This article describes where to stay or camp in and around Yellowstone National Park along with useful links to other websites for additional accommodation related information.

This article is divided into places to stay within the park and places to stay nearby. Lodging within the park is generally more expensive and books up well in advance, but accommodations outside the park require a bit more driving.

Where to Stay In the Park

Yellowstone National Park has 9 lodging facilities and 12 campgrounds within the park. Many of the park hotels, lodges and cabins were built some time ago and most do not have air conditioning. The Old Faithful Inn is the most historic and impressive looking inside and out while the Old Faithful Snow Lodge is much more modern while still providing a cozy lodge like atmosphere. The Lake Yellowstone Lodge is the most elegant with its bright yellow paint with white trim.

The locations in this article are taken from the Yellowstone National Park Visitor’s Map, which can be used as a point of reference when planning a trip here.

Mammoth Hot Springs Area

The Hot Springs Lower Terrace is within easy walking distance of the hotel and the Upper Terrace scenic drive is only a minute or two up the road. This is the nearest area to the north entrance of Yellowstone National Park and the town of Gardiner, Montana. There is also the Albright Visitor Center, Historic Fort Yellowstone, gas station, general store, post office, park headquarters and first aid station located in this area.

*The Mammoth Hot Springs Terraces in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming.*

Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel & Cabins are open during summer and winter, but closed for a month or two in the spring and fall. Check their website for specific dates as they can change from year to year. A variety of heated, but non-airconditioned rooms are offered. Some rooms provide full baths while some only provide a shower and require the use of a communal bathroom including all of the cabins here. Dining options offered here are the Hotel Dining Room, Terrace Grill and Map Room Bar.

Mammoth Campground is open year-round and offers both RV and tent sites, but no hookups. There are flush toilets, but no showers or dump station available here.

*Bison (Buffalo) mother and calf in Yellowstone National Park.*

Tower / Roosevelt Area

This area is very close to Tower Fall and Blacktail Plateau Drive. There is also a gas station, general store and ranger station located in this area.

Roosevelt Lodge Cabins are open seasonally and offer heated, but non-airconditioned cabins. Both types of cabins here only have a shower and require the use of communal bathrooms and the Roughrider Cabins relay on a wood burning stove for heat. The dining option here is the Lodge Dining Room.

Tower Fall Campground is open seasonally and offers both RV and tent sites, but no hookups. There are vault toilets, but no showers or dump station available here.

Lamar Valley Area

This is one of the best and most reliable areas to spot herds of bison (buffalo), pronghorn, goats and, if you’re lucky, a coyote or a mother bear and two cubs playing in a tree. This is the nearest area to the northeast entrance to Yellowstone National Park and the towns of Silver Gate and Cooke City, Montana.

*A herd of Bison roaming through the Lamar Valley of Yellowstone National Park.*

Slough Creek Campground is open seasonally and offers both RV and tent sites, but no hookups. There are vault toilets, but no showers or dump station available here.

Pebble Creek Campground is open seasonally and offers both RV and tent sites, but no hookups. There are vault toilets, but no showers or dump station available here.

Norris Area

This area is very close to the Norris Geyser Basin, Monument Geyser Basin and the Artists Paintpots. There is also a Museum and Information Station and Museum of the National Park Ranger located in this area.

*View from above the Artists Paintpots in Yellowstone National Park.*

Norris Campground is open seasonally and offers both RV and tent sites, but no hookups. There are flush toilets, but no showers or dump station available here.

Madison Area

This area is very close to Fire Hole Canyon Drive, Firehole Falls and Gibbon Falls. This is the nearest area to the west entrance of Yellowstone National Park and the town of West Yellowstone, Montana.

Madison Campground is open seasonally and offers both RV and tent sites, but no hookups. There are flush toilets and a dump station, but no showers available here.

Canyon Village Area

This area is very close to the famous Upper and Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River and is the most centrally located area in the park. There is a Visitor Education Center and gas station located here.

*Upper Falls of the Yellowstone River in Yellowstone National Park.*

Canyon Lodge & Cabins are open seasonally and offers a variety of heated, but non-airconditioned rooms and cabins. All rooms and cabins here provide full baths except for the Standard Room, which only provides a shower and requires the use of a communal bathroom. Dining options here are the Lodge Eatery, Falls Cafe, Lodge Ice Creamery and Washburn Lookout.

Canyon Campground is opened seasonally and offers both RV and tent sites, but no hookups. There are flush toilets, hot showers and a dump station available here.

Yellowstone Lake / Fishing Bridge Area

This is the nearest area to the east entrance of Yellowstone National Park and provides access to Yellowstone Lake boating activities. There is also a Museum and Visitor Center, gas station, general store, ranger station, first aid station and boat ramp located in this area.

Lake Yellowstone Hotel & Cabins is open seasonally and offer a variety of heated, but non-airconditioned rooms and cabins. Some rooms offer full baths while some only provide a shower and require the use of a communal bathroom including all of the cabins here. Dining options here are the Hotel Deli and the Hotel Dining Room.

*Early September snowstorm at Yellowstone Lake Lodge.*

Lake Lodge Cabins are open seasonally and offer heated, but non-air conditioned cabins. The Western Cabins have a full bath while the Frontier Cabins only have a shower and require the use of communal bathrooms. The dining option offered here is Wylie’s Canteen.

Fishing Bridge RV Park is opened seasonally and offers only RV sites with electric only hookups. There are flush toilets, hot showers and a dump station available here.

Bridge Bay Campground is opened seasonally and offers both RV and tent sites, but no hookups. There are flush toilets and a dump station, but no showers available here.

Old Faithful Area

All three lodging options in this area are within easy walking distance of each other so you can, for example, easily dine at the Snow Lodge while staying at Old Faithful Inn. All lodging options here are within easy walking distance of the Old Faithful Geyser and the Upper Geyser Basin. The Black Sand Basin and Biscuit Basin are just a short drive away. There is also a Visitor Education Center, gas station, general store, ranger station and first aid station located in this area.

Old Faithful Inn is opened seasonally and offers a variety of heated, but non-airconditioned rooms. Some rooms have a full bath while others only provide a shower or require the use of communal bathrooms. Dining options offered here are the rustic Dining Room, the Cafeteria & Bake Shop and the Bear Paw Deli.

Old Faithful Lodge Cabins are open seasonally and offers heated, but non-airconditioned cabins that utilize communal bathrooms. The Frontier Cabins do have a shower, but the other cabins must utilize the communal showers.

Old Faithful Snow Lodge & Cabins are open during summer and winter, but closed for a month or two in the spring and fall. Check their website for specific dates as they can change from year to year. All accommodations here are heated, but not air conditioned. Both the Deluxe Lodge Room and the Western Cabins have full baths, but the Frontier Cabins only have a shower and require the use of communal bathrooms. Dining options offered here are the Obsidian Dining Room and the Geyser Grill.

Grant Village / West Thumb Area

This is the nearest area to the south entrance of Yellowstone National park and the Grand Tetons National Park. There is also a Visitor Center, gas station, general store, post office and boat ramp in this area.

Grant Village Lodge is opened seasonally and offers heated, but non-airconditioned rooms with in-room showers and communal bathrooms. Dining options offered here are the Grand Village Dining Room and Grant Village Lake House Restaurant.

Grant Village Campground is opened seasonally and offers both RV and tent sites, but no hookups. There are flush toilets, hot showers and a dump station available here.

Lewis Lake Campground is opened seasonally and offers both RV and tent sites, but no hookups. There are vault toilets and a dump station, but no showers available here.

Where to Stay Nearby

Yellowstone National Park is massive at 2.2 million acres so if visitors are not staying in the park they are staying in one of the following areas just outside the park.

West Yellowstone Area and the West Entrance

West Yellowstone, located in Montana at the Junction of Highway 20 and Highway 191, is exactly what you might think of when imagining a western frontier town. It is located right at the west entrance to Yellowstone National Park and is home to a number of banks with ATMs, stores, restaurants, outfitters, tour operators and, of course, various types of accommodations from cheaper motels to upscale hotels and inns to home rentals through companies like AirBnB and VRBO. There are also several campgrounds and RV parks located in and around town.

*Some of the store fronts in West Yellowstone.*

Gardiner Area and the North Entrance

Gartner, located along Highway 89 in Montana, is just under 15 minutes from Mammoth Hot Springs and the north entrance to Yellowstone National Park. It is home to a number of banks with ATMs, stores, restaurants, outfitters, tour operators and, of course, various types of accommodations from cheaper motels to upscale hotels and inns to home rentals through companies like AirBnB and VRBO. There are also several campgrounds and RV parks located in and around town.

Silver Gate, Cooke City and the Northeast Entrance

Silver Gate and Cooke City, located along Highway 212 in Montana, are the two towns located nearest to the northeast entrance of Yellowstone National Park. Although both towns are under 10 minutes from the northeast entrance this area is somewhat remote to the rest of the park and therefore does not see the same amount of visitors as West Yellowstone or Gardiner. There are a number of cabins, lodges, inns and ranches in this area as well as a few RV parks and campgrounds.

Additional Resources

Yellowstone National Park Lodges operates all 9 lodges and 5 of the campgrounds within the park. They are Old Faithful Inn, Old Faithful Lodge Cabins, Old Faithful Snow Lodge & Cabins, Canyon Lodge & Cabins, Lake Lodge Cabins, Lake Yellowstone Hotel & Cabins, Grant Village Lodge, Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel & Cabins, Roosevelt Lodge Cabins, Fishing Bridge RV Park, Bridge Bay Campground, Canyon Campground, Madison Campground and Grant Campground.

In addition to operating the lodges and campgrounds they also offer a variety of experiences at many of their locations such as horseback rides, western cookout, wildlife excursions, boat tours and more.

Recreation.gov provides online booking services for Indian Creek Campground, Lewis Lake Campground, Mammoth Campground and Slough Creek Campground as well as backcountry camping permits, fishing permits and snowmobile permits.

Destination Yellowstone has lots of great information including places to stay near Yellowstone National Park.

Visit Montana is the official state visitor guide and has lots of great information including places to stay near Yellowstone National Park.

DestinationsWhere to Stay or Camp in and Around Yellowstone National Park