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Death Valley National Park

Consolidation In Managing The National Park Lodges

Who really does manage most national park lodgings? For the big operations in places such as Yellowstone, Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Glacier, and Shenandoah, corporations. Not surprisingly, while many of the 500 management contracts administered by the National Park Service, such as providing firewood or operating a bicycle rental operation, are relatively straightforward, those for large commercial facilities such as lodging in Yosemite or Yellowstone are extremely complicated. David and Kay Scott bring some clarity to this issue in their latest article pertaining to lodging in the National Park System.

National Parks 101: Who Runs The Lodges And Dining Establishments?

Many travelers (readers of the Traveler excepted) mistakenly believe commercial facilities in the national parks – lodging, dining, and retail - are operated by the federal government. While national park officials have ultimate oversight on things such as pricing, these facilities are operated by private companies that bid for the right to rent rooms, operate dining facilities, sell T-shirts, and offer specified activities such as trail rides and guided tours. NPS rangers continue to staff visitor centers and offer interpretive activities, but nearly all commercial activities are handled by the private sector.

UPDATED | Damage Assessments, Cleanup, And Hiring Confront National Park Staff

A coyote that got a taste for human food from garbage strewn about Death Valley National Park during the partial government shutdown had to be put down by rangers after it repeatedly stopped traffic, while other coyotes and and two bobcats were seen approaching visitors in the park. Human visitors left other waste behind: an estimated half-ton of human waste on the landscape.

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