The National Park Service announced recently that Guest Services Inc. has been awarded a 10-year contract to manage a resort in Stehekin on Lake Chelan.
The agency had twice before put the contract out for bids but without success. The Park Service has made significant upgrades to the existing facilities and altered the contract to make the venture more likely to be profitable.
Guest Services will manage a small lodge with 28 units in varying size and style, a restaurant, general store and other concessions in Stehekin for North Cascades National Park. The community is at the head of Lake Chelan and is reachable only by boat, floatplane or on foot.
Guest Services currently operates the concessions at Mount Rainier National Park, as well as at the National Mall and Memorial Parks in Washington, D.C.
For details on Stehekin operations, visit stehekinlanding.com. The Lake Chelan Boat Co. will operate daily passenger ferry service to Stehekin through Saturday, and will operate this service through the winter on a reduced schedule. Visit ladyofthelake.com for details and reservations. Chelan Seaplanes offers daily flights to Stehekin through Oct. 16. Visit www.chelanseaplanes.com for more information.
WINTER SEASONS
Some of the operations at Mount Rainier National Park will begin winter hours, while others are shutting down for the season.
Longmire Museum (360-569-6575) will be open 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. daily Tuesday through Dec. 31.
At Paradise, the Henry M. Jackson Memorial Visitor Center (360-569-6571) will be open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. weekends and holidays only through Dec. 31. The Paradise Camp Deli and Gift Shop in the visitor center will be open 11 a.m.-4:45 p.m. on the same days the center is open.
Meanwhile, the Ohanapecosh Visitor Center and campgrounds at Cougar Rock and Ohanapecosh shut down Monday.
Jeffrey P. Mayor: 253-597-8640
jeff.mayor@thenewstribune.com
blog.thenewstribune.com/adventure
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