The Canyon Lodge & Cabins redevelopment project inside Yellowstone National Park’s Canyon Village has begun construction. Built in Boise, Idaho by Guerdon Enterprises, the structures will eventually comprise five multi-story lodges that blend into the surrounding area. The first three lodges will open in 2015 and the remaining two the following year.
The modules are being created in a controlled environment that minimizes waste and maximizes efficiency. As part of its concessions contract with the National Park Service (NPS), lodge operator Xanterra Parks & Resorts is overseeing the $70 million project that will replace more than 300 cabins in the park with five modern lodge buildings.
Canyon Lodge & Cabins formerly offered more than 400 cabins and two lodge buildings. Most of the cabins were built in the 1950s after Congress appropriated funds to expand visitor services in many national parks in anticipation of NPS celebrating its 50th anniversary in 1966.
The new lodges will feature common meeting areas and a total of 409 guestrooms, and will complement the existing Cascade Lodge and Dunraven Lodge. Xanterra is also planning a redesign of Canyon Lodge dining facilities to expand its emphasis on local and sustainable offerings and quick-service meals.
