Established in 1872, Yellowstone National Park was the first inductee into America’s National Park System. And while there have been 422 other national park sites appointed within the country over the 150 years since, Yellowstone remains one of the largest, spanning an astonishing 3,471 square acres.
While there are several fantastic ways to explore this wonderous preserved corner of the American Northwest, including front country and backcountry camping, not all visitors will have to give up their comfort amenities to visit the park.
Several resorts can be found both within the park and the countryside servicing Montana’s two park entrances for visitors who want to explore Yellowstone’s rugged preserved landscapes while maintaining the luxuriously civilized comforts of higher-end accommodations.
From full-fledged summer paradises and winter wonderlands to tucked-away lodges, these are the ten best Yellowstone resorts for basing your trip to the park.
10 Best Yellowstone Resorts — Tips and Advice
- The best place to book a Yellowstone resort is within the National Park Itself. However, these are naturally the most popular accommodations and are typically booked well in advance. Visitors looking to stay at one of these luxurious and convenient options should plan on reserving their visit up to a year and a half in advance.
- Alternative resort options are available just outside of all five of Yellowstone’s entrances, including the West Entrance and Northwest Entrance, both accessible from southern Montana. West Yellowstone and Gardiner are fantastic small towns near the entrances that offer luxurious resorts for guests to base their trip into the park.
- Booking a resort in West Yellowstone is the best option for visitors venturing into the park’s geyser country to see such attractions as Old Faithful. Meanwhile, visitors planning to spend most of their time around the Mammoth Hot Springs should book their Yellowstone Resort in the nearby community of Gardiner.
- Several other resorts are available throughout the Montana countryside in the Greater Yellowstone Region. And while these accommodations are slightly further from the park entrance, they offer additional luxury comforts while enjoying a sense of quiet away from the bustling crowd of eager tourists preparing to enter the park.
10 Best Yellowstone Resorts
1. Old Faithful Inn
Constructed between 1903 and 1904, the Old Faithful Inn was the first hotel built in Yellowstone National Park. It occupies one of the park’s most idyllic corners, directly overlooking the eponymous Geyser, Old Faithful.
Despite being more than a century old, the Old Faithful inn combines rustic charms with modern elegance. Known as the “Old House,” the hotel’s main lobby is one of the world’s largest log structures. It is designed with unique ambient furnishings, including extensive stone fireplaces, etched glass panels, and balcony porches that offer breathtaking views of the nearby geyser.
The Old Faithful Inn provides a variety of room and suite options starting at $389 per night. While rooms with a geyser view run with increased nightly rates, all accommodation options provide spectacular comforts and scenic overlooks of the park’s diverse landscapes.
Also featured within the hotel’s premises are a large spacious dining room, an on-site deli, espresso service, and a gift shop. For a guided excursion into the park’s natural surroundings, visitors should head to the hotel’s front desk to reserve their spot as part of one of the many sightseeing tours it offers.
Visitors should note that as Yellowstone’s oldest and most historic hotel, the Old Faithful Inn is also the most popular accommodation option for tourists to the park. As such, booking in advance is absolutely essential. The hotel takes reservations a year in advance.
2. WorldMark West Yellowstone
For those unable to book their spot at the Old Faithful Inn, the WorldMark West Yellowstone offers the next nearest resort-level accommodation to the Old Faithful attraction. Situated only one block from Montana’s West Entrance to Yellowstone, the hotel is about as close to the national park without actually staying in it.
After a day of hiking, climbing, and gallivanting your way through the rugged landscapes of Yellowstone, the luxurious comfort of the WorldMark hotel is more than a welcoming experience. The resort features a massive variety of services and amenities, including on-site game rooms, pools and hot tubs, a basketball court, a fitness center, and a children’s playground.
Additionally, while Yellowstone’s most popular attractions, such as Old Faithful and the mammoth Hot Springs, are only a short excursion into the park away, the World Mark’s resort offers easy access to West Yellowstone’s lesser-known sites and services.
Before venturing into the park, The Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center and the Museum of the Yellowstone are essential stops in town for exploring the history and ecology of the region.
The WorldMark West Yellowstone features a wide selection of room options, all serviced with premier comfort amenities. Rates start at $174 per night for the hotel’s One-Bedroom Condo, but prices vary for more spacious units.
3. Big Sky Resort
Big Sky Resort may be situated about an hour’s drive from Yellowstone’s West Entrance, but this extensive resort also offers guests the most incredible variety of services and amenities throughout their stay in the region and provides an incredibly opulent spot to unwind after a day exploring the depths of the park.
Occupying a breathtaking corner of the Greater Yellowstone Region, the Big Sky Resort is a destination in and of itself. With over 5,850 skiable acres, Big Sky is one of Montana’s premier ski destinations throughout the winter and offers plenty of fun and exciting excursions during the cold season.
However, the resort remains active long after the snow has melted and serves as a fantastic base for launching into Yellowstone National Park and the surrounding communities.
Throughout the summer months, visitors to the resort have access to a new set of amenities, including thousands of acres of hiking trails and even an on-site golf course designed by PGA legend Arnold Palmer.
Thanks to its independent appeal and its convenient location near Yellowstone, it is no wonder that Big Sky Resort is one of the most popular accommodation options in Montana. However, visitors hoping to take advantage of the resort and its luxury should make a reservation before visiting.
4. Under Canvas Yellowstone
Located just outside West Yellowstone and about 10 minutes from the park’s West Entrance, the Under Canvas Resort offers safari-style accommodation in the Great Yellowstone Region and was even voted one of the “Top 20 Resorts in the US — Pacific Northwest & West” by Conde Nast Traveler.
Forgoing traditional hotel rooms for lavish tent-styled accommodations, the Under Canvas experience is truly unique amongst other Resorts in the region. Tent varieties range from a quaint tipi-inspired kids tent to an opulent Suite Tent with a private bathroom, lounge area, and capacity for up to four guests.
By staying at Under Canvas, visitors experience a complete immersion into the spectacular wonders of Yellowstone’s picturesque natural ecosystems. After a day of exploring the park, guests return to their quiet corner of the countryside and relax by a private bonfire as they watch the region’s luminescent stars blink into existence over the night sky.
Under Canvas only operates during the summer months from May until September. Visitors are encouraged to book their rooms in advance to guarantee their reservation.
5. Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel
Named after the nearby hot springs, Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel is another excellent resort-style accommodation in Yellowstone National Park. It is located just inside the premises near the North Entrance.
Initially constructed in 1936, the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel has recently undergone extensive renovations and now offers modern luxury amenities along with its homey lodge stylings.
Along with providing easy access to the Mammoth Hot Springs, the resort also occupies one of the most picturesque corners of Yellowstone, rich with abundant wildlife species. Native elk populations can frequently be spotted grazing in fields outside the hotel. However, it should be noted that these are still wild animals and should not be approached by guests.
Throughout the ship, the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotels offer guests guided tour excursions of popular park attractions, including Old Faithful, Lamar Valley, and Yellowstone’s Grand Canyon. The resort also offers additional services throughout the winter, including snowshoe and ski rentals.
The resort offers many guest rooms, suites, and cabins. However, like the Old Faithful Inn, the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel operates directly out of the park and, as such, experiences a large influx of tourists throughout the year. Therefore, reservations should be made up to a year in advance to guarantee your stay at the resort.
6. Sage Lodge
Located about 35 minutes from Yellowstone North Entrance, the Sage Lodge occupies its own remote corner of the Greater Yellowstone Region and promises plenty of awe-inspiring landscape views and outdoor adventures just outside of the National Park.
In fact, at the Sage Lodge, the adventure never ends. While Yellowstone is guaranteed to provide some fantastic day excursions, the region surrounding the resort is impressive in its own right. Guests will engage in hiking, biking, fly fishing, hunting, and even cross-country skiing within the resort’s premises.
After a day of rigorous physical exertions, there is no better way for visitors staying at the Sage Lodge to unwind than at the resort’s on-site full-service spa. In the evening, guests can enjoy a meal at the resort’s grill restaurant before retreating to the fireside room or the private comforts of their lodgings.
The Sage Lodge offers visitors a wide selection of guestrooms and ranch houses, all of which are serviced with modern and opulent amenities. Staying at the Sage Lodge is one of the best ways to experience the wonders of Yellowstone throughout the year while enjoying only the finest lavishments the region has to offer.
7. 1872 Inn
Operating just outside the park in West Yellowstone, the 1872 Inn is the only adult-only resort servicing the area. It is a fantastic option for visitors traveling without their little ones and offers a combination of quiet respite and a social hot spot.
The 1872 Inn offers all the full-service amenities you would expect from a modern resort hotel, including an extensive fitness center, complimentary WIFI, a continental breakfast, and an on-site business center.
All of the rooms at the 1872 Inn provide a modern boutique design combined with traditional rustic Montana stylings to deliver a unique, authentic stay within the state.
Each room features its own personal fireplace, private bathroom with double shower, personal refrigerator, and a wide range of luxurious editions that include towel warmers and his and hers bath amenities.
After a day of rigorous excursions into the park, there is no better place for visitors to unwind than the on-site sauna at 1872 Inn before retreating to the private comforts of their rooms.
As the only adults-only resort in Yellowstone, the 1872 Inn is popular amongst mature visitors, and reservations should be made in advance
8. The Ridgeline Hotel at Yellowstone
Nestled on the banks of the Yellowstone River in Gardiner, the Ridgeline Hotel at Yellowstone puts guests in the heart of the region’s spectacular natural wonders while remaining within walking distance of popular attractions.
The Roosevelt Arch, Arch Park, and Yellowstone National Park Gateway Garden are all within one mile of the resort’s front door.
While the Ridgeline Hotel offers one of the best access points to Yellowstone, it also serves as one of the most calming destinations to unwind following a day of daring exploration of the park’s most rugged corners.
Guests will unwind at the resort’s on-site spa before engaging in the facility’s numerous entertainment options. Guests can grab a meal at the hotel’s on-site restaurant or enjoy a beverage at the hotel’s restaurant and casino before retreating to the privacy of their cozy private rooms.
Every spacious room at the Ridgeline Hotel in Yellowstone provides luxuriously comfortable amenities, including private refrigerators, microwaves, and flat-screen TVs with premium cable channels.
The hotel is a fantastic setting for basing your trip to Yellowstone and features breathtaking views of the park directly from the edge of the Yellowstone River.
9. Rainbow Ranch Lodge
Situated on the edge of the Big Sky area about 43 miles from Yellowstone’s West Entrance, the Rainbow Ranch Lodge offers one of the region’s most lavish accommodation experiences and combines traditional western rusticism with an air of elevated sophistication.
Featuring an extensive property along the edge of the Gallatin River, the Rainbow Ranch Lodge offers a massive variety of services within its complex.
Facilities featured at the resort-style lodge include the main lodge, the riverside rooms building, the pondside rooms building, a hot tub, a Bridal Spa Cabin, and a barn and gazebo, which commonly play host to weddings.
Also featured within the hotel is the Wild Caddis Restaurant, where visitors can enjoy world-class cuisines that engage fresh, locally grown ingredients. The restaurant is a fantastic spot to enjoy high-class food and wine within the beautiful surroundings of the Greater Yellowstone Region.
The Rainbow Ranch Lodge features four varieties of rooms starting at $225 per night. Reservations should be made before visiting.
10. Lone Mountain Ranch
Another fantastic resort-style accommodation option about 52 Miles from the park’s West Entrance in Montana’s Big Sky area, the Lone Mountain Ranch, has served the Greater Yellowstone Region as a famous launching ground for visitors to the park.
The ranch offers several remarkable excursions into Yellowstone National Park. These include horseback rides through the region’s backcountry, fly fishing across the park’s top angling sites, and guide interpretative hikes led by the lodge’ naturalists.
After guests explore the park, they will return to the Lone Mountain Range, where they can continue to bask in the jaw-dropping natural scenery of the Big Sky Region.
At the resort, visitors can enjoy the facility’s Horn and Cantle Restaurant, luxurious amenities, and even hike to local vantage points overlooking the beautiful countryside and Gallatin River.
11. Grant Village Lodge
Grant Village was built in 1984 and named after Ulysses S. Grant, president when Yellowstone became the world’s first national park in 1872.
It is located near the West Thumb of Yellowstone Lake and features 6 two-story buildings each containing 50 rooms.
The complex features a full-service restaurant, a lakeside restaurant with a casual menu, lounge and gift store. The village is also nearest to Grand Teton National Park.
They also offer guided fishing/sightseeing charter boats as well as rental boats.
Downfalls of this property as this it is a bit dated but the location and nearby activities are hard to beat. If you stay here, just be aware that it’s far from a five-star property. But, you’re at Yellowstone so I doubt you’ll be itching to spend most of the day in your room!
Yellowstone Resorts – Final Thoughts
As one of the top attractions in the American Northwest, Yellowstone National Park is serviced by several nearby accommodation providers, including some of Montana’s most extravagant resorts.
Each stay offers a unique experience, but the following are just some of the best Yellowstone resorts for different kinds of travelers.
- Best Yellowstone Resort for Luxury Services: Big Sky Resort
- Best Resort in Yellowstone National Park: Old Faithful Inn
- Best Adults Only Yellowstone Resort: 1872 Inn
- Best Yellowstone Resort near the West Entrance: WorldMark West Yellowstone
- Best Yellowstone Resort near the North Entrance: The Ridgeline Hotel