22 Best Choices for Where to Stay at Yellowstone National Park in 2024

THINKING ABOUT WHERE TO STAY AT YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK?

We can help! Because we love to visit Yellowstone and have spent some significant time there, we’ve gained some helpful insights on the ins and outs of staying inside the park. One of the biggest decisions when planning a vacation is where to stay. There are so many options for where to stay at Yellowstone National Park, from modern to historic hotels and cabins.

This is why we’ve rounded up our top recommendations, thoroughly researched these lodges and hotels, and have also taken customer reviews into consideration when writing each location’s summary. All in an effort to help you find the perfect place to stay!

Keep in mind there are also lots of great places to stay just outside the park if you can’t find availability inside the park or want more modern amenities. You will find amenities like free Wi-Fi, free breakfast, swimming pools, and gyms with accommodations outside of the park.

Another big factor that will play into where you are staying is how far in advance you are making your reservations. If you are looking for where to stay when visiting Yellowstone National Park a year from now, you will have a lot more options in the park. Accommodations in the park can fill up to 12 months in advance.

If you’re looking for somewhere within the next nine months, you will have to look for a cancellation or stay outside the park. Don’t let this discourage you, though. We have stayed outside the park in West Yellowstone multiple times and always have a great time.

Where to stay at Yellowstone National Park Inside the Park

There are quite a few options for where to stay at Yellowstone National Park. There are over 2,000 hotel rooms available throughout the park, and are open from late spring through fall. If you are visiting during the winter, you will need to stay at the Old Faithful Snow Lodge or Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel.

The best way to cut down on driving time is to stay at one of the central lodges. The most central options are Canyon Lodge, Lake Hotel and Cabins, and Lake Lodge. You can also cut down on driving time by staying at one of the southern hotels like Old Faithful and Grant Village, and then moving north to Mammoth Hot Springs.

The hotels and cabins in the park are going to give you a great location to stay and a national park vibe. The accommodations inside the park may not have some of the services or amenities you are used to. Some of the hotels only have public restrooms, no internet, and no TVs.

Summary of Where to Stay in Yellowstone National Park

Here is a basic breakdown of where to stay when visiting Yellowstone depending on how many days you have in the park –

• Best Central Location: Canyon Lodge and Cabins
• One Day in the Park: Old Faithful Inn or Old Faithful Lodge
• Two Days in the Park: Canyon Lodge and Cabins
• Four Plus Days in the Park: Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel and Canyon Lodge (Split Time 3-1)

Yellowstone National Park Lodging

If you want to stay inside Yellowstone National Park, you will need to make your reservations well in advance or check back often for cancellations. Accommodations can book out a year in advance. If you have the dates of when you are visiting, you should make your accommodations in Yellowstone as soon as you can.

There are nine Yellowstone National Park lodges located throughout the park each offering different room setups and accommodations. The different lodging at Yellowstone National Park ranges from hotel-room style accommodations to private cabins.

In my opinion, the biggest perk of staying inside the park is you will decrease your driving time. Driving in and out of the park can take a lot of time, especially if there are traffic jams due to wildlife. You can visit some of the more popular attractions in the early morning or late in the evening when the crowds are smaller because you will be staying closer to them.

1. Canyon Lodge and Cabins

Canyon Lodge and Cabins is one of the newest properties in the park and has a great central location near the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone as well as Hayden Valley, Norris Basin, and Mount Washburn.

It has five different hotel-style lodges with about 400 guest rooms. This is a great place to check for availability if you’re looking for cancellations because there are so many rooms here. The Canyon Lodge has large suites if you need more beds than the average hotel room.

Canyon Lodge also has 100 cabins available to rent. These are a much more rustic and outdoorsy accommodation option compared to the hotel rooms. If you are looking for cabins in Yellowstone National Park, this is a great place to consider. The cabins have not undergone the recent renovations that the lodge has.

There is a restaurant and cafeteria on site here.

Check Prices Here for Canyon Lodge and Cabins!

2. Grant Village Lodge

The second-largest lodge area in Yellowstone National Park is Grant Village Lodge. There are about 300 guest rooms here within the six hotel-style lodges. It has a great central location near the West Thumb Geyser Basin.

Rooms here do not have televisions or air conditioning. If you want to stay in the park but still have easy access to the Grand Teton National Park, this is your best option.

Check Prices Here for the Grant Village Lodge!

3. Lake Hotel and Cabins

Lake Hotel and Cabins is another great location with hotel room-style accommodations and cabins. This property was built in 1891 and is a national historic landmark. It has beautiful views of Yellowstone Lake and is one of the higher-end hotels in the park.

Check Prices Here for the Lake Hotel and Cabins!

4. Lake Lodge Cabins

The Lake Lodge Cabins have a great outdoorsy feel with great views of Yellowstone Lake. There are 186 cabins here with private bathrooms. This is also considered to have some of the more budget-friendly cabins in Yellowstone. 

This location is a great place to stay when visiting the southern attractions in the park, like the Old Faithful Geyser and the Upper Geyser Basin. It is about a 30-minute drive.

Check Prices Here for the Lake Lodge Cabins!

5. Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel and Cabins

If you are interested in staying in the northern section of the park or are visiting in the winter, Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel and Cabins is the best option. There is a large lodge with hotel room-style accommodations as well as several cabins within walking distance of Mammoth Hot Springs.

If you would like your own private bathroom, a cabin with a hot tub, or a room with a television, you will need to book an upgraded room. Standard rooms have shared bathrooms.

Keep an eye out for the herd of elk that frequently visit the grounds. This location is open throughout the winter.

Check Prices Here for the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel and Cabins!

6. Old Faithful Inn

The Old Faithful Inn is, without doubt, one of the most famous hotels in Yellowstone Park. It is a historic rustic lodge with hotel-room-style accommodations dating back to 1903. This is steps away from the iconic Old Faithful and the Upper Geyser Basin and is a great place to stay when visiting the park whether it’s your first visit or tenth visit.

Inside you will find a restaurant, lounge, and a small gift shop. Some of the rooms do have views of Old Faithful.

Check Prices Here for the Old Faithful Inn!

7. Old Faithful Lodge

If you want to stay in a cabin in Yellowstone National Park but still want to be near the main attractions in the park, the Old Faithful Lodge is a fantastic option. It is also more budget-friendly than the Old Faithful Inn.

It has cabin accommodations just outside Old Faithful. The cabins originate in the 1920s. Some of them do not have their own private bathrooms so be sure to check for that if you want your own bathroom. The Frontier Cabin has its own shower.

This is close to the amenities in the Old Faithful Inn and has a bakery and snack store.

Check Prices Here for the Old Faithful Lodge!

8. Old Faithful Snow Lodge

The Old Faithful Snow Lodge is a beautiful location offering hotel-style accommodations in the main lodge as well as personal cabins. It has a convenient location that is about a 10-minute walk to Old Faithful and the Visitor’s Center.

On the property, there is a full-service dining room as well as grab-and-go meals. This location is open year-round.

Check Prices Here for the Old Faithful Snow Lodge!

9. Roosevelt Lodge

Roosevelt Lodge offers cabin-type accommodations exclusively and is named after President Theodore Roosevelt. Some of the cabins have wood-burning stoves and private bathrooms.

This lodge also offers some unique activities like an Old West Dinner cookout and horseback rides.

Check Prices Here for the Roosevelt Lodge!

Campgrounds at Yellowstone National Park

Another really fun and awesome way to experience Yellowstone is camping in the park. There are lots of different campgrounds in the park. Most of them are open to tent and RV camping.  Yellowstone National Park camping is a great way to save some money on your trip to Yellowstone while still getting the experience of staying in the national park.

Amenities at each of the campgrounds vary from primitive pit toilets to hot showers and laundry facilities. At the Fishing Bridge RV Park, you will have access to full hookups. Some of the other campgrounds do not offer full hookups but do have dump sites.

The most central campgrounds are the Canyon, Madison, and Norris sites. More southern campgrounds are Grant Village, Lewis Lake, and Fishing Bridge. More northern campgrounds are Mammoth and Tower Fall. 

Campgrounds in Yellowstone can book out six months in advance so it is a good idea to make your reservation as soon as you can.

Read More: 12 Best Campgrounds in Yellowstone National Park

If you are interested in camping in Yellowstone but do not have an RV, you can rent one through Outdoorsy, a company connecting RV owners with people wanting to rent an RV. It is like Airbnb but for RVs. We always have a great time when we take our RV to Yellowstone.

👉Look for Rentals on Outdoorsy Here!

Yellowstone Lodging Map

Where to stay at Yellowstone National Park Outside the Park

There are five entrances that you can consider staying just outside of Yellowstone. The most popular entrance to consider when looking for places to stay near Yellowstone National Park in the West Entrance of Yellowstone. This is close to the geyser basins as well as Old Faithful. West Yellowstone also has a number of hotels and private rentals available as well as entertainment and dining options.

Staying outside the park is a great way to save money on accommodations because everything is quite a bit cheaper compared to staying in the park. Accommodations outside the park also have better amenities and there are more restaurants and activities.

The Northern Entrance is up by Mammoth Hot Springs. If you are looking for a quieter side of Yellowstone National Park, this is a great place to stay. It is close to lots of great opportunities for wildlife including Mammoth and Lamar Valley, a common place to see bears, wolves, and bison.

If you are visiting both the Tetons National Park and Yellowstone National Park and do not want to move between the two parks, you will want to stay near the South Entrance. This area has great access to Jackson Hole, Yellowstone National Park, and the Tetons.

Accommodations Near the West Entrance (West Yellowstone)

If you are staying outside of the park, I recommend first looking at West Yellowstone. It is a great place to stay because there are lots of hotels, private rentals, restaurants, and things to do. It is a very cute and charming town that is fun to walk around, and it is just outside the West Entrance to the park.

The road you drive into the park when coming in from the West Entrance also goes right through the middle of the park so it’s a great base for exploring both the northern and southern parts of the park.

Driving Times to Popular Attractions from West Yellowstone:

• Grand Prismatic Spring: 45 minutes
• Old Faithful: 60 minutes
• Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone: 75 minutes
• Mammoth Hot Springs: 80 minutes
• Lamar Valley: 100 minutes

10. Under Canvas Yellowstone

If you want the camping experience, but don’t want to rough it in the park, Under Canvas Yellowstone is an amazing glamping resort 10-minutes from the West Entrance. It is a beautiful property with amazing views of the mountains and hills.

Each canvas tent comes with a shower, toilet, and wood-burning stove. They even have some tent options with a stargazing window. If you are looking for a romantic place to stay, this is a great option.

Check Prices Here for Under Canvas Yellowstone!

11. Kelly Inn West Yellowstone

If you’re wanting to save some money but still want a great place to stay, Kelly Inn West Yellowstone is a fantastic option. It has an indoor pool and is one of the most highly-rated hotels in West Yellowstone.

Kelly Inn has a very central location in West Yellowstone making it easy to stroll the downtown area and walk to restaurants.

Check Prices Here for Kelly Inn West Yellowstone!

12. Explorer Cabins at Yellowstone

The Explorer Cabins at Yellowstone is a beautiful resort-style property with cabins and an indoor pool. The cabins have one or two bedrooms along with a kitchenette.

There is a great outdoor area where you can enjoy the cool summer evenings. Each cabin comes with air conditioning, a flat-screen tv, and cookware.

Check Prices Here for the Explorer Cabins at Yellowstone!

13. Clubhouse Inn West Yellowstone

The Clubhouse Inn is a great midrange budget hotel in the heart of downtown West Yellowstone. It is minutes from excellent dining and the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center.

This Yellowstone hotel has lots of great amenities like air conditioning, free breakfast, and a swimming pool. It is also pet friendly!

There is a really nice outdoor area furnished with a BBQ grill, firepit, and outdoor furniture.

Check Prices Here for the Clubhouse Inn!

14. Holiday Inn West Yellowstone

Another great mid-range budget hotel in West Yellowstone is the Holiday Inn West Yellowstone. There is a large variety of room layouts available.

Features of the Holiday Inn include a casino, an indoor pool, gym, bar, and a restaurant.

Check Prices Here for the Holiday Inn West Yellowstone!

15. Private Rentals in West Yellowstone

If you love staying in private rentals like we do when you are on vacation, the best place to look for them is in West Yellowstone. There are beautiful homes and condos you can rent in West Yellowstone that come with a full kitchen, family room, and multiple bedrooms. We love having the extra space for our kids to play and having the kids in their own bedrooms.

If you are traveling with multiple groups, it is also fun to get to be in the same house together. When splitting the cost up between the multiple groups it can also be more cost-effective compared to staying at a hotel plus you get more space. Depending on where you book, you do miss out on amenities like the swimming pool and hot tub.

If the private rentals in West Yellowstone are full you could look at the short-term rentals in Island Park Idaho. However, keep in mind that Island Park is 30 minutes from West Yellowstone.

Browse Private Rentals in West Yellowstone Here!

Accommodations Near the North Entrance (Gardiner)

The North Entrance is a great place to stay if you’re interested in history, wildlife, and Mammoth Hot Springs. This area would be my second recommendation on places to stay outside of the park after West Yellowstone.

It is quite a long way from the geyser activity that is more south in the park. However, if seeing wildlife is high on your list, this is a great place to stay because of the proximity to Lamar Valley.

This entrance is open year-round.

Driving Times to Popular Attractions from Gardiner:

• Mammoth Hot Springs: 20 minutes
• Lamar Valley: 60 minutes
• Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone: 70 minutes
• Grand Prismatic Spring: 85 minutes
• Old Faithful: 95 minutes

16. Absaroka Lodge

The Absaroka Lodge is a beautiful property is located just outside the north entrance of Yellowstone. It is open year-round and has a lot of amenities not available in the park, like internet and televisions. WiFi is free in public places.

It is about 10 miles away from the park’s north entrance.

Check Prices Here for Absaroka Lodge!

17. Yellowstone Basin Inn

The Yellowstone Basin Inn is a charming quaint bed and breakfast just outside the north entrance in the town of Gardiner. There are 14 rooms here and your stay includes free breakfast.

There are larger rooms that can hold up to six guests. Not all rooms have a private bathroom so make sure to take note of that in your reservation if that is important to you.

Check Prices Here for the Yellowstone Basin Inn!

18. Private Rentals in Gardiner Near the North Entrance

After West Yellowstone, Gardiner is the second most popular entrance to find a private VRBO rental. We love private rentals when we travel because of the full-size kitchen and multiple bedrooms. A lot of the rentals in this area are darling cabins with great amenities like a hot tub, game room, and sitting areas.

Browse Private Rentals in Gardiner Here!

 Accommodations Near the South Entrance

The area outside the South Entrance is a great place to stay if you are wanting to visit Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park. If you want to just stay in one place, this entrance is the best area to stay in however, you will spend a lot more time driving than sightseeing.

There are not a lot of lodging options near the South Entrance, and you will have some extra driving time to see the attractions in Yellowstone.

Driving Times to Popular Attractions from the South Entrance:

• Old Faithful: 45 minutes
• Grand Prismatic Spring: 50 minutes
• Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone: 70 minutes
• Mammoth Hot Springs: 120 minutes
• Lamar Valley: 120 minutes

Keep in mind these driving times are from the South Entrance. Your driving time to the South Entrance will vary depending on where you are staying.

19. Headwaters Lodge and Cabins at Flagg Ranch

This is a beautiful hotel and one of the closest hotels to Yellowstone in the Grand Tetons. There are 92 rooms here with a restaurant onsite.

It is a five minute drive to the South Entrance of Yellowstone and a 30 minute drive to Lake Jackson.

Check Prices Here for the Headwaters Lodge and Cabins!

20. Colter Bay Village

Colter Bay Village has a stunning property in the heart of the Tetons near Oxbow Bend and the Colter Bay Marina. It is 45 minutes from Jackson Hole and a 30 minute drive to the South Entrance of Yellowstone.

There are 46 cabins on-site, varying between one and two-bedroom setups. This is a nice feature for families wanting multiple bedrooms or couples sharing lodging expenses. The property also has lots of great amenities like laundry, a swimming pool, restaurants, and bars.

Check Prices Here for Colter Bay Village

21. Four Seasons Resort in Jackson Hole

If you are just driving up to Yellowstone for a day or two and you would like to stay in Jackson Hole, the Four Seasons Resort is a great option. It is known for its great amenities and beautiful views of the nearby valley or ski resort.

Each room has a seating area and a marble bathroom.

Keep in mind that Jackson is about 90 minutes south of the South Entrance to Yellowstone.

Check Prices Here for the Four Seasons Resort!

Accommodations Near the Northeast Entrance (Cooke City)

The Northeast Entrance to Yellowstone is the closest entrance to Lamar Valley but a very small entrance. It is the least-visited entrance. There are not a lot of services at this entrance, but it is very pretty. If you are wanting a quiet and scenic visit to Yellowstone, this is a great place to stay.

The Beartooth Highway is a beautiful drive to get to the entrance. Cooke City and Silver Gate are the two towns in this area.

While we don’t recommend staying in Cooke City to explore, it can be a good place to spend the night if you are continuing up through Montana on a road trip. The closest hotel to the Northeast Entrance is Silver Gate Lodging.

22. Pine Edge Cabins

The Pine Edge Cabins are about a mile from the northeast entrance so it is a very convenient place to stay if you want to be close to Lamar Valley. This location is unique in that it allows for pets and has a full kitchen. This is awesome because we have found it is much better to take our own meals into the park rather than finding food inside the park.

Check Prices Here for the Pine Edge Cabins!

Staying Near the East Entrance (Cody, Wyoming)

I do not recommend staying near this entrance. Cody, Wyoming is a fun town to stay in but not worth it if Yellowstone is your main interest. It takes about two hours to drive from Cody to Yellowstone. This alone is four hours of driving every day without the driving you will do in the park.

FAQS – Where to Stay at Yellowstone National Park

What part of Yellowstone is best to stay in?

If you are looking to stay at just one place in the park, Canyon Village has the best central location with food amenities. Staying here will overall help decrease your driving time.

If you are open to staying at two different locations, this is the best way to really cut down on your driving time. Yellowstone National Park is huge and driving between points can take up a lot of time. You can stay for a couple of nights at Canyon Village or Mammoth and then a couple more nights around the Old Faithful area.

 Is it better to stay in Yellowstone or outside?

There are pros and cons to staying inside the park and staying in a nearby town. If you stay inside the park, you will have much shorter driving times but accommodations in the park are much more expensive. The accommodations inside the park also have limited amenities and rooms often do not have air conditioning, wifi, or private bathrooms.

If you stay outside the park, you will find accommodations have more amenities like free wifi, swimming pools, and free breakfast. Accommodations outside the park are also less expensive. However, you will have longer driving times going in and out of the park.

Where do I stay if I want to go to Yellowstone National Park?

There are a number of hotels, lodges, and cabins you can stay at inside Yellowstone National Park. There are also towns just outside the entrances where you can stay. West Yellowstone is the most popular place to stay outside the national park.

Where to stay when visiting Yellowstone and Grand Tetons

If you’re visiting Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons, I would recommend staying in two different locations. I would pick a place close to Yellowstone and another place closer to the Tetons and Jackson.

You can take a day trip from one to the other, but you will be limiting yourself to just one day in that national park. The drive is about 90 minutes so it isn’t a drive you want to be making multiple times during a vacation.

During our last visit to Yellowstone and Jackson Hole, we stayed in Yellowstone for four days and then drove down to Jackson and stayed there for three days. We were happy with this schedule and felt like it gave us ample time to see everything in both parks and we limited a ton of driving time. 

How Far in Advance Do I Need to Book Where to stay at Yellowstone National Park?

After you have your travel dates, the next thing you should do is book your accommodations. If you are booking far enough out in advance, you will need to wait for booking systems to open. Accommodations inside the park and the best price/quality hotels quickly sell out up 12 to 13 months in advance. If you are booking outside the park, you won’t be pressed for time as much as inside the park.

Places to stay at Yellowstone National Park are available to book on a 13-month rolling basis. On the fifth of each month, availability is released for the entire month of the next year at midnight (MST). So, on April 5, 2023, you can make reservations for April 2024.

We have found making the reservations for Yellowstone Park hotels online is easier and faster than making the reservation over the phone.

However, if everything is full and you are looking for a cancellation, it is best to call. The best time to start calling for cancellations is about two months before your travel dates. Over the phone, agents can see what is available and cancellations aren’t always immediately posted online. The reservation phone number is 307-344-7311.

Conclusion: Where to Stay at Yellowstone National Park 

We hope you have found this guide helpful in learning about the best places to stay in Yellowstone. Finding out where to stay at Yellowstone National Park can be a daunting task but with a little research, it makes coming to a decision a lot easier. We recommend balancing driving times with how much you want to spend on accommodations. Yellowstone is one of the most popular destinations in the summer so make your reservations as early as you can.

Yellowstone National Park is a perfect place for a family vacation and we hope you have a great time visiting. Be sure to check out our additional Yellowstone resources listed below.

More Yellowstone Resources

21 Best Things to Do in Yellowstone National Park
Hiking to the Grand Prismatic Overlook in Yellowstone National Park
Planning a Roadtrip from Salt Lake City to Yellowstone National Park
10 Best Binoculars for Yellowstone
The Best Time to Visit Yellowstone National Park
17 Best Things to Do in Yellowstone National Park with Kids