“Parkitecture” in Intermountain National Parks
From the early- to mid-1900s, the Arts and Crafts movement inspired the National Park Service’s (NPS) signature rustic style. The early style blended several architectural approaches together, but design sensibilities quickly evolved into a more harmonious and refined style that centered on rustic design. NPS staff affectionately refer to it as “parkitecture”. Using native materials and an aesthetic that resembled being be built by hand (if not literally made that way), the national park buildings’ subtle but distinctive design adds to visitors’ experiences. There are a few defining principles of parkitecture beyond the inclusion of natural materials: buildings should harmonize with their landscapes without attempting to visually upstage the natural beauty of their surroundings; buildings should blend in with each other through material and design when located within the same park; and stone, timber, and log should be scaled to provide a balanced appearance. Like any architectural style, parkitecture had its famous architects, including Gilbert Stanley Underwood and Mary Jane Colter who advocated for simplicity in design, natural materials, and balance with its surroundings. As you travel through the parks, look around at the buildings, bridges, and entrance signs that harmonize with their natural environment just as parkitecture should.
Grand Canyon Lodge
Take a trip down US Highway 64 to the Grand Canyon’s North Rim and find yourself greeted by the marvelous front entrance of the Grand Canyon Lodge.
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Beaver Creek Administrative Area Historic District Cultural Landscape
The first development at the Beaver Creek Administrative Area in what became Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park was in 1908, when Forest Service ranger Al Austin built the Stewart Ranger Station in what was then known as Teton National Forest. Between 1908 and 1929, there were a few small…
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Moraine Park Museum and Amphitheater
In the 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps removed Moraine Lodge from Rocky Mountain National Park in an initiative to restore the land to its original state. They converted the lodge’s remaining assembly hall into a museum in 1936 and the following year added the Moraine Park Museum…
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Zion Lodge
There are sixty-one registered historic structures in Zion National Park, the buildings of the Zion Lodge complex being among them.
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Grand Canyon Depot
Take the Grand Canyon Railway to the historic train depot in Grand Canyon National Park and experience the unique architectural design of the only operating log depot in the United States.
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