In 1946, Stavanger Tourist Association took ownership of Vatnegården. By 1949, as a result of the increased demand for overnight accommodation, the tourist association built a new, larger cabin with sixteen dormitory-style rooms, which they named Preikestolhytta, meaning Preikestolen Cabin. Fourty years later, in 1961, a road was finally built between the village of Jørpeland and Vatnegården. It made it possible for people to reach Preikestolen in just one day. After that, the number of visitors increased steadily with each passing year. During the 1990s, 50,000 people visited Preikestolen annually. By the early 2000s, it became apparent that the number of tourists who wanted overnight accommodation near Preikestolen had outgrown the space available.