If you’re looking for somewhere to stay on the north side of Yellowstone, look no further than the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel & Cabins. The historic Mammoth area is your first stop when entering the park from Gardiner, Montana and is a great location to explore the nearby attractions. The hotel features both traditional lodge-style hotel rooms and the Mammoth Frontier Cabins – a little village of cabins behind the main building. Keep reading for everything you need to know to plan a visit to the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel & Cabins.

Mammoth Hot Springs Area

The Mammoth area is a busy center of activity, with the park’s headquarters, a visitor center, historic Fort Yellowstone, restaurants, general store, Federal District Court, and – of course – the hot springs. While it does sound like a hive of activity and it can get a little busy during the day, all that calms down at night and it becomes incredibly peaceful.

One of the great things about staying in the Mammoth Hot Springs area is that you get a head start on seeing the namesake springs before the day visitors arrive. These beautiful white or colored terraces are just a short distance from the hotel and the quarter mile walk to the trailhead can easily be made right from your accommodations without having to search for parking. They’re a must-see stop on my Yellowstone itinerary, so you’ll definitely want to check them out while you’re there.

You can spend some time on the boardwalks looking at the lower terraces and then either continue on foot or hop in the car for the Upper Terraces Loop. If it’s busy when you visit, I’d recommend walking the Upper Terraces loop because there isn’t a ton of parking available if you want to make stops along the way.

Staying in the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel also locates you a short drive from Gardiner, Montana and the famous Roosevelt Arch at this entrance to the park. If you want more dining choices, you can easily head into town for dinner along the scenic 5-mile drive.

This area is also a favorite hangout location for a herd of elk, so there’s a decent chance you’ll see them grazing on the lawns – especially at night. One evening, we began our post-dinner wildlife drive by watching several females grazing right in front of the hotel, and then when we returned, there were even more of them milling around the lawn. We got to watch a baby nursing from its mom, see a male try (and fail) to mate with several of the females, and hear one of them bugling all right there. Note that the elk aren’t potty trained, so keep an eye out as you’ll likely find a decent amount of droppings as you walk around the area.

In addition, the Mammoth hotel features a small gift shop, a ski shop (for the winter), and meeting space. You’ll also find the famous enormous wooden map of the United States that consists of 15 different types of wood. Spend some time trying to figure out which state capital the artist got wrong back in the day for a fun (if you’re a geography nerd like me) game while you’re drinking your coffee or booze.

Mammoth Dining

The Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel area has two dining locations. The Mammoth Dining Room is a casual sit-down restaurant with a hearty menu ranging from sliders to bison steak to trout for lunch and dinner. You can also try various regional beers, wines, and hard ciders. For breakfast, you can enjoy classic American fare of eggs, bacon, pancakes, and the like. Breakfast and lunch are walk-in only, but reservations are available for dinner.

For a quicker, more casual option, the Mammoth Terrace Grill, located in the same building offers your standard burgers and fries-type meals with soups, sides, and drinks (including alcoholic options) for lunch and dinner. For breakfast, egg, cheese, and meat sandwiches, burritos, biscuits and gravy, and pastries are available.

Inside the hotel, the Mammoth Map Room Bar serves up coffee in the morning and beer and wine in the evening for a quick drink.

Mammoth Hot Springs Cabins

The Mammoth Hotel & Cabins offers a few different types of cabin accommodations. Some of the cabins are single and some have a duplex style with parking available right next to the buildings in most cases. Ours had a nice little porch looking out over a grassy field. Note that televisions and air conditioning are not provided. There are heating units in the cabins and towels, toiletries, and bed linens are provided. Pets are allowed for an extra fee.

Mammoth Frontier Cabins

The Mammoth Frontier Cabins are my recommendation for staying here based on the combination of price and convenience. Most include two queen beds. I liked that we had windows on both sides of the room – a rarity in hotels – so there was lots of daylight. The Mammoth Frontier Cabins have a private bathroom included, with a shower, toilet, and sink. The toilet and shower are together behind a separate door, with the sink outside in the main area. This is nice for getting ready in the morning because you can have one person using the sink while another showers. It was simple and basic, but we don’t need a lot of amenities in the rooms when we’re out exploring.

Mammoth cabins without bath

The Mammoth Lodge offers two types of cabins without private bathrooms. You can get a one-bedroom that includes a queen bed or a two-bedroom unit that includes a queen and two double beds. These cabins include a sink in your quarters, but require you to walk outside to a shared bathhouse for toilets and showers like you would in a campground.

Mammoth hot tub cabins

If you want to splurge a little and relax in a hot tub after a long day of hiking, the Mammoth hot tub cabins are for you. They’re a hot commodity as only four are available, but these cabins include a private hot tub that can hold up to 6 people. Like the Mammoth Frontier Cabins, these include a private bathroom with shower, toilet, and sink, but only have one queen bed.

Mammoth Lodge rooms

Though part of the hotel is more than a century old, the guest rooms were recently renovated to include modern amenities and are quite pretty inside.

Mammoth Premium Rooms

The premium rooms feature your typical hotel setup, and come in 1 Queen, 1 King, or 2 Queen varieties. All of the premium rooms include a private bath with a tub/shower, toilet, and sink. Your room will also include a phone, mini refrigerator, and coffee maker. In addition to the bed or beds, you’ll have a nightstand, lamps, and a chair for relaxing.

Mammoth Suites

The suites at Mammoth include a bedroom with two queen beds and a separate living room area with a chair, couch, ottoman, and bar. They’re great if you have people who like to stay up late and ones who want to sleep early in your party. Unlike most of the other accommodations in the park, these rooms also include a tv. In addition, you’ll have a standard hotel bathroom with a tub/shower, toilet, and sink and an in-room coffee maker.

Ready to book your Mammoth Hot Springs lodging?

Head to the official booking site to check availability and make reservations. You’ll want to book your reservations as soon as possible as Mammoth is one of the most popular places to stay in Yellowstone and it will frequently sell out during the summer months. When you book, the first night of your stay will be charged as a deposit and the rest will be due upon check in. If you cancel or change your reservation more than 30 days ahead of your stay, this will be refunded. If you cancel or modify less than 30 days ahead, a $25 fee will be charged. If you cancel on short notice – 7 days for a summer arrival or 14 for winter – the full deposit will be kept.

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