Yellowstone
Where to stay in Yellowstone: the park lodges and the gateway towns
Yellowstone is vast, and you can easily spend two hours driving between sights. Where you stay decides how much of the park you see. Here are the hotels inside the park, the towns by the entrances and which option suits your trip.
It is half past six in the morning, and the car park at Old Faithful is almost empty. Steam drifts from the ground, and a bison stands motionless beside the path. In three hours there will be hundreds of people here, but right now you have the geyser almost to yourself. That is the biggest advantage of staying inside Yellowstone: you are there before everyone else.
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Short answer: where should you stay?
Spend at least one or two nights inside the park, ideally at Old Faithful or Yellowstone Lake. For the rest of the trip, stay in West Yellowstone or Gardiner, where there are more hotels and lower prices. Book early: the lodges inside the park open for reservations 13 months ahead.
Our three top picks
Inside the park: Old Faithful Inn. See rooms at Old Faithful Inn
By the west entrance: Explorer Cabins in West Yellowstone. See rooms at Explorer Cabins
Quiet luxury north of the park: Sage Lodge in Paradise Valley. See rooms at Sage Lodge
Inside the park: the lodges
There are nine places to stay inside Yellowstone, all run by the park concessioner. Most open from May to October, and only two stay open in winter. Rooms are simple for the price, but the location is unbeatable.
Old Faithful Inn: the log hotel by the geyser
The historic hotel with its vast lobby of timber and stone is a few minutes’ walk from Old Faithful. It opens from early May to mid-October.
Book your stay: See rooms at Old Faithful Inn
Lake Yellowstone Hotel: by the water
A bright yellow hotel with columns on the shore of Yellowstone Lake, with a restaurant and mountain views.
Book your stay: See rooms at Lake Yellowstone Hotel
Mammoth Hot Springs: near the north entrance
Cabins and hotel rooms beside the limestone terraces at Mammoth, one of the few places in the park also open in winter.
Book your stay: See rooms at Mammoth Hot Springs
The view from Lake Yellowstone Hotel.
West Yellowstone: best for the geysers
The small town by the west entrance has the most hotels, restaurants and shops. From here it is around an hour’s drive to Old Faithful and the main geyser basins.
Explorer Cabins at Yellowstone: cabins in town
Modern cabins with an indoor pool, a short drive from the west entrance.
Book your stay: See rooms at Explorer Cabins at Yellowstone
Gray Wolf Inn & Suites: affordable and family-friendly
A simple hotel with an indoor pool in the middle of West Yellowstone.
Book your stay: See rooms at Gray Wolf Inn & Suites
Gardiner and Paradise Valley: for the wildlife
The north entrance at Gardiner is the only one open all year, and it is the shortest route to the Lamar Valley, your best chance of seeing wolves and bison. A little further north lies Paradise Valley, a broad valley along the Yellowstone River.
Yellowstone Gateway Inn: right by the north entrance
Simple apartments with kitchens, within walking distance of the north entrance in Gardiner.
Book your stay: See rooms at Yellowstone Gateway Inn
Sage Lodge: quiet luxury in Paradise Valley
An elegant hotel with two restaurants at the foot of the mountains, around half an hour north of the park.
Book your stay: See rooms at Sage Lodge
The south entrance: Grand Teton and Jackson
Coming from the south, you can stay in Jackson Hole and combine Yellowstone with Grand Teton. Read more in our guide to Grand Teton and Jackson Hole.
When should you book?
13 months ahead: The lodges inside the park open for reservations on a rolling basis, and the most popular dates go quickly.
Check again closer to the date: Cancellations happen, especially in the final weeks.
Hotels outside the park: Book around six months before a summer trip.
Frequently asked questions about where to stay in Yellowstone
Is it better to stay inside or outside Yellowstone?
Inside the park you save time and see it early and late in the day. Outside there is more choice and often lower prices.
When do Yellowstone lodge reservations open?
The lodges inside the park take reservations up to 13 months ahead.
Which town near Yellowstone is best to stay in?
West Yellowstone is most practical for the geysers, and Gardiner is best for the wildlife in the north.
Are Yellowstone hotels open in winter?
Only two of the lodges inside the park open in winter: Old Faithful Snow Lodge and Mammoth Hot Springs.