Our Specific Recommendations And Best Locations For Lodging Inside and Outside of Yellowstone
Planning a vacation to visit Yellowstone National Park? The first thing you need to be thinking about when planning your trip to Yellowstone is lodging. You can even book reservations 13 months in advance! This post will quickly bring you up to speed so you can make informed lodging choices.
Know that lodging inside the park can be expensive and reservations go quickly, so you have to reserve well in advance.
Even if you plan to stay outside of Yellowstone National Park, you still need to make reservations early.
You’ll essentially plan your Yellowstone itinerary based on where you were able to secure lodging. P.S. See our Family Vacation To Yellowstone 5 Day Itinerary to help pinpoint lodging and the best must see stops along the way.
If you are fortunate to find reservations for lodging inside the park, I HIGHLY recommend it. Staying in the park is such a unique experience, and it will minimize travel time in your car driving from site to site.
If you can’t get reservations inside the park, we have plenty of lodging recommendations outside the park for you as well. Read on!
I can’t stress enough that Yellowstone National Park is HUGE. Encompassing 2.2 million acres, it has two major touring loops, the Upper Loop and the Lower Loop, and FIVE entrances to the park!
For more details, see “Which Entrance To Yellowstone Is Best?”
Our Recommended Lodging Strategy When Visiting Yellowstone
As stated earlier, Yellowstone National Park is so large that you need several days to see most of its major attractions. If you can, book lodging in two different areas of the park for your visit. Reserve one place to stay to explore the Upper Loop, and one place to stay to explore the Lower Loop.
For instance, stay at Mammoth Hot Springs, Roosevelt Lodge, or in the entrance towns of Gardiner, MT or Silver Gate/Cooke City, MT to tour the Upper Loop and explore the Lamar Valley.
Stay at Lake Village, Grant Village, Old Faithful, or the West Entrance town of West Yellowstone to tour the Lower Loop. All of that being said, it can be difficult to get reservations, so get what you can get!
Staying in two different areas of the park will minimize time spent in the car and allow for more time to take the time to enjoy your stops along the way. View a map of Yellowstone with Driving Times.
If you prefer to stay in one place for the duration of your visit, your best is to find lodging in Yellowstone’s Canyon Village. It has the most central location and would be reasonable to tour both the Upper and Lower Loop of Yellowstone from this location.
To help you choose the perfect lodging, we've outlined the pros and cons of each area, both inside and outside the park below. Let’s dive in!
Also, see our Family Vacation in Yellowstone for a detailed 5 day itinerary detailing the best stops, lodging, hikes, and more!
Map showing the lodging areas inside Yellowstone National Park (orange circles) and lodging areas outside the park in the gateway towns of West Yellowstone, Gardiner, Silver Gate/Cooke City, MT (blue circles). Map courtesy of NPS and annotated by Simply Awesome Trips.
Best Places To Stay In Yellowstone National Park
Important! Be sure to make a reservation early!
The reservation booking window for Yellowstone National Park Lodges accepts reservations for stays up to 13 months in advance.
All lodging areas are open from late spring through fall, but note that only Old Faithful Snow Lodge (not accessible by car) and Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel (via North Entrance only) are open during winter.
The 6 Main Areas To Stay Inside Yellowstone National Park
All of these “villages” are located in different areas of Yellowstone and will have some combination of the following lodging options: standard hotel rooms, lodge rooms, cabins with private baths, cabins without baths, and campgrounds.
They will also have at least one of the following: a General Store, one or more dining facilities, a lounge/bar, a nearby Visitor Center, etc.
Canyon Village- Is the largest complex and has the best central location with several lodging options as well as dining choices
Old Faithful- Several lodging options including the famous and historic Old Faithful Inn as well as several dining choices
Mammoth- Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel is the big deal here as well as cabins and a restaurant
Tower-Roosevelt- Roosevelt Lodge has 50 rustic cabins, rocking chairs on the porch, and a dining restaurant; the smallest complex
Yellowstone Lake Village- Features the beautiful yet expensive Yellowstone Lake Hotel as well as the Lake Lodge and cabins; restaurants
Grant Village- Has hotel-style lodge rooms, restaurants; located closest to Grand Teton National Park
Map showing the locations of the 6 main areas (indicated by blue boxes) of lodging inside Yellowstone National Park as well seasonal road closures.
Lodging Inside the Park— Pricing
In general, the least expensive lodging found inside Yellowstone National Park is found at Roosevelt Lodge with prices hovering around $130, while the most expensive are generally the rooms in the West Wing of Old Faithful Inn ($530).
In general, prices vary by the type of room (how many beds and whether you have a private bath). Note that most beds are doubles rather than Queen size.
To give you an idea of the range in pricing, here’s an example of recent August pricing.
Sampling of pricing at various Yellowstone National Park lodges during August.
Lodging Inside Yellowstone- Canyon Village
Canyon Village is a large, sprawling complex and has a great central location in Yellowstone National Park. If you could only get lodging at one place in the park, Canyon Village would be my recommendation. It has the most central location of any of the park lodging and could be a home base to explore both the Upper and Lower Loops.
It is convenient to:
Canyon Lodge. Photo courtesy of Yellowstone National Park Lodges.com
Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone
Both the Upper and Lower Loops of Yellowstone (for example- Old Faithful- 1 hour; Lamar Valley- 1 hour, Yellowstone Lake- 30 min, Norris Geyser Basin- 20 min, Mammoth Hot Springs- 45 min)
Canyon Village has a campground, cabins, suites, and lodge rooms. It is a huge complex with numerous dining options. We stayed in a cabin which was quite basic but quiet and clean. Again, make reservations well in advance.
We have also camped in Canyon Campground. It’s a large campground with a variety of sites (warning some are on a slope!), and we enjoyed our stay there.
Lodging Inside Yellowstone- Old Faithful
If you stay in the Old Faithful area, you have the opportunity to enjoy Old Faithful and the boardwalks throughout the thermal basin in a quiet and less-crowded setting later in the day once everyone leaves to return to their lodging outside the park. In the morning, you can get up early to watch Old Faithful erupt again or take advantage of the short drive to see Grand Prismatic before parking there gets too crowded.
This flexibility is the biggest advantage of staying overnight here. The disadvantage of staying in the Old Faithful area is that it’s one of the busiest tourist sites in terms of crowds.
You’ll find plenty of dining options at Old Faithful, a General Store for provisions, and an impressive Visitor Center.
The star lodging here is at Old Faithful Inn, an impressive historic landmark built in 1904 and one of the few remaining log hotels in the United States. Even if you don’t stay here, make sure to stop in and take a peek at its lobby.
Old Faithful Lodge Cabins, and Old Faithful Snow Lodge round out the lodging here and are well located and within walking distance to Old Faithful Geyser.
We stayed in the Snow Lodge, but all are great options if you can find a reservation that works for you. Remember to reserve well in advance (remember you can book 13 months in advance!)
Keep in mind that none of the national park lodgings in the Old Faithful area or anywhere else in the park for that matter has air-conditioning. They do supply you with a fan, though I have to admit it was still a bit warm.
Evenings typically cool off rather quickly, but unusually high daytime temps can make the evening temps uncomfortable. If you have camping supplies, you’d be cooler in a tent and save a lot of money. Something to think about! FYI- Yellowstone’s Madison Campground is the closest campground to Old Faithful.
The next closest lodging is in the small tourist town of West Yellowstone, about an hour away. The downside, however, is that you will then have to deal with traffic and wait times at this popular entrance to the park.
Lodging Inside Yellowstone- Mammoth Hot Springs
Located in the northern area of the park, the newly remodeled (2019) Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel and Cabins is super close to the North Entrance to Yellowstone and the town of Gardiner, MT. It’s also convenient to:
Mammoth Hot Springs (walking distance)
Lamar Valley (55 min)
Upper Loop of Yellowstone (e.g., Norris Geyser Basin- 30 min, Tower Fall- 35 min, Canyon of the Yellowstone- 50 min)
You will have a couple of dining options, and the Visitor Center is within walking distance. This is a pretty area, and we always see wildlife here.
Lodging Inside Yellowstone- Roosevelt Lodge
Roosevelt Lodge is the smallest lodging complex in Yellowstone and thus feels more quiet and remote than the other lodging villages. Many of the cabins, however, are more like a “camping” experience in that they are very basic and do not have a private bath.
The location though is terrific for those wanting to spend some time exploring Yellowstone’s Lamar Valley. Roosevelt Lodge is the closest lodging inside the park to the Lamar Valley for some excellent wildlife spotting- only 25 minutes away.
It also has a nice dining room. I’ve always wanted to try their “Old West Dinner Cookout” where you ride horseback or ride along in the covered wagon for an outdoor “cowboy dinner.” Sounds fun!
Lodging Inside Yellowstone- Yellowstone Lake
Three lodging options are found at Yellowstone Lake: The Lake Hotel is another Historic National Landmark. This area also offers a more basic Lake Lodge as well as cabins. The Lake Hotel is quite expensive, but you are paying for its wonderful setting on Yellowstone Lake. The lodging here is convenient to:
The Canyon area (Canyon Falls, Artist Point, etc)- 30 min
Fishing Bridge Visitor Center- 5 min
Old Faithful- 1 hour
West Thumb- 30 min
It’s a beautiful setting on Yellowstone Lake, and you can rent boats or take a sunset cruise. There is also a dining room at the Lake Hotel as well a bar and deli for more casual fare.
Lodging Inside Yellowstone- Grant Village
Grant Village is also located on Yellowstone Lake in the southern area of the park and is the closest Yellowstone National Park lodging to Grand Teton National Park. The lodging here is fairly outdated, and it seems to garner the worst reviews of Yellowstone’s lodging options. But it is still a good location, especially if visiting Grand Teton National Park as well.
Grant Village is convenient to:
West Thumb Geyser Basin- 5 min
Old Faithful Geyser- 35 min
Yellowstone Lake
Canyon Area- 1 hour
Lower Loop of Yellowstone
Colter Bay Village in Grand Teton National Park- 1 hour
You can dine with views of the lake at the Lake House or the dining hall.
Best Lodging Outside Yellowstone National Park
If you didn’t get reservations for lodging inside the park or want more amenities with your lodging (like air conditioning), you’ll find plenty of lodging in the gateway towns of:
West Yellowstone, MT (West Entrance)- the largest and most popular of the three
Gardiner, MT (North Entrance)- small but several great lodging options
Silver Gate/Cooke City, MT (Northeast Entrance) - the smallest in terms of lodging and dining amenities but will have the basics
Note that Yellowstone National Park has 5 entrances, but only 3 of them are convenient as a base camp to visit the park. If you’re not staying inside the park, these three entrances have the most convenient lodging options.
The East Entrance is too far away from most of Yellowstone’s attractions, and the South Entrance to Yellowstone is essentially located in Grand Teton National Park. For more details, see “Which Entrance To Yellowstone Is Best?”
Remember that all entrances require a park pass to enter. You can purchase ahead of time at the National Park Service website or at the entrance gate.
*Note: The lodging recommendations in this itinerary are our personal list of places that we have stayed in previously, that were recommended by friends we trust, or that we have marked as possibilities for future visits. We do not accept sponsored stays but some of these links are affiliate links, please see Disclosures for a full explanation.
Lodging in West Yellowstone, MT (West Entrance)
West Yellowstone, MT, the “largest” and most “touristy” of the three gateway towns, is a small town filled with a nice selection of lodging options, souvenir shops, ice cream counters, and plenty of cafes and restaurants.
If your main goal is to see Old Faithful Geyser and Grand Prismatic Spring, two of the park’s most iconic geothermal features, it takes 35 minutes from the West Entrance to reach Grand Prismatic and 50 minutes to reach Old Faithful.
West Yellowstone also offers additional activities beyond the park. We like to visit the Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center, wander through the fantastic book store, the Book Peddler, explore the rock shops, and bike the easy and scenic Shortline Trail.
I would try to stay in the “downtown” of West Yellowstone so that you can walk to restaurants and shops, and it’s super close to Yellowstone’s West Entrance.
But keep in mind that the West Entrance is also the busiest entrance to Yellowstone and can require a significant wait in line each day just to enter during the busy summer season.
Tip: You can check out the webcam at the West Entrance to get an idea of how long the wait is to enter the park.
West Yellowstone has a large number of hotels to choose from including a Holiday Inn with an indoor pool. They are still expensive for what you get though ($300 and up in July). Reserve all of these well in advance.
Holiday Inn- A solid and reliable hotel chain close to the park. Has an indoor pool.
Kelly Inn is also a solid choice. There are plenty of restaurants and two grocery stores within walking distance. Rooms with bunk beds for the kiddos and an indoor pool.
Yellowstone Park Hotel- Sure to please with its location, pool, game room, and ice cream socials!
Explorer Cabins At Yellowstone- A multi-cabin property within walking distance of shops and restaurants. These modern cabins have everything you need: fireplace, kitchenette with dishwasher. Request a single rather than a duplex cabin if you prefer not to share a wall. Fire pits on the grounds with s’mores kits. Some cabins have bunk beds for the kiddos.
Under Canvas Yellowstone- If you’d like to try “glamping” (luxury camping), this place gets great reviews and provides all you need including an onsite restaurant. Even though it’s a bit north of West Yellowstone, I would love to stay here! The nearby Bar N Ranch also gets good reviews.
West Yellowstone has a good number of vacation rentals including both condos and cabins scattered throughout town. Pay attention to how far the vacation rentals is from the West Entrance to Yellowstone.
Here are some good examples of vacation rentals found in West Yellowstone:
Arrowhead Lodge #7 is a studio condo that sleeps 4. Similar to a hotel room but has all you need with a good price and location. VRBO 2147333.
Worldmark West Yellowstone 1 minute to Gate! 2 bedrooms. VRBO 1284279. Sleeps 6. A Wyndham Resort Property. 2 bedroom, pool access, community game room, walking distance to restaurants in West Yellowstone and super close to West Entrance. There are lots of 2 bedroom Worldmark Resort listings on VRBO as well as 3-bedroom Presidential Suite.
Montana Cabin -Sleeps 4, Just 5 Blocks from Yellowstone A/C and WiFi. VRBO 1665283. 2 bedroom, 1 bath. Sleeps 4. Walk to town but not right in the middle of it. One of 4 cabins on the property, so could be good for a multi-family vacation rental.
Need more room? Teton Townhouse - Sleeps 6 - 12, 5 Blocks from Yellowstone's West Entrance. VRBO 592249. 4 BR, sleeps 12. 2 story townhouse with 6 Queen beds. Walking distance to downtown.
Lodging In Gardiner, MT (North Entrance)
The tiny town of Gardiner, MT (population 900) has a handful of restaurants, a few shops, outfitters, and a variety of lodging options.
It’s not unusual to see elk walking down the sidewalks along the store fronts in Gardiner. Our kids loved that!
It’s an easy and beautiful drive from Bozeman, MT to Yellowstone’s North Entrance which takes you through Montana’s scenic Paradise Valley on Highway 89 to Gardiner, MT. You’ll have great views of the mountain ranges, the Yellowstone River, and a high probability of seeing wildlife.
If you need hotel lodging in Gardiner, Antler Lodge (also has a good restaurant) and Absaroka Lodge are good bets here. You’ll also find plenty of vacation rentals that are located near the North Entrance and within walking distance to shops and restaurants.
Perhaps try luxury camping at DreamCatcher Tipi Hotel. Your kids will love it! Comfortable beds, common bath house, breakfast, and an evening fire with s’mores. Here is a review from TripAdvisor: My kids are going to talk about it forever. They got such a kick out of it. Very nice tipis- big comfortable beds with super comfy linens. Bathrooms were nice. Communal s’mores and free adult beverages in the evening. Stars at night, nice staff.
Gardiner is a good option to explore the northern part of Yellowstone (Mammoth Hot Springs, Lamar Valley, and Canyon Village are all within about an hour’s drive). Again, pay attention to how far your vacation rental is to the North Entrance. You don’t want to add too much driving time!
Here are some examples of Gardiner's vacation rentals:
Amazing Views of Yellowstone Park & River! A 1/2 mile from YNP’s North Entrance. VRBO: 1030684. 2 bedroom, 3 beds, sleeps 4 with views of the Yellowstone River.
Yellowstone Treasure Guest House #1. VRBO 9591909ha. 2 bedroom, 1 bath, sleeps 6. Gorgeous river views and walking distance to restaurants, etc.
Lodging Near Silver Gate and Cooke City, MT (Northeast Entrance)
Staying near the Northeast Entrance to Yellowstone in the tiny towns of Silver Gate or Cooke City, MT is the best place to stay when visiting Yellowstone’s Lamar Valley. If your goal is to see wildlife during your trip to Yellowstone, the Lamar Valley is undeniably the best place to do it. (Hayden Valley being a second!) You are practically guaranteed to see wildlife here!
The TINY town of Silver Gate, MT is a 20 minute drive to Yellowstone’s scenic Lamar Valley, and Cooke City, MT is just five minutes further away. You won’t find many amenities here, but the towns will have all you need. The Log Cabin Cafe is terrific for breakfast and/or lunch! They also have cabins to rent.
FYI: Inside the park, Roosevelt Lodge is the closest to the Lamar Valley- only 25 minutes away.
The Lamar Valley isn’t technically included on the Upper and Lower Loops, so this area of the park doesn’t feel as crowded. But there is plenty to do here between wildlife watching, hiking, and driving the scenic Beartooth Highway. See our “One Day In Yellowstone’s Lamar Valley” for all the details.
You’ll find plenty of cabin rentals and a sprinkling of motels in the Silver Gate and Cooke City area. We stayed at Silver Willows Sarva Cabin on 4 Acres by the Creek (sleeps 9). We stayed here for 3 nights and appreciated the convenient location when waking early to view wildlife in the Lamar Valley. It was also close enough to be convenient to return later in the day for more wildlife watching.
You’ll find plenty of cabin rentals in the Silver Gate and Cooke City area.
Silver Willows Sarva Cabin on 4 Acres by the Creek (where we stayed-sleeps 9) or their sister cabin “Ursa “ on the same property is another good option and sleeps 5.
One Mile to Northeast Entrance to Yellowstone Park in Silver Gate, Montana is a 1 bedroom cabin with 2 baths and sleeps 6 on a private one acre lot.
That wraps it up! You will have a fantastic time exploring Yellowstone! Happy Trails- Amy
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More Yellowstone!
Yellowstone National Park is a jewel to behold and should be on every person’s bucket list of places to see. With excellent opportunities to view a variety of wildlife and explore unique geothermal features, it’s a great destination for any family. This itinerary will highlight ways to avoid the crowds and still experience the grandeur of Yellowstone.
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