Frommer's National Parks of the American West - Don Laine [416]
TOWER-ROOSEVELT AREA
This complex is a cheerful throwback to the early days of car camping in Yellowstone: no big complex of shops and services, not a lot of amenities. It's small, out of the way, and less crowded than other areas, which is worth a lot. Hiking trails and the beautiful corridor of the Lamar Valley and River that runs to the northeast entrance are nearby.
Roosevelt Lodge Cabins
P.O. Box 165, Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190. ☎ 307/344-7311. Fax 307/344-7456. www.travelyellowstone.com. 80 cabins, 14 with private bathroom. $57–$100 cabin. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Closed early Sept to June.
This is the park's family hideaway, a low-key operation with primitive cabins and a lodge restaurant that's more like a big ranch house. It's a good choice for budget-conscious, outdoor types interested in exploring the northeast part of Yellowstone. The bare-bones cabins, Roughriders, are furnished with two simple beds, a writing table, and a wood stove. Frontier cabins are slightly higher quality. The lodge, which contains a dining area and a small lounge, is a rugged but charming stone edifice with a long, deep porch outfitted with rockers for relaxing. Stagecoach rides, horseback trips, and Western trail cookouts give this place a cowboy flavor that many enjoy, and it's a less hectic scene than other park villages.
LAKE VILLAGE AREA
This resort along the lake is reminiscent of a less hurried era. The location puts you near the lake's recreational opportunities and hiking trails, and you'll find accommodations in a historic hotel as well as motel and cabin units and nearby lakeside camping sites. The food at the hotel is as good as any in the park, and lower-priced alternatives are in the neighborhood.
Lake Lodge Cabins
On Yellowstone Lake (P.O. Box 165), Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190. ☎ 307/ 344-7311. Fax 307/344-7456. www.travel yellowstone.com. 186 cabins. $61 Frontier cabin, $121 Western cabin. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Closed mid-Sept to early June.
These cabins, which surround Lake Lodge, stand near the lake just around the corner north of the hotel. The lodge's most attractive feature is a large porch with rockers that invite visitors to sit and gaze out across the water. Accommodations are in well-preserved, clean, freestanding cabins near a trout stream that threads through a wooded area. The cabins come in two grades: Western cabins provide electric heat, paneled walls, two double beds, and bathrooms with tub/shower combinations; Pioneer cabins are smaller and sparsely furnished, with one or two double beds and small shower-only bathrooms. There's a small bar area and a cafeteria that serves inexpensive meals.
Lake Yellowstone Hotel and Cabins
On the north side of the lake (P.O. Box 165), Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190. ☎ 307/ 344-7311. Fax 307/344-7456. www.travel yellowstone.com. 300 units. $124–$200 double; $101 cabin; $443 suite. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Closed early Oct to mid-May.
The Ionic columns, dormer windows, and deep porticos of this classic yellow structure recall the year it was built: 1891. The facility was completely restored in the early 1990s, and its better rooms are the park's most comfortable and roomiest. Accommodations are in three- and four-story wings in the hotel, in a motel-style annex, and in cabins. The upper-end rooms here have stenciled walls and traditional spreads on one queen or two double beds. The freestanding cabins are passable low-priced alternatives, decorated with knotty-pine paneling and furnished with double beds and a writing table. A number of them were nicely renovated in 2004, making them among the best cabins in the park.
When you find yourself sipping