds and birders will tell our story,” said Enthusiast Hotel Collection founder Oneil Khosa in a statement. “We’re thrilled to help enhance the enjoyment of birds for guests at all our hotels and give them the tools and resources to build memories that last forever. We are very proud of our partnership with the Cornell Lab.”
As the entire sports world came to a halt amid the global coronavirus pandemic, leagues were faced with the incredible challenge of figuring out how to return to play.
While the German Bundesliga and the Korean Baseball Organization are notable leagues to return since the shutdown, none of the major professional sports leagues in the U.S. have figured out how to execute a responsible plan to resume play.
MLB briefly floated the idea of playing in Arizona under isolation but have since moved away from that idea and have since been at a stalemate over financials. The NBA, though, appears deep into conversations to return in some form with Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando acting as a bubble city.
But even something as simple as hotel accommodations came up as a possible issue. The New York Times’ Marc Stein noted that there is concern about whether Disney Resorts could host the NBA teams, personnel and families without a huge disparity in hotel quality.
Well, there’s one fair way to settle that: a draft!
Here at For The Win, we assigned the Disney Resort hotel accommodations for NBA teams based on their in-season records. The best teams get the best hotels, and the Knicks get to go camping in the woods. It’s the only fair way to move past that issue.
It might not even be the nicest hotel on the Disney campus, but whenever the Four Seasons or the Ritz-Carlton are options, NBA teams jump at the opportunity to stay there.
2. Los Angeles Lakers
The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian
I mean, it’s a five-star facility with multi-bedroom villas. That’s plenty of room for LeBron James.
The Lakers get the villas. The Clippers get the main hotel. They’re used to sharing facilities.
Kim Klement-USA TODAY NETWORK
5. Boston Celtics
Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
Unlimited. Dole. Whip.
Now, we’re at the point where there are like 14 four-star hotels that kind of blend together and offer similar amenities with different themes. They’re definitely suitable for NBA teams. We’ve assigned them as follows.
6. Denver Nuggets – Disney’s Yacht Club 7. Utah Jazz – Disney’s Beach Club Resort 8. Miami Heat – Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows 9. Oklahoma City Thunder – Disney’s BoardWalk Villas 10. Houston Rockets – Disney’s BoardWalk Inn 11. Indiana Pacers – Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort 12. Philadelphia 76ers – Disney’s Contemporary Resort 13. Dallas Mavericks – Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge 14. Memphis Grizzlies – Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa 15. Brooklyn Nets – Disney’s Wilderness Lodge 16. Orlando Magic – Disney’s Old Key West Resort 17. Portland Trail Blazers – Copper Creek Villas & Cabins
18. New Orleans Pelicans
Disney’s Port Orleans Resort
I mean, I had to. The Pelicans must stay at the New Orleans-themed hotel.
OK, technically, the following hotels are well below the quality that NBA teams are accustomed to. But hey, it will be part of the experience. Just pretend you’re UMBC in the NCAA Tournament. The accommodations will be similar.
19. Sacramento Kings – Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort 20. San Antonio Spurs – Disney’s Art of Animation Resort 21. Phoenix Suns – Disney’s Pop Century Resort
22. Washington Wizards – Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort 23. Charlotte Hornets – Disney’s All-Star Music Resort 24. Chicago Bulls – Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort
25. New York Knicks
The Campsites at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort
You best believe the Knicks are going camping in one-star accommodations at Fort Wilderness. Honestly, though, the Knicks players could get some pretty luxurious RVs and be fine here.
26. Detroit Pistons – Disney’s Art of Animation Resort 27. Atlanta Hawks – The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort
28. Minnesota Timberwolves
Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort
I can’t stop laughing at this hotel. Could you imagine an NBA team staying here for two months? No chance. It’ll never work. But at least it’s appropriately themed for #sports.
NBA players complaining about the hotel accommodations at the Wide World of Sports complex?
Yeah… they might have a point. This is a motel. If you're staying in a motel for two months, you're on the lam… pic.twitter.com/FW4MPVEZLc
