This enormous complex dates from the opening of the park to mass tourism in the 1950s and 1960s, but has seen big changes in recent years. In 2014, 200 of the old cabins were replaced with seven environmentally friendly lodges, which offer modern, comfortable hotel rooms with coffeemakers and small bathrooms.
Here's a tip: premium rooms are marginally older than the pricier superior rooms but are noticeably bigger, so save yourself $50 and opt for the former. Some rooms come with a patio for $10 more.
The remaining cabins are laid out barracks-style, grouped into blocks of four or six, with two queen beds, coffeemaker, porch and tub/shower. A drive around the multiple low-rise, potholed and crumbling loops is like a drive back in time to a classic Middle American suburb.
Check-in is in the Washburn Lodge, which has a morning coffee stand (6:30am to 9:30am), a self-service laundry and a business center with wired internet access for guests.