Are you planning a Valentine’s Day getaway in a beautiful natural destination? You’ve come to the right place!
In this post, you’ll find several romantic national park lodges that are open in winter. All of them are either in or mere minutes from an amazing national park, making them the perfect base for a Valentine’s Day national parks trip.
5 Romantic National Park Lodges for a Valentine’s Day Getaway
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Whether you’re looking for winter sports, such as snowshoeing and cross-country skiing, or a sunny and warm winter destination—maybe even a tropical getaway—you’ll find it at these five amazing national park lodges.
1. The Ahwahnee, Yosemite National Park, California
Historically, Yosemite National Park has always had its fair share of beautiful buildings. While some of them didn’t stand the test of time, many are still around.
The styles, designs and materials used in those old buildings were combined in 1927, with the construction of the awe-inspiring Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite Valley, one of the greatest buildings in America’s national parks.
Gilbert Stanley Underwood designed the Ahwahnee, a leading parkitecture architect who also drew up lodges in, for example, Zion National Park and Grand Canyon National Park. This fantastic lodge is now one of the greatest and grandest examples of the iconic architectural style known as National Park Service Rustic.
It reflects several of Yosemite’s famous natural features, such as Glacier Point, Yosemite Falls and Half Dome. It’s also an important historic building, designated a National Historic Landmark.
Formerly known as The Majestic Yosemite Hotel, the Ahwahnee is the grandest upscale hotel in Yosemite National Park. It’s open year-round.
This amazing national park lodge is a great place to spend a romantic Valentine’s Day getaway, offering easy access to scenic views and activities like snowshoeing, snow tubing and sledding, winter wonderland hikes, and stargazing.
After a day of cold winter fun, you can cozy up with your other half in front of a crackling fireplace and have a romantic dinner at the Ahwahnee Dining Room.
Check The Ahwahnee Availability & Rates Here
2. Hotel Terra Jackson Hole, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
The award-winning Hotel Terra Jackson Hole lies only a mile from Grand Teton National Park. It’s one of the best hotels anywhere in Wyoming, combined easy access to spectacular nature and modern luxuries.
If you’re willing to splurge on your romantic national parks Valentine’s Day getaway, this would be an amazing choice.
Located in the heart of Teton Village, with panoramic views of the striking Teton Mountains, Hotel Terra has “Winter Sky & Stay” package, which offers everything you need for a comfortable winter sports trip in February.
While staying at this world-class hotel, you’ll be in Grand Teton National Park within minutes. There, activities such as snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling and guided ranger tours await.
Grand Teton is also home to a large bison population and you can enjoy fantastic wildlife watching in the park in winter.
Hotel Terra Jackson Hole is open all year, while the Jackson Hole & Great Yellowstone Visitor Center also remains open in winter.
Check Hotel Terra Jackson Hole Availability & Rates Here
3. The Inn at Death Valley, Death Valley National Park, California
A four-diamond national parks lodge, the historic Inn at Death Valley has been pampering and spoiling guests since 1927.
Once, it was a popular desert getaway among Hollywood celebrities, including Clark Gable and Marlon Brando, and the lodge continues to offers elegant accommodation in the heart of Death Valley National Park.
The Inn at Death Valley lies in Furnace Creek, the main tourist area in Death Valley, which is also home to the visitor center, a campground, a golf course and other accommodation options. It lies at the point where Badwater Road splits off from Highway 190, one of America’s greatest national park roads.
What makes this such a phenomenal Valentine’s Day national park destination is the weather. February is one of the best months to visit Death Valley National Park—temperatures are comfortable, nights are clear and conditions for outdoor activities, such as hiking, are typically perfect.
The lodge itself features high-end rooms, a lush date palm garden, stone patios, tennis courts, spring-fed swimming pools, a sauna and gym, a library and a bar, among other amenities.
Check The Inn at Death Valley Availability & Rates Here
4. Volcano House, Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii
Located on the very rim of the Halema’uma’u Crater of the famous Kilauea Volcano, Volcano House is the only public hotel in Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island of Hawaii.
The hotel offers amazing views of the crater as well as the lush rain forest behind it, while you can start a number of scenic Hawai’i Volcanoes hikes right outside the door.
A stay at this extraordinary and unique historic national park hotel is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. You’ll sleep within a natural UNESCO World Heritage Site, at the edge of one of the world’s most active volcanoes.
The only volcano hotel in Hawaii, the Volcano House complex consists of 33 guest rooms, 10 cabins and 16 campsites. All of those are within the boundaries of Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park on Hawaii’s Big Island.
As far as amenities and facilities go, there are two restaurants, where you can dine just a few steps from the crater rim, retail shops, free WiFi, bicycle rentals, a library and daily guided tours.
Could spending Valentine’s Day in a national park be any more romantic than this?
You’ll stay in Hawaii, where you can enjoy amazing hiking, great local food, go on helicopter tours, drive down to glorious beaches, admire amazing night skies and see a volcano erupt right in front of you.
Absolute paradise!
Check Volcano House Availability & Rates Here
5. Lake Quinault Lodge, Olympic National Park, Washington
In the southwestern corner of Olympic National Park lies one of its most accessible wilderness areas.
The Quinault Valley, which encompasses both Lake Quinault and the Quinault Rain Forest, is easily one of my favorite places in this extraordinary national park.
Offering various lake activities, as well as fantastic wildlife viewing, great hiking, breathtaking Quinault Rain Forest scenery, and some beautiful waterfalls, there’s more than enough to do around Olympic’s Lake Quinault to keep you busy for two to three days.
It’s a fantastic destination for an extended Valentine’s Day national parks trip in the Pacific Northwest. Additionally, it is also one of the best national park wedding locations!
The historic Lake Quinault Lodge is the star accommodation at Lake Quinault, taking up a large area along its southern shore. Technically, the lodge lies in Olympic National Forest, but you can get to the southwestern part of Olympic National Park via the superb Quinault Rain Forest Loop Drive.
The rustic Lake Quinault Lodge, dating from 1926, features a large sitting area, restaurant, grassy lawn with wonderful lake views, boat rentals and lake access. It’s open all year.
While winters come with bucket loads of rain on the western Olympic Peninsula, it’s a great time to experience Olympic National Park’s magnificent temperate rain forests. On a Valentine’s Day visit, make sure to bring some rain gear—you’ll probably need it.
After a day exploring these enchanting mossy forests, you can warm and dry up in the lodge’s cozy main room, which has a restaurant and bar, board games, books and atmospheric lighting.
Beautiful, earthy and rustic decorations make you feel like you’re in a cabin in the woods—which is, of course, 100% true!
Check Lake Quinault Lodge Availability & Rates Here
Keith Nye
Monday 4th of July 2022
My wife and I stayed at Lake Quinault Lodge, Olympic National Park, Washington in 2017. It was very nice. I want to return some day. Here is a quote from: Immerse Yourself in History and Nature With a Visit to the Lake Quinault Lodge - LewisTalkWA http://www.lewistalk.com/2019/06/17/immerse-yourself-in-history-and-nature-with-a-visit-to-the-lake-quinault-lodge/#:~:text=On%20October%201%2C%201937%2C%20President,we%20all%20know%20and%20love. "On October 1, 1937, President Franklin D. Roosevelt visited Lake Quinault Lodge during a research trip around the Olympic Peninsula. While on his trip, the idea of establishing a National Park was discussed and, nine months later, the President signed a bill establishing the Olympic National Park we all know and love."
Bram
Wednesday 6th of July 2022
Nice to read that you enjoyed you visit to Lake Quinault, Keith. Such an amazingly beautiful area!