The National Park Service is seeking a lodging concessionaire at Bryce Canyon National Park/NPS file
The National Park Service has released a preview of an upcoming solicitation for proposals to manage commercial operations in Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah. The 10-year contract will include lodging, food and beverage service, retail and more.
Commercial facilities in Bryce Canyon are currently operated by Aramark Destinations, which acquired the Bryce contract from Forever Resorts in 2022.
Lodging in Bryce Canyon National Park consists of two lodge buildings constructed in 1985, each with 35 guest rooms, 40 historic cabins built in the mid-1920s as duplex or quadraplex units, plus four suites in the historic lodge that opened in 1925. The latter building is the only remaining original lodge designed for a subsidiary of the Union Pacific Railroad by Gilbert Stanley Underwood, who also designed lodges at Zion, Cedar Breaks, and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.
The park’s food and beverage operations consist of a dining room in the main lodge, a fast-casual restaurant adjacent to the lodge and a grab-and-go facility in the General Store. According to the Park Service, the 172-seat lodge dining room can generate 650 covers per night assuming four dinner table turns. Gift shops are in both the main lodge (2,200 sq. ft.) and the General Store (2,500 sq. ft.).
The concession generated approximately $10.5 million in revenues in 2023, an increase of $1.4 million from the prior year. Half of revenues originated from lodging, with the remainder fairly evenly split between food and beverage service and retail. The Park Service is estimating 2025 rooms rates of $230-$250 for lodge rooms and $335-$370 for cabins. The agency requires a minimum operating season for each of the facilities, but has previously extended the seasons and anticipates some facilities will operate year-round.
The preview indicated during the term of the contract the NPS may require: 1) Food trucks; 2) Expansion of the fiber-optic system; 3) Consideration of adding camper cabins; 4) Installation of electric vehicle charging stations; 5) A trailhead shuttle; 6) Interpretive guide service; 7) Repurposing the auditorium into a multi-use lounge. The preview also indicated a requirement for capital spending of approximately $450,000 on roof replacement and kitchen facilities.
The National Park Service plans to conduct the selection process in two segments. Segment 1 requires interested parties to submit a Statement of Qualifications. Based on evaluation of the qualification submissions, the Park Service will select up to four parties to tour the Bryce Canyon operation, along with submitting a detailed proposal for operation of the park’s commercial facilities.
Based on the proposals received, NPS will then invite potential candidates for a personal interview. Statement of Qualifications must be received by May 26, with qualified finalists announced June 30. Site visits will take place August 4-11, 2025. Detailed proposals must be received by September 23, 2025. Questions about proposals should be directed to Kurt Rausch, chief of NPS Commercial Services Program at [email protected]. The closing date for questions is August 26, 2025.
Support Essential Coverage of Essential Places
