Established in 1872, Yellowstone is America's first national park. It is widely known for Old Faithful geyser and wildlife: grizzly bears, wolves, bison and elk. According to the National Park Service, Yellowstone has about 60 percent of the world's geysers. You can do a lot of outdoor activities in Yellowstone, such as hiking, horseback riding, cross-country skiing, and a variety of ranger-led programs.
You can find lodging in Yellowstone and in nearby cities. You can stay in an inn, lodge, cabin, campground, RV park or hotel in the park. Or you can stay in Gardiner, West Yellowstone, Silver Gate/Cook City and East Yellowstone-Wapiti Valley. These cities are all within five miles of the park.
Decide whether you prefer the privacy and comfort of indoor housing or the chance to commune with nature at a campground? There are many options to suit your preferences and your budget. Hotels, lodges and cabins in the park usually offer private showers or full bathrooms, but there are exceptions. Pay showers are available at all Yellowstone campgrounds except the Madison campground. If you are staying in the park with a housebroken pet, a cabin is the only option for you and the animal.
You can book other types of lodging in nearby cities: bed and breakfasts, motels, vacation homes, condos and guest ranches. Television and Internet hook-ups are not available in the park, so if you want access to them you probably should stay in a nearby city.
Choose lodging near an area of Yellowstone that piques your interest. There are many natural and historic attractions in addition to Old Faithful. These include the Old Faithful Inn, the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, the Mammoth Hot Springs and the Norris Geyser Basin Museum.
Make a list of your top lodging choices. Have more than one area in mind because your first choice of accommodation might be full or closed for the season.
Make your reservation after weighing all of options. Reserving a room over the telephone will enable to get answers to all your questions before making a final decision. Take down the name of the person who makes your reservation. If anything goes wrong upon arrival, you may be in a better position to negotiate and receive what you were promised.
Use a GPS (global positioning system) device, traditional paper maps, or a web-based map tool to guide you to your lodging.
