Big Spring Lodge and Cabins has been operated by private concessioners under contract with the National Park Service (NPS) as an essential visitor service for many years.
The area is a popular vacation and honeymoon destination, and dining facility. At the conclusion of the most recent concession contract in the fall of 2014, the deterioration caused by decades of use and deferred maintenance prompted the NPS to close the facility until restoration work could be completed. 
Specifically, some health and safety repairs were required before the facilities could be reopened.
When the NPS reluctantly made the decision to close the facilities in 2014, park managers believed that the significant funding needed to do the extensive restoration work was more readily available than it actually was.
However, it appears the major funding needed to restore the lodge and cabin buildings is still some years away.
Because of the historical significance of Big Spring Lodge and Cabins, planning and design work to make modifications and improvements to the structures and surrounding landscape is a very complex process. Just as the original construction was a lengthy task, restoration of those same structures will require similar care and attention.
The Big Spring Historic District, of which the buildings are a key component, is on the National Register of Historic Places. Planning, including architectural and engineering design for several of the projects, has been underway for some time, and a schedule for completion of each of the major projects has been tentatively established:
• Summer 2016: Flood damage repair work on Big Spring Bridge, ensuring safe bridge operation until the bridge is replaced. Flood damage repair of the Big Spring picnic shelter.
