Think you have to “rough it” to enjoy the wild beauty of the national parks? Think again. Although every national park offers a number of options for camping, backpacking, and cabin dwelling, the parks offer luxury, too.

Lobby of Tenaya Lodge. Photo: Debbie K. Hardin

• Yosemite has two opulent choices. The historic Awahnee Hotel, in the heart of Yosemite Valley, is the most luxurious and most expensive hotel in the national park system. Pampered guests can enjoy astonishing views of Yosemite Falls and the monumental granite cliffs that surround the valley, as well as niceties like daily tea in aptly named Grand Hall,  priceless Native American artwork scattered throughout the property, and five-star service.

• Tenaya Lodge, located just two miles outside the southern park entrance of Yosemite, is a sprawling full-service resort, with an elegant spa, state-of-the-art fitness equipment, sparkling pool, supremely comfortable rooms, and numerous fine dining opportunities. (Don’t miss Embers, the newest upscale restaurant onsite.) Let the concierge arrange for myriad activities, from horse-back riding, to a chuck-wagon dinner, to fly-fishing expeditions.

• The Grand Canyon scenery is impossible to improve on, so the fabulous El Tovar Hotel on the edge of the South Rim does its best to blend in, with low-slung architecture executed in desert-friendly hues. This registered National Landmark (a favorite of presidents and European royalty) has 78 rooms, the best with jaw-dropping views of the canyon, and books up 13 months in advance.

• Yellowstone boasts one of the largest—and best appointed—log cabins in the world: The beloved Old Faithful Inn. Massive timbers stretch up 77 feet in the soaring lobby; look for the fanciful tree house cabin built amid the rafters. As the name suggests, the inn is a stone’s throw away from the most visited geyser in the park. Don’t miss the inn’s famous restaurant, which offers the most civilized meal in the park, with grand buffet breakfasts.

• Sequoia National Park is all about the Big Trees, and the peaceful Wuksachi Lodge nestles among the groves unobtrusively. The cedar and stone lodge offers comfortable and spacious rooms and serene views of the mountaintops. It isn’t uncommon to find deer and bears roaming the grounds. Maximize your viewing opportunities—and up the stunning quotient—by booking a corner Superior Suite, with separate sitting room wrapped in windows.

We recently took a short break to Mammoth Mountain in California with our 2-year-old daughter. Although it took us more than six hours to get there, via the Tioga Pass, the drive through Yosemite National Park was spectacular, especially Olmsted Point where you look back on Yosemite Valley and Half Dome.

Once in Mammoth (8,100 feet), we acclimatized ourselves with a family cycle around the local trails and to the park—this easy ride felt like quite a workout given the altitude. The following morning we equipped a local baby sitter with storybooks, the Jungle Book DVD and Aqua Draw to entertain our daughter, while my husband and I headed off to the Mammoth Mountain Bike Park with more than 100 miles of trails. At the base we were slightly intimidated by the hard-core bikers with their full body armor and ultra full suspension bikes. It did cross my mind that we may be taking on more than we could handle! Nonetheless, we climbed aboard the gondola with our bikes and rode up to the first station, McCoy.

Breakthrough and Off the Top

Having ridden the Santa Cruz mountain trails for the past six years, we chose an intermediate level trail—Breakthrough. This proved to be an exhilarating downhill ride with great views. The trails were pretty clear with a few rocks and roots—even some snow! We finished off with the “downtown/uptown” trails through the forest. The next morning, feeling a little braver, we plucked up the courage to go “Off the Top” and took our bikes all the way up the gondola to 11,055 feet! The views were breathtaking. The single track weaved its way back and forth descending the steep first section of the mountain and dropping us 2,000ft in a couple of hours – another adrenaline pumping ride.

I have to say this is some of the best riding I have done and thoroughly recommend Mammoth Adventure Center. It also offers fun family activities, such as rock climbing, and although we brought our own mountain bikes, the company seems to a have a good selection of bikes for rent and a squad of helpful technicians.

The rest of the time we enjoyed hanging out with our daughter around the hotel pool, exploring the village and the outdoor shops, and dining at the local restaurants. We found a great deal at the newly opened Westin Monache Resort, which has suites with a kitchen, lounge and separate bedroom. It was perfect for making snacks and allowed us to move around/watch a movie when our daughter was asleep. 

Good places we found to eat around town included:

•    New York Bagel & Deli—good for breakfast.

•    Lanuki—Hawaiian themed sports bar with ribs, burgers and beer.

•    Lulu—fine dining Italian-style. You may need a reservation on weekends.

•    Side Door—wine, coffee, panini and crepes.

We finished up our trip with a hike up Lembert Dome, Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite on the way back home. My daughter did a great job sitting in our Macpac backpack and enjoyed trotting down the trails.

We’ll definitely return to Mammoth and would love to ski the same area in winter!