Editor Pick
Bryce Canyon Lodge
- January 27, 2007
- Rated 5 of 5 by
callen60 from Ozarks, Missouri
I’m awfully fond of staying in the park when it’s possible. The older the lodging, the more interested I am in making that the center for exploring the surroundings. The classic park lodges of Gilbert Stanley Underwood at Grand Canyon and Bryce were tops on my list when laying out this trip. His plan always involved a central lodge housing the dining room, lounges, and other places for guests to congregate, with clusters of cabins providing sleeping space for park visitors. When I learned that Bryce’s beautiful Western Cabins top out at four people (no rollaways allowed), that meant that the newer, Mission-60-era motel-style units would be our only in-park choice.
Sunset Unit, Bryce Canyon LodgeBalancing this against the virtues and drawbacks of the Ruby’s Inn complex, struggling to find a place with character that wasn’t too far from the park, I finally settled on staying at the lodge for two nights. We’d be on-site when sunrise came, without another 10 to 30 minutes of driving to watch the spectacle.
Sunset Unit Room, Bryce Canyon Lodge
That was a great choice. The units themselves were very pleasant, much nicer than I’d expected. The room was extremely spacious—perhaps the largest motel room I’ve ever had—with room for two queen beds, an aisle between them, and a table. There was plenty of room between the end of the beds and the wall; so much so that you could move around the room easily even with the rollaway open—one of the few rooms anywhere that was actually large enough to comfortably accommodate a rollaway.
The best feature, however, was the balcony (first floor rooms have porches). We were fortuitously placed in one on the end of the Sunset unit away from the parking lot (Room 236), which gave our balcony a better view (and a breeze!) off two open sides. I’d definitely recommend a second floor room, as well as an end unit. The units are not on the rim, so the view isn’t into the Canyon, but—if your room is at the eastern end—into the pleasant stands of trees on the way to Sunset Point. It was a great spot to sit nearly all day round. Xanterra’s policy lets you make requests at check-in, so if you arrive early you might request such a room.
All rooms are reached off wide, pleasant indoor corridors. The whole unit is in excellent shape, with nice touches throughout. For example, the tiled bathrooms include occasional squares featuring relief outlines of wildlife, which provoked a ‘cool bathroom!’ from every family member as they entered for the first time.
The walk from here to the lodge is about 10 minutes, and takes you through Underwood’s original cabins. Those looked spacious and terrific, and if I returned with a smaller party, I’d look to stay there. And the cost is only marginally higher: $140 for the cabins, vs. $135 base rate for our room.
Western Cabins at Bryce Canyon Lodge
From journal On the Plateau, Part VI: Bryce Canyon