Yellowstone National Park is huge, and where to stay in Yellowstone can make a big difference in your experience. In this post, I will guide you through the best areas inside the park and which nearby towns are best depending on the type of traveler you are and what kind of experience you are looking for.
I know not everyone is the same. Some travelers love to stay in the iconic lodges and be centrally located; others would prefer to save money and camp in a wooded, outdoor setting; where others want to be close to all the amenities. Whichever type of visitor you are, there’s an option for you in Yellowstone National Park.
Our first vacation to Yellowstone was a camping trip in mid-September. We loved our Yellowstone experience, but the camping part wasn’t the wisest move with a 1 year old that didn’t want to keep a blanket on him at night.
Ultimately, we packed up our camping gear during that initial trip and booked a room at a hotel in Bozeman. We fell so in love with the city, we sold our house in Denver and moved shortly thereafter.
During the many years of living in Bozeman that followed, we visited Yellowstone regularly and grew to understand the surrounding area and the national park very well.
Each city and area of the park offers something a little different. Let’s dive into the areas and what makes them special, so you can decide where to stay in Yellowstone.
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Best Areas To Stay In and Near Yellowstone
In this guide, I’m going to break up where to stay in Yellowstone by areas in the park and nearby towns. Within each section, I will recommend a hotel, a lodge or camping options depending on what is available.
Let’s get started with my top two picks for towns near Yellowstone to stay in.
West Yellowstone
The town located at the west entrance of Yellowstone is unoriginally called West Yellowstone. It is set up very nicely for tourism and offers many hotel, dining and shopping options. There are multiple tour gruops that operate from here too.
West Yellowstone is one of the best places to base yourself for a Yellowstone vacation. You will be close to amenities and some of the most popular attractions in the national park. You will have close and easy access to Old Faithful and the geyser basin area of Yellowstone.
The other popular spots in the park such as Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone Lake and Grand Canyon of Yellowstone are also convenient from West Yellowstone.
The negatives are that you are far away from Tower Junction and the Lamar Valley which provides the best wildlife watching in the park.
West Yellowstone is best for those looking to have one base for the whole trip with easy access to restaurants, shopping, grocery stores, and attractions. Hotel and camping options available.
I’ve never camped in West Yellowstone, but there are many options in this area. I have heard it is a little easier to get a campsite here than inside the park too. If you are camping, I prefer to be in the park personally, but if you can’t find a campsite available this is a great second choice.
Hotel Recommendations For West Yellowstone
Hotels in West Yellowstone can be on the pricey side, especially during peak season, and are almost as expensive as staying at a lodge in the park.
Reservations for hotels in West Yellowstone are easier to get than the Yellowstone lodges, though, and some come with extra amenities that you might value.
When I look for hotels, I search for hotels and cabins that are the best value for what you get. I want some place nice that isn’t too expensive. I also travel with kids, so I look for hotels that fit families. That is what I’m good at finding, so that’s what you will see below in my hotel recommendations.
Here are some hotels in West Yellowstone:
$$$ Golden Stone Inn – Close to the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center and the entrance to Yellowstone. The spacious rooms include 2 queen beds, a delicious breakfast is included and all the little extras make it a special experience.
$$ Clubhouse Inn – A slightly cheaper option that is right in town and has a pool and hot tub. Continental breakfast is also included.
$$ Explorer Cabins At Yellowstone – Has a pool, outdoor fire pits, individual private cabins, and a kitchenette. Nice room set up for staying with kids too.
Gardiner
The other nearby town where you should consider basing yourself on a trip to Yellowstone would be Gardiner. It is located right outside the north entrance to Yellowstone National Park and has all of the amenities you are looking for when traveling.
Like West Yellowstone, you will find dining options, tours that operate from here, places to rent equipment and a decent selection of hotels.
The positives to staying in Gardiner is that you will be nearby Mammoth Hot Springs, have easy access to wildlife viewing in the Lamar Valley and can end or begin your trip with a drive over the stunning Beartooth Highway.
Gardiner is also conveniently located near Paradise Valley where you have even more hiking options, stunning mountain peaks to admire, and a few hot springs to soak in. You might even see a celebrity or two like John Mayor who lives there.
Additionally, if you are looking to float the Yellowstone River, choose Gardiner for where to stay near Yellowstone.
If your plans are to mostly explore the geysers, Yellowstone Lake or the southern zone of Yellowstone, Gardiner shouldn’t be your top option. As I’ve mentioned before, Yellowstone is big and Gardiner is in the very north.
Pro Tip: If you have more than 4 nights planned for Yellowstone, consider staying a couple of nights in Gardiner and a few in West Yellowstone.
Hotel Recommendations For Gardiner
I find many of the hotel options in the town of Gardiner to be a little subpar. The first option on this list has the best location and is a nice little place right by the river.
If you are okay driving a short distance from Gardiner, I think the other options are a little nicer and additionally offer a unique experience.
$$ Yellowstone Treasure Guesthouses – A spacious apartment in a fantastic location in Gardiner right on the river with a nice patio. The apartment has some nice features such as a washing machine, a kitchen, and a nice bedroom set up for families.
$$ Dreamcatcher Tipi Hotel – Stay at Dreamcatcher Tipi Hotel for a unique experience where you’ll sleep in luxury tipis in a stunning setting. Imagine glamping but Montana style. Note there are communal bathrooms. You will enjoy the breakfast and outdoor fire pit that’s perfect for s’mores.
$$$ Sage Lodge – For a luxury stay, choose Sage Lodge in Pray, Montana. We have only been to the restaurant, but can tell you the food and the views are incredible. The setting is just perfect. Sage Lodge also offers lots of activities like yoga classes and fly fishing and has a friendly staff. Well worth the price!
$$ Chico Hot Springs Resort – For a less expensive option in Pray, Montana, consider Chico Hot Springs. We’ve been to the hot springs and they are relaxing and great for the whole family. The resort is not right next to the entrance, but not too far away either.
Other Nearby Town Considerations
While West Yellowstone and Gardiner are the only nearby towns I would recommend if you want to stay near Yellowstone National Park, there are some other towns that you might read about as options. Here are my thoughts on these towns.
Cooke City – Cooke City is great to stay in Yellowstone in the winter. It is a big hub for snowmobiles. If you are visiting in the summer and when the roads are open, it would be a far drive to get to many of the attractions in Yellowstone. In my opinion, there are other spots that are a little better. Positives are that you are close to the Beartooth Highway and the Lamar Valley.
Cody – Cody is not a terrible option for where to stay on a Yellowstone vacation, but even though it is near the east entrance, you are still quite far from where you want to visit inside the park. You can get a good deal on a hotel though!
Bozeman – Bozeman is a great option for visiting Yellowstone, but it is still quite far to reach. If the whole point of your vacation is to visit Yellowstone National Park, you will spend too much time in your car coming and going from the park. Bozeman is a wonderful place to visit on it’s own.
Livingston – Livingston is a cute western town with an artsy scene. While it is a fun place to visit it is still 1 hour to drive from Livingston to the North Entrance of the park. It is still a bit too far away for a Yellowstone vacation, in my opinion.
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Where To Stay Inside Yellowstone National Park
When you visit Yellowstone, you will notice that there are little areas in the park that serve as tiny villages. Usually you will find a gift shop, small store, a gas station, a restaurant, a visitor center and a lodge. Sometimes there are multiple shops and restaurants. It just depends on the village.
The map above shows you where the villages are located.
I have personally not stayed in any lodges in the park, but I have walked through a few of them. I have spent the night in a couple of the campgrounds, Grant Village and Bridge Bay Campground.
Staying in Yellowstone National Park has many advantages. Since the park is so large, staying near the points of interest makes it easier to visit them and spend less time in the car.
Wildlife is abundant in Yellowstone too, so you may see an elk, deer or bison wandering around your lodge or campground. It is very exciting when this happens.
You might be worried about camping in Yellowstone because of the bears, but the campgrounds are set up very nicely for this. Each campground has a place to store your food or you can just keep it in the trunk of your car. Just don’t bring food into your tent.
In addition, the rangers monitor bear activity diligently, will tell you if there has been bear activity, and what to do if there is.
There are a few differences between the Yellowstone villages, but not too much. I would choose an area that has activities that interest you the most and a lodge or campground that will be comfortable for you.
Mammoth
The Mammoth Hotel is right next to Mammoth Hot Springs in the north side of the park near Gardiner. Mammoth is a pretty built out town because many of the park rangers also live there.
When I think of Mammoth, the first thing that comes to mind is the hot springs of course. The second thing is the many elk that live and wander around in the village. You are guaranteed to see one lounging in the grass in Mammoth.
There is also a campground right next to Mammoth village. Mammoth campground is the only campground that is open year round in Yellowstone National Park. It is nice for small RVs and tents in a quiet setting with some sunny and some shady spots.
It used to be along the main road to the north entrance, but due to the massive flood that happened in 2022, that entrance road is now closed after the campground entrance.
I would imagine it makes the campground a lot quieter with less traffic passing by.
Choose Mammoth if you want to be in the north area of the park, would like some amenities nearby, and love elk.
Tower-Roosevelt
In the Tower-Roosevelt village you will find a rustic, dude ranch like experience at the Roosevelt Lodge.
Tower Fall campground is also right there at Tower Junction. This campground is nice but a little more rustic with only vault toilets and no showers.
Tower Junction is in north Yellowstone and sits between Mammoth Hot Springs and the Lamar Valley. It is great if you want to explore the northern area of the park, are really interested in wildlife viewing and don’t mind staying somewhere a little more rustic.
Canyon Village
In Canyon Village, you will find the newest lodge in Yellowstone National Park. While it’s not the most expensive, it’s close.
I haven’t been inside Canyon Village lodge, but this area of the park is nice for those looking for diverse landscapes. You are close the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone and the Dunraven pass.
There is also a nice campground in Canyon that is in a forest setting with lots of shade.
Lake Village
Yellowstone Lake is a very large lake in Yellowstone National Park. Lake Village is at the very north side of the lake. It is in a fantastic location that is very central to so many amazing places in Yellowstone. I love being by the water too, so that is also a plus.
There are a few lodge and cabin options in Lake Village. Lake Yellowstone Hotel is the oldest hotel in the park and is quite nice. It also holds an upscale dining restaurant.
If you don’t mind a rustic cabin, I would choose the Lake Lodge Cabins where you will find private cabins that have beautiful views of the lake from their porches.
In Lake Village, you will find the only RV park in Yellowstone that was specifically built for large, modern RVs. You can RV camp in many of the other campgrounds, but if you have a large RV, Fishing Bridge RV Park is where you should make a reservation.
Another campground near Lake Village is Bridge Bay Campground. We stayed here before our Shoshone Lake paddling adventure. It is a pretty large campground with a mix of RVs and tents. It was pretty busy and big, but it made it easier to get a reservation than some of the other campgrounds.
I personally liked the atmosphere at the Grant Village Campground a little better, where we stayed on our first vacation to Yellowstone, but the location of Bridge Bay Campground is super convenient.
Grant Village
Grant Village is located at the south side of Yellowstone Lake. You can stay at Grant Village in a lodge that is made up of many different buildings or a campground.
We stayed at Grant Village Campground on our first trip to Yellowstone. I liked the campground’s location best. It was in a nice spot where it was easy to visit Old Faithful, West Thumb Geyser Basin, drive up to the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone and stop at Hayden Valley to view some wildlife.
It was also easy to walk out to the lake for a peaceful view.
Old Faithful Village
The largest of the Yellowstone villages is Old Faithful. In the complex area, you will find 3 places to stay including the iconic Old Faithful Inn that has over 300 rooms.
This hotel is the most beautiful in the park, but also the most expensive. I haven’t stayed in its rooms, but I have been inside the hotel. It’s gorgeous. Even if you aren’t staying there, you should drop in when you are waiting for Old Faithful to erupt.
There are two other places to stay in the Old Faithful area; one being the rustic cabins of the Old Faithful Lodge. These cabins are simple but priced right. They are also high in demand and hard to reserve.
The other lodge is the Old Faithful Snow Lodge, which is a newest addition to the hotels in the Old Faithful area.
More Secluded Camping Options
There are a few other, more secluded options for camping in Yellowstone as well. These aren’t located in a village, so you won’t have access to much, but if you are looking for peace and quiet while you are staying in the park, choose one of these 3 options.
- Lewis Lake Campground – The most southern campground in Yellowstone and rustic. Nice if you want to bring your own boat or kayak and hang out on Lewis Lake.
- Slough Creek Campground – Best campground for wildlife viewing. In the north near Lamar Valley. Rustic. Best for tents and small RVs.
- Backcountry Camping – There are so many campsites in the park that you can get to by foot or by boat. We went backcountry camping at Shoshone Lake, and it was an amazing experience I’ll never forget. It can be a little intimidating to do in bear country, but it is worth it. Backcountry permits can be hard to get, so plan in advance.
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Final Thoughts on Where To Stay In Yellowstone
When planning a Yellowstone vacation, it can be a bit overwhelming to choose where to stay in Yellowstone. In my opinion, stay in these locations for these reasons:
- West Yellowstone or Gardiner if you want to be close to Yellowstone, to explore other nearby areas, access to grocery stores, restaurants and shops, and a hotel with a pool.
- Old Faithful area if you are most interested in the geothermal activity and the iconic sights.
- Lake and Canyon Village to be as central to everything as you can be.
- Tower and Mammoth if seeing wildlife is your top priority!
I hope that helps narrow down your choices, and you have a fantastic time staying in Yellowstone National Park.
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