Where to Stay:

Lodging: With nine lodging facilities offering over 2,000 rooms, accommodations in Yellowstone National Park are plentiful for those wishing to experience the national park in its summertime glory. From the most famous lodging facility in a national park—the Old Faithful Inn—to the ol’ western rustic cabins of Roosevelt Lodge, guests will find an incredible variety of places to bunker down for the night. National park lodges typically aren’t known for their amenities or comforts, so you’re usually paying for location and ambiance. Yellowstone lodges are no different — you may not find any televisions or air conditioners in these rooms, and bathrooms are shared in some hotels. It’s all about the location and historical significance for these options.

Campgrounds: Yellowstone has twelve different campgrounds to choose from — some are located in the popular areas, and some are more off-the-beaten-path. I recommend trying to stay in the middle of the park if you’d like to be in the same campground for your entire trip — Canyon, Madison, and Norris are great options for that. If you don’t mind moving around a little, I recommend spending a few days in the southern part of the park and then a few days up north. Campgrounds at Grant Village, Lewis Lake, Bridge Bay, and Fishing Bridge can be paired with the campgrounds at Mammoth, Indian Creek, Slough Creek, Pebble Creek, or Tower Fall to dramatically cut down on your drive time between sights. All campsites in Yellowstone, whether reservable or first-come, first-served, are extremely competitive. If a reservable site is available, I suggest snagging it immediately! If you plan on trying for a non-reservable site, be aware that most campgrounds fill by 7 or 8 a.m. and you will need to be there much earlier to get in line for the sites that come available.

Ouside the Park: Because there are 5 different entrances, there are many options of outside lodging that are more budget friendly. The only downside to staying outside the park is the hour-ish commute to the entrance each passing day. A positive is many of the surrounding towns have great restaurants, shops and museums to check out during down time.