ADAMS, Mass. — Bascom Lodge will open to overnight guests and visitors on Memorial Day weekend.
Manager Peter Dudek told the the Mount Greylock Advisory Council on Wednesday that the lodge has overnight reservations starting on May 24. Park roads are scheduled to open on May 18 and the War Memorial Tower on May 25.
John Dudek and Brad Parsons retired from the Bascom Lodge Group last year, 13 years into the group's 25-year lease with the state. Peter Dudek, John's brother, is running the operation this season.
"We're opening on Memorial Day weekend and want to have the usual assortment of the cultural programming every Sunday," he said, adding that the historic building is booked for weddings and other events, too.
Built in 1930, the lodge sits atop the state's highest mountain and offers nine rooms for boarding at different privacy levels, dining, and special events. It has accommodations for about 34 people and has hosted popular dinners and an array of programming.
Dudek said it has full lodging staff but needs additional employees in other areas.
"When we first started it was really easy to find help. They just came to us automatically," he added. "But over the years, you have to advertise more and more and that seems to get very little."
He said the operating hours, as usual, will be just on the weekends to start and then move to five or seven days a week during the summer. It will be closed on most Mondays and Tuesdays but reservations won't be refused on those days, Dudek added, though dinner may not be available.
In the coming week, a program will be added to the Bascom Lodge website. There is Sunday programming starting on opening weekend into early September and some on Wednesdays as well.
The programs are focused on nature, history, and culture, with history talks being "probably the most popular," Dudek said.
In 2022, the lodge opened for its 85th season with infrastructure renovations thanks to the Department of Conservation and Recreation's revitalization program. This included new furniture, flooring, and bathroom tiling all with the historic context of the facility in mind.
It also underwent major work to equip it through the next 10 to 15 years.
The council, at its quarterly meeting, also received a report from supervisor Deanna Todd, detailing what has happened and what is in store for 2024.
Visitation has been unusually low this year because of weather conditions but 25 people participated in a First Day hike at the beginning of the year on the Bradly Farm Trail. More than 320 visitors flocked to the visitor center last week to view the solar eclipse, which was beyond capacity for parking.
The mountain will onboard 13 season staff this year by May 12, including laborers, rangers, and park interpreters.
