Yellowstone is one of the most popular National Parks in America and the largest outside Alaska. The geological marvel showcases millennia of the Earth’s history in its formation, and has a unique beauty; it’s easy to see why the area was made the first national park in the world.
If you’re looking to experience this incredible, pristine, natural wonder and soak up everything Yellowstone, Montana has to offer, then this article is for you!
We want to share the truly unforgettable beauty of Montana with the whole world, and we’d love for you to pay a visit.
As the Yellowstone National Park is so huge, it can be difficult to know where to stay. This of course depends on what you would most like to see, your budget, and how far ahead you are booking your trip! In this article, we’ll cover:
- Key locations of interest, sights to see, and places to stay
- An overview of Yellowstone, Montana
- The different towns you can explore as well as the outdoor activities you can enjoy
And plenty more to prepare you for your trip to Big Sky Country. Let’s dive in!
Staying inside the park may seem like the obvious choice – and it is if you are lucky enough to get hold of a reservation. Resorts, hotels, campsites; accommodation within the park are notoriously difficult to book. Think of planning a year and a half in advance for the lodges. The striking canyons, swooping rivers, powerful geysers, dense forests, and hot springs all contribute to the dramatic landscape of Yellowstone. The dusky reds and vibrant greens and blues clash beautifully; hikes through Yellowstone are some of the world’s most scenic routes. The wildlife in the park is also rich and varied – bears and wolves are commonly spotted around the park, as well as bison and elk. Yellowstone is huge, spanning three states and covering 2 million acres of land, so you need to plan your location well according to what you would most like to see (unless you don’t mind hours of driving every day). Canyon Village is the most centrally located of all – you can get to Mammoth Springs and Lamar Valley to the north of the park, while also an easy distance from Old Faithful and the unmissable Grand Prismatic Spring. Old Faithful Geyser is, funnily enough, the most reliable of Yellowstone’s geysers, erupting regularly between every 44 minutes and 2 hours. You can stay in one of the lodges in Old Faithful as a base for your vacation, or just drive down from one of the other towns or villages. It’s not one you would want to miss! It’s important to consider a few things before attempting to book accommodation within the park. There are nine accommodation options – outside campsites – inside the park: You can book many of these lodgings through the Yellowstone National Park website. This is a good option if you want to have a look at the various attractions you want to visit and then book according to how close you want to stay to the things you want to see and do. Remember that bookings inside the park often fill up quickly, so plan your trip well ahead of time. There is very little in the way of wi-fi or cell reception at any of these locations, owing to the sheer remoteness of the place. Take this into account when you pack for your trip, as while there is often some internet access, it is not going to be reliable for a day’s work or anything too major. For those that don’t want the stress of finding accommodation inside Yellowstone – or haven’t thought to book a year in advance – West Yellowstone is the best area to stay outside the park itself. The traveling distances are easily doable – the Grand Prismatic Spring is 45 minutes away, Old Faithful an hour, while Hayden Valley and the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone are roughly an hour and ten. Since West Yellowstone sits right at the entrance to the park, it saves you from driving for hours and hours to start each day in Yellowstone. The town has great facilities, with dozens of restaurants, cafes, and shops to explore. Entertainment options include the Playmill Theater and the Wild West Yellowstone Rodeo, which runs from June to the end of August. For the more adventurous, you should try out the Yellowstone Zipline Adventure Park close to the town. The Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center is a large wildlife park for bears and wolves unfit to survive the wild – it’s a great way to see the animals in a controlled environment, and a fun day out (especially for the kids). If you would prefer a more peaceful pastime, fly fishing is popular in the area; and there are several blue-ribbon fisheries close to West Yellowstone. The town has a few museums and art galleries, as well as a few options for the evening like music venues and bars – or saloons. With a good balance between facilities and proximity to the park, West Yellowstone is a great base for a vacation in the area. There are plenty of reasons to pick West Yellowstone as your Yellowstone Base, but also a few key things you should be aware of. While there are only official hotels and cabins available within Yellowstone National Park, West Yellowstone is home to many great AirBnBs if you prefer staying in a private rental over a hotel stay. There are a lot of private hosts who offer accommodation in West Yellowstone year round, but remember that a lot of the town closes in winter due to the slowdown in tourists and the inclement weather. If you plan to visit and stay in an Airbnb, also remember to book any transport or attractions in advance! Cars cannot travel into the park over winter because of the heavy snowfall, so be sure to rent a snowmobile or a snowmobile taxi if you plan to venture out in winter. Gardiner sits just above the North Entrance of Yellowstone, making it an ideal base for those focused on the northern sections of the park. At over an hour’s drive from each, the town is quite far from Yellowstone Lake, Old Faithful, and the Grand Prismatic Spring. But Gardiner is a great base to explore the north of the park, which has some incredible views and attractions of its own. Pass through the Roosevelt Arch at the North Entrance of Yellowstone, and it’s only a short distance from there to Lamar Valley, the Mammoth Hot Springs, and the area up to Norris Geyser Basin. These are all unforgettably stunning landscapes and spectacular natural phenomena and are most easily accessible from Gardiner. The main attractions of Yellowstone are a little further, but the distance isn’t insurmountable – you can still do day trips to the likes of Old Faithful and the lake from Gardiner. As for the town itself, Gardiner is only small. But thanks to its close proximity to the park and the ensuing tourism, there are plenty of shops and restaurants to keep you entertained. You can head up the mountains to Big Sky and try your hand at whitewater rafting, or relax in the Yellowstone Hot Springs only 10 minutes away. Luckily, you can bathe in the natural, mineral-rich waters all year round. All of Yellowstone is famous for its natural beauty, but Gardiner feels particularly immersed in it. It’s a great base for visitors – and one that won’t cost a fortune. West Gardiner is an entirely different experience than staying in West Yellowstone, with access to a range of different sites in the north of Yellowstone National Park. If you’re looking to book in West Gardiner, be sure to check out the Northern attractions like the Roosevelt Arch, and be sure you don’t mix yourself up with what you want to see or you’ll be in for a remarkably long drive! Perfect for people traveling in from the east, Cody & Wapiti make a particularly good pit stop for road trips. Realistically, Cody is a little too far away from the main attractions within Yellowstone to make a good base – it’s 1 hour from the East Entrance, which is, in turn, a little way away from the most popular spots like the Grand Prismatic Spring. There are quite a few options for accommodation right by the East Entrance – and Wapiti, which is about halfway in between – that may be a bit more plausible, but generally, this entrance to the park works better as an overnight pit stop. It’s a lovely little pit stop though, and fantastic for anyone on a road trip passing through. Cody has theatres, restaurants, cafes, and a number of attractions of its own. You can visit art galleries, museums, stop at a bookstore, or even buy cowboy boots from Wayne’s on the main street through town, Sheridan Avenue. There are a few music venues – specializing in country music, of course – and theatres in the town, which packs as much culture as it can into such a small space. You can live out your Wild West dreams at a day ranch or the famous Cody Nite Rodeo – or learn the history of Cody at the Old Trail Town. Visiting this attraction is like taking a trip back in time; the faithful recreation of the original 1890s layout of Cody actually uses materials from the time of Buffalo Bill. You can find out more about the legendary founder of the town at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center! Cody isn’t lacking in natural beauty either, standing in the shadow of Cedar Mountain and Spirit Cave. Cody and Wapiti both sit along the stunning Buffalo Bill Cody Scenic Byway which leads to the park. You will drive alongside the Shoshone River, passing through lush forest and by the Buffalo Bill Dam on the way to Yellowstone. Cody and Wapiti are best suited as places to stop on your way to Yellowstone Park, so be sure to check out what sort of attractions are available in Cody and Wapiti. It’s well worth adding a little bit of time to your trip to enjoy these towns and everything they have to offer! 
1. Inside Yellowstone National Park
Best overall for people planning in advance
Pros
Cons
Close to areas of interest
Must select accommodation close to what you want to see or do
Beautiful outdoor camping opportunities
Expensive
Plenty of options
Heavily booked
Roosevelt Lodge Cabins
Old Faithful Snow Lodge and Cabins
Old Faithful Lodge Cabins
Old Faithful Inn
Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel and Cabins
Lake Yellowstone Hotel and Cabins
Lake Lodge Cabins
Grant Village Hotels
Canyon Lodge and Cabins
Tips and Hints
2. West Yellowstone
Pros and Cons of Staying in West Yellowstone
Pros
Cons
Huge range of accommodation types and prices.
Urban location, not in the Yellowstone wilderness.
Reasonable distance from Yellowstone
Must own or rent a car to get around.
Plenty of in-town restaurants, bars, and museums to explore.
1872 Inn – Adults Exclusive
Clubhouse Inn
Stage Coach Inn
Best Airbnbs in West Yellowstone:
In Town! Gate Entrance
Cottage Cabin #1
Yellowstone Studio #3
Type of lodging: Studio. Tips
3. Gardiner (The best base to explore the north of Yellowstone National Park)
Pros and Cons
Pros
Cons
Closer to Yellowstone National Park than other towns
Far away from famous attractions like Old Faithful
Perfect for those looking to explore northern park attractions.
Best hotels in West Gardiner
The Ridgeline Hotel at Yellowstone, Ascend Hotel Collection
Super 8 by Wyndham Gardiner/Yellowstone Park Area
Absaroka Lodge
Best Airbnb in West Gardiner
Yellowstone Lodge
Roosevelt’s Riverview Lodge at Yellowstone
Yellowstone room #2
Tips
4. Cody & Wapiti (For road trips and people traveling from the east)
Pros and Cons
Pros
Cons
Plenty of things to do in Cody & Wapiti
Too far from the perk to serve as a base for a trip.
Perfect overnight stop on the way to Yellowstone.
Best hotels in Cody & Wapiti
Chamberlin Inn
Wapiti Lodge
Sunrise Motor Inn
Best AirBnBs in Cody & Wapiti
Brand New Luxury Mountain Modern Near Yellowstone
Cody History on 13th
Tips
