If you’re wondering where to stay in Yellowstone National Park, look no further than this guide. It features information on all nine hotels inside Yellowstone so that you can plan the perfect visit. From rustic cabins to the iconic lobby of the Old Faithful Inn, you’ll find several great options for lodging.

The best place to stay in Yellowstone varies greatly depending on your itinerary – check out mine here! –  and what you want to prioritize. Because the park is so large, I tend to prefer to move around a bit during my stay so I don’t have to spend a lot of time backtracking to my home base every night, which can easily end up adding a couple hours of driving every day. Plus, you get to check out various places to stay in Yellowstone while you’re there.

Old Faithful area hotels

Based on my visits, the Old Faithful area is hands down the best place to stay in Yellowstone. With three hotels to choose from, multiple restaurants, and other services, you’re much less limited for food options than in other parts of the park and it’s home to the most famous Yellowstone National Park lodging. Plus, you have the opportunity to watch the famous geyser eruptions first thing in the morning or at night after the day crowds leave. It’s truly a magical sight when you get to enjoy it in peace.

Old Faithful Inn

The Old Faithful Inn is the most iconic of all the legendary inns and lodges in US national parks. Designated a National Historic Landmark, it was built in 1904 from local logs and stone, and still retains its old-world charm. Over seven floors high, it is the largest log structure in the world. Centerpieces include a massive stone fireplace and a hand-made copper, wood, and iron clock in the lobby. The stairs to the upper floors of the lobby tower are blocked off due to safety concerns, but you can still climb up to the second and third floor mezzanine levels and look down over the enormous lobby and fireplace.

You can also peer into the dining room from the second floor. With its high beamed log ceiling and huge rustic iron chandelier, the Old Faithful Dining Room is also not to be missed. Also, be sure to go out to the second-floor balcony, where you can see Old Faithful erupt from the comfort of the inn, with cocktail in hand!

There are more than 300 rooms in the inn spread over three main buildings, and many of them have views of the geyser basin and Old Faithful. Suites (with a separate bedroom) and junior suites (one room with a separate sitting area) have two queen beds and bathtubs. The East Wing Premium Hotel Rooms have no views, but the East Wing Superior Hotel Rooms face the geyser basin (though views may be obstructed by trees). The West Wing Premium Hotel Rooms also face the geyser basin (though a parking lot is within view and trees may obstruct the view), while the West Wing Standard Hotel Rooms have no views and are accessible by stairs only. The Old House Standard Rooms With Bath are simple rooms with a historic feel and the Old House Rooms Without Bath are basic historic rooms with shared bathrooms.

Accessible rooms are also available on the first floor. There are no TVs, radios or AC in any of the rooms. No matter which room you choose, to stay at the Old Faithful Inn is to step back in time to the classic era of national parks lodges and inns and is the perfect way to round out your Yellowstone vacation.

By James Ian from Parks Collecting

Rooms at the Old Faithful Inn range from $184-486 per night.

Old Faithful Lodge

Not to be confused with the similarly named Inn in the section above, the Old Faithful Lodge is a less elaborate though much more affordable option. When searching for where to stay in Yellowstone, we opted not to pay for the more expensive rooms at the Inn, and the rustic cabins nearby were the perfect alternative. There are no hotel-style rooms at this lodge, but the cabins themselves are just steps away from the Old Faithful viewing area. Heading out to watch it erupt under the light of a full moon late at night was one of my Yellowstone highlights.

The lodge offers Frontier Cabins and Cabins Without Bath. The Frontier Cabins have a double bed or a double and a twin and include a private bathroom. The appropriately named Cabins Without Bath don’t have a full bath. Instead, you’ll have a sink in your cabin and use a shared bath house nearby. The cabins are small and without frills, but were perfect for our stay.

Inside the Old Faithful Lodge lobby, you’ll find impressive wooden beams and a stone fireplace that evoke the style of the Old Faithful Lodge, but on a smaller scale. There is also a small gift shop, a cafeteria serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and a coffee counter.

Rooms at the Old Faithful Lodge range from $110-183 per night.

Old Faithful Snow Lodge

The Old Faithful Snow Lodge is the newest of the park’s hotels, though it was intentionally built to blend in with the other national park buildings in the Old Faithful area. This lodge features both cabins and hotel style rooms, including accessible rooms. Inside the lodge, you’ll find a table service restaurant, counter service restaurant, and a gift shop. It’s one of only two hotels open during the winter season and you can enjoy ski and snowshoe rentals, daily trips to popular areas of the park, and a free outdoor skating rink.

Guests here can choose between Lodge Rooms in the main building with full bathrooms and either one king or two queen beds. Western Cabins have two queen beds and a full bathroom. Frontier Cabins are duplex-style cabins with a full bathroom and either one or two double beds.

Rooms at the Old Faithful Snow Lodge range from $139-348 per night.

Lake Village hotels

The Lake Village area also boasts multiple options for Yellowstone lodging. Located on the shores of Yellowstone Lake, this area is quiet and peaceful. It’s ideal for visitors who want to relax a little, fish, boat, and look for wildlife during their stay.

Lake Yellowstone Hotel & Cabins

Located right on the shores of Yellowstone Lake, the Lake Yellowstone Hotel is a beautiful place to stay and should be at the top of your list for your next trip to the park. The building is impressive with its large, white columns and colonial architecture. It was named as a National Historic Landmark in 2015 and is a favorite among tourists visiting the area.

The interior is grand and luxurious with beautiful furnishings and spacious rooms. You can either chose the stay in the main building or the Lake Cottages which sit nearby. However, keep in mind that none of the rooms at the Lake Yellowstone Hotel have air conditioning which means they can get quite warm in the summer months. If you’re after a luxurious experience you should stay in the Presidential Suite which has three bedrooms and two bathrooms. The views are incredible and, of course, you’ll have a private living room with its own small bar.

While there is internet at the hotel, television or radios are unfortunately not available. If you’re looking for more affordable options have a look at the hotel suites which also have fantastic views but are a bit smaller. The hotel offers breakfast and has a full restaurant so all your needs will be cared for.

By Victoria from Guide Your Travel

Rooms at the Lake Yellowstone Hotel range from $231-763 per night.

Lake Lodge

This all-cabin property is one of the most affordable places to stay in Yellowstone. With a beautiful wooden beamed lobby and a front porch looking out across Yellowstone Lake, it’s the perfect place to relax and unwind. The hotel has its own cafeteria style restaurant serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner, or you can take a short walk (or drive) to the neighboring Lake Yellowstone Hotel for table service dining.

From the Lake Lodge area, you can easily get to the famous Hayden Valley for wildlife spotting first thing in the morning or spend your day boating on Yellowstone Lake. You’re also an easy drive from the Canyon area, which is a must-see.

The Lake Lodge offers three types of cabins, each of which includes private bathrooms inside the cabin. The Western Cabins are slightly more luxurious and are built in motel-style rows, whereas the Frontier Cabins and Pioneer Cabins are slightly more rustic.

Rooms at the Lake Lodge range from $170-265 per night.

Other places to stay in Yellowstone

The rest of the lodging is not clustered the way the Old Faithful and Lake Village areas are. Each of these other areas has dining and other services on site, so you’ll have food and amenities right there as well.

Canyon Lodge & Cabins

In 2017, we made a return trip to Yellowstone National Park. Our first time there, we stayed at a campground in West Yellowstone, MT. It was very nice, but we felt that the 14-mile drive just to get to the Yellowstone Loop Road (and then back again) used a lot of time each day. For our return trip, we booked a room at the national park’s Canyon Lodge.

The park loop roads are laid out in the shape of a digital number 8, and Canyon is ideally situated at the east end of the center axis of the “8”. The location is great for quick access to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Tower, and Norris Geyser basin areas of the park. Because it’s positioned at the meeting point of an east-west road and a north-south road, it’s a perfect place to book your stay in the park.

The Canyon lodge area offers lodge rooms and cabins, but it has much, much more. The complex has a campground, an ice cream shop, 4 restaurants (2-quick service, one cafeteria-style, and one sit-down), a large gift shop, a gas station, a visitor center, a post office, and a ranger station. The entire village has a much more modern vibe than the other facilities in the park while still providing the National Park feel and the services you’ll need during your time there.

We’ve stayed in renovated lodges in other National Parks, and while the experience is interesting and the architecture is amazing, for me, I love the newness and the conveniences that come along with Canyon lodging like additional outlets and USB ports. I also love the availability of multiple restaurants and shops at Canyon, as well as its ideal location in the park. It’s definitely where I’ll book my next stay in Yellowstone!

By my mom!

Rooms at the Canyon Lodge range from $230-476 per night.

Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel & Cabins

Located in the northwestern part of Yellowstone, the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel gives you a chance to stay near the uniquely beautiful Mammoth terraces. This area of the park is a center of activity with traffic entering from Gardiner, Montana, a visitor center, post office, museum, service station, and more so staying here gives you the advantage of beating the crowds in the morning or evening. It’s also one of only two hotels that is open during the winter season and daily tours to popular parts of the park are offered when park roads are closed to vehicles.

The Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel has two dining options. The Mammoth Terrace Grill is a counter-service restaurant serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The Mammoth Dining Room is a casual table-service restaurant serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner with regional beers, wines, ciders, and a hearty menu.

This Yellowstone lodging offers hotel-style rooms and suites in the renovated historic lodge buildings and three types of cabins. The Frontier Cabins have two queen beds and a full private bathroom. The Cabins Without Bath can have one bedroom with just a queen or two bedrooms with a queen and two doubles. You’ll get a sink in your cabin, but use communal toilets and showers in a bathhouse. There are also a limited number of Hot Tub Cabins which provide you with your own private outdoor hot tub if you want to relax after hitting the hiking trails.

Rooms at the Mammoth Hotel & Cabins range from $118-329 per night.

Roosevelt Hotel & Cabins

If you are looking to connect to nature and a simpler time, then staying at Roosevelt Lodge & Cabins in Yellowstone National Park will be your ideal accommodation. Built in 1920, the rustic lodge and cabins blend effortlessly into the landscape and make a fantastic launching spot for all of your Yellowstone adventures. 

You can choose from “Frontier” or “Roughrider” cabins. Roughrider cabins are for those who like the idea of camping but really prefer a bed. They are small one-room cabins with wood burning stoves. Showers and bathrooms are communal. Frontier cabins offer larger rooms with double beds and private bathrooms. However, there are no televisions or air conditioning available (like all park lodging).

Several guided adventures are offered through the Lodge. For those who love horseback riding, you can take one or two hour gentle guided rides and explore different sections of the park, including Cascade Canyon or Lost Canyon, Lost Creek and Pleasant Valley. If you prefer something less taxing, you can take a one hour Stagecoach ride where you will also learn the history of this once very important form of transportation. If you prefer going on your own adventures, consider hiking just over an hour to the beautiful Tower Falls.

At the end of the day, two of the best reasons to stay at the Roosevelt lodge are waiting for you – rocking chairs on the front stoop and cook outs! Bring your cowboy boots and stories, this idyllic escape is just what you are looking for.

By Nicole from Go Far Grow Close

Rooms at the Roosevelt Lodge range from $109-173 per night.

Grant Village

Located in the southern part of Yellowstone, Grant Village is one of the newest lodging options. Its position in the West Thumb area of Yellowstone Lake gives it excellent access for boating and fishing as well as some of the most scenic dining available in the park. It’s also the best place to stay in Yellowstone if you want to explore Grand Teton National Park to the south as well. The hotel offers two table-service restaurants, with one of them located at a former marina right along the water. Don’t miss a meal here during your stay!

This lodge does not have cabins and only has hotel-style rooms in the six two-story buildings  on site. Guest rooms were remodeled in 2015 and have a more modern feel than many others in the park. They include two double beds, a full bathroom with either a shower or tub, and an in-room refrigerator. Accessible rooms with one queen bed are also available.

Rooms at Grant Village are $291 per night.

How to choose where to stay in Yellowstone National Park

Now that you’ve read about all the options for where to stay in Yellowstone, you can pick and choose what suits your needs. I highly recommend looking at a map and sketching out a rough plan for yourself. You can then base your Yellowstone lodging choices on your itinerary. This will help you choose the best places to stay based on what you want to see and how much you want to drive.

Traveling between areas of the park can easily take upwards of an hour even before you factor in traffic – both tourists and bison have been known to cause lengthy traffic jams. I like to move around from one hotel to another to minimize backtracking, but this is a lot more practical for me traveling with only one other adult that it may be for families or visitors with special needs.

Availability is also a huge factor in booking your reservation. Places to stay inside Yellowstone fill up incredibly fast, so if you’re not planning far in advance, your trip may end up being shaped by what’s currently available. We ran into the same problem booking our road trip only a month ahead of time, and I ended up reversing our itinerary and hitting the sights in the opposite order of what we had planned to work around hotel availability where we wanted to stay. It worked out perfectly, but it’s important to be flexible.

Price is also a factor when choosing where to stay in Yellowstone. Room rates vary widely, and it’s always advisable to price out different hotels. It also doesn’t hurt to keep checking back. When booking our stay at Mammoth, I originally had to take a room reservation because that’s all that was available, but the day after booking, I checked the website again and a cheaper cabin had opened up so I called the reservation line and switched it.

Note that the prices listed here were provided by the hotel management company for the 2021 season. Ranges may not reflect the very limited number of suites which are substantially more expensive.

Tips for booking Yellowstone resorts

Because the park is more popular than ever, summer season reservations get booked up incredibly early so make yours as soon as possible to ensure you get the dates and locations you want. Reservations can be made online here. The booking site has a great flexible dates feature that allows you to see all availability across the park for a month at a time, which is great for trying to find lodging during busier seasons.

Note that there is a one-night deposit required at the time of booking. It’s refundable unless you cancel less than 30 days before your reservation. At that point a $25 fee is charged. If you cancel less than 7 days ahead of time, the whole deposit is forfeited.

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