Guide to Historic Lodges and Cozy Cabins in Yellowstone NP

In Yellowstone National Park, where you lay your head at night, is as much a part of the experience as the geysers, wildlife and breathtaking landscapes that draw millions each year.

Accommodations in Yellowstone offer a diversity of lodging experiences ranging from charmingly rustic log cabins that transport you to the park’s early days to elegant historic hotels where you can watch the sunset paint Yellowstone Lake in hues of amber and gold.

Whether you choose the grand elegance of a 125-year-old landmark, the cozy nostalgia of a cabin among the pines, or simply a peaceful place to rest after a day of exploration, Yellowstone’s historic lodges tell stories of over a century of wilderness hospitality.

Each lodge offers a unique window into America’s first national park, where modern comforts meet the raw beauty of the wild.

Summer Lodges in Yellowstone

Lake Yellowstone Lodge

Last summer, I was fortunate to stay at the beautiful 125-year-old Lake Yellowstone Hotel on Yellowstone Lake, the oldest lodging in the park. Its Colonial Revival design with huge white columns reminds me of the grand old hotels you find on the East Coast.

You can watch the sunset over the lake from the spacious sunroom while live music plays, or you can enjoy the view from the veranda.

The dining room is equally upscale, serving gourmet dishes prepared with food sourced within 500 miles or with sustainable and/or organic ingredients.

Old Faithful Inn

Built in 1903-04, the Old Faithful Inn is an intricate log and stone building and the largest log structure in the world. The huge stone fireplace in the center of its massive lobby makes me wonder: Did they build the fireplace first and then the logs around it, or vice versa?

The 327-room inn features modern rooms with private bathrooms and rustic rooms in the original Old House, some with shared bathrooms down the hall. Book as early as a year ahead, as this is the most popular lodge in the park.

The dining hall is almost as massive as the lobby and also has a stone fireplace. They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner here.

The Inn is close to Old Faithful Geyser, which erupts regularly about every 60-110 minutes. A clock in the Inn’s lobby lets visitors know approximately when the next eruption will be—give or take 10 minutes.

Old Faithful Lodge Cabins

Old Faithful Lodge Cabins were built with logs and stones in the 1920s. They are close to Old Faithful Inn and have great views of the Geyser.

Roosevelt Lodge Cabins

Roosevelt Lodge Cabins, named for President Teddy Roosevelt, who used to camp near here, were built in 1920 and have an Old West vibe.

Lake Lodge Cabins

The Lake Lodge Cabins are rustic cabins that surround a main lodge with rocking chair views of Lake Yellowstone.

Grant Village

Six two-story buildings make up the Grant Village complex, which has two restaurants, a lounge and a gift shop. Each of the 50-room buildings were named for President Ulysses Grant.

Note: There are no elevators at this lodge.

Canyon Lodge & Cabins

With more than 500 guest rooms and cabins, Canyon Lodge & Cabins, near the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, is the largest complex in the park. It is also the largest sustainable lodging in the national parks.

All five new lodges are LEED-certified and feature recycled or renewable materials. For example, the carpet pad is 100 percent pre-consumer recycled content.

In addition, an original mid-century modern building has been converted into a restaurant, lounge and gift shop. The parks are doing a good job of being green.

Winter Lodges in Yellowstone

Though winter can be severe in the park, it’s also a unique winterscape, full of mystery and beauty and plenty of wildlife.

It’s also a lot of fun with winter activities like cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and excursions on the snow coaches.

Although the Yellowstone lodges close down after the summer and early fall, there are two that reopen in mid-December for the winter season:

Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel & Cabins

Renovated in 2019, Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel & Cabins still retains its 1920s ambiance. The hotel and cabins provide a warm welcome in winter from mid-December to early March, but check their site for exact dates every year.

Old Faithful Snow Lodge & Cabins

The Old Faithful Snow Lodge & Cabins is open between mid-December and early March and is only accessible by commercially operated snowcoach or snowmobile. Advance reservations for the snowcoach are required each way and can be booked online at the Yellowstone National Park Lodges site.

If You Go:

Be mindful that lodges in Yellowstone generally have no TV or radio and very limited WiFi and cell service. “This is something we are working on,” said Rick Hoeninghausen, director of marketing and sales for Xanterra Hospitality, the company that runs the parks’ lodging operations. “But we’re not there yet.”

For more information on Yellowstone lodging, visit YellowstoneNationalParkLodges.com

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An award-winning journalist for 33 years, Claudia Carbone is a native of Denver, Colorado where she still lives. Throughout her world travels, she’s come to realize that the places you sleep at night can be just as memorable as places you visit during the day. She’s slept in a treehouse on Orcas Island, a yurt in the Rocky Mountains, and an ice hotel in Quebec. In “Sleepin’ Around – A Hotel and Travel Blog” she reviews any place that has a bed and things to do nearby.

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