Frommer's National Parks of the American West - Don Laine [395]
Custer's Cottage, 156 E. River Rd. S., Medora (☎ 888/385-2574 or 701/623-4378; www.custerscottage.com), is a medium-sized air-conditioned house. Each of the two units has a separate private entrance, a full kitchen, a large living room, cable TV, up to four bedrooms, and laundry facilities. It is open year-round by advance reservation. Prices range from $40 to $105, depending on how many bedrooms are used and length of stay. Credit cards are not accepted for payment but may be used to reserve a room. The cottage is 2 miles from Maah Daah Hey Trail. It is smoke-free.
IN BELFIELD
The Cowboy Inn is west of U.S. 85 on U.S. 10 (☎ 866/901-4245 or 701/575-4245). A double costs $44 to $69; MasterCard and Visa are accepted.
The Trapper's Inn is at I-94 and U.S. 85 North, 15 minutes from Medora (☎ 800/284-1855 or 701/575-4261). Rates range from $70 to $80 double in the peak season; major credit cards (AE, DC, DISC, MC, V) are accepted.
IN BEACH
The 39-unit Buckboard Inn, at I-94 and N. Dak. 16 South (☎ 888/449-3599; fax 701/872-4794, ext. 127), charges $50 for a double during the summer. Major credit cards (AE, DISC, MC, V) are accepted. Pets are welcome.
IN WATFORD CITY
The McKenzie Inn is on U.S. 85 West (☎ 800/842-3989 or 701/444-3980). It has 13 rooms and charges $45 for a double, $36 for a single. Major credit cards (AE, DISC, MC, V) are accepted.
The 50-unit Roosevelt Inn & Suites, on U.S. 85 West (☎ 800/887-9170 or 701/842-3686; www.rooseveltinn.com), has a swimming pool, spa, sauna, and game room. Rates year-round are $49 single, $59 double, $54 to $104 suite. Major credit cards (AE, DC, DISC, MC, V) are accepted. Continental breakfast and facilities for travelers with disabilities are available.
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YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK & LITTLE BIGHORN BATTLEFIELD NATIONAL MONUMENT
by Eric Peterson
YELLOWSTONE HAS SHAPED THE AMERICAN PUBLIC'S DEFINITION OF nature for more than a century, and with good reason: There are more geysers, hot springs, and other thermal features here than on the rest of the planet combined. Then there's the pristine snowmelt cascading into dazzling waterfalls of every description, including one that's twice as high as Niagara Falls. Not to mention a canyon deep and colorful enough to fall into the "grand" category. Best of all, a significant chunk of the park's incredible terrain is reachable by a hiker of just average ability.
Then there's the wildlife: Ever focus your telephoto lens on a wild, untamed grizzly bear? Or a bald eagle? What about a wolf? Thousands of visitors have these experiences here every year.
And the park doesn't appeal solely to the visual senses. By one biologist's estimate, Yellowstone has more than 1,100 species of native plants; when wildflowers cover the meadows in spring, you won't just see them, you'll be overpowered by their fragrance. The mud pots and fumaroles have their own odors, though many are less pleasing than a wild lily. Your ears will fill with the sounds of geysers noisily expelling thousands of gallons of boiling water into the blue Wyoming sky. After sunset, coyotes break the silence of the night with their high-pitched yips.
It's possible to see the highlights of Yellowstone without ever leaving your car—park roads lead past most of the key attractions—but why would you want to? There's so much more to see by actually getting out of your vehicle. And there's even more to see by venturing into the backcountry, something embarked upon by only a small percentage of the park's visitors. You can spend weeks hiking Yellowstone's backcountry or fishing its streams, and the crowds and traffic snarls become faint memories.
Aside from monthlong closures in the fall and spring, Yellowstone's season is year-round.