• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

By Root 3418 0

around the world's most famous geyser were hauled off years ago. Those that remain offer an inexpensive, albeit no-frills, lodging option. Rent one of the budget cabins, just slightly less flimsy than tents, and you'll get basic beds and sinks, and a sense of what it was like to visit Yellowstone half a century ago. Showers and bathrooms are a short walk away. Frontier cabins are the better units, adding a private bathroom to other amenities. The lodge has several snack shops and a huge cafeteria that serves a variety of fast food. In addition, you're within a short walk of the cafeteria and snack bar at the Old Faithful Snow Lodge (see below).

Old Faithful Snow Lodge

At Old Faithful (P.O. Box 165), Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190. ☎ 307/344-7311. Fax 307/344-7456. www.travelyellowstone.com. 134 units. $161 double; $83–$128 cabin. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V.

If your last visit to Yellowstone included a stay at the Old Faithful Snow Lodge, put the memory out of your mind. The old dormitory-style lodge was torn down in 1998, and this new, award-winning place could aptly be called the New Faithful Snow Lodge. Its contemporary big-beam construction and high ceiling in the lobby echo the Old Faithful Inn, and a copper-lined balcony curves above the common area, where guests can relax in wicker furniture. The guest rooms are spacious and comfortable, and a spacious dining room shares a two-sided fireplace with a lounge. The cabins here are among the park's newest; many were built after the 1988 fires.

NEAR THE PARK

See chapter 17, which covers Grand Teton National Park, for information about Jackson activities, lodging, and dining.

WEST YELLOWSTONE

West Yellowstone is turning itself into the park's biggest all-season gateway town. It has lots of new motel rooms, but it can still fill up during peak seasons. West Yellowstone Central Reservations (☎ 888/646-7077) handles booking for many of the hotels.

Moderately priced chains (with prices ranging from $80–$140 double) include the Marriott Fairfield Inn (☎ 800/565-6803), 105 S. Electric St., and the Days Inn (☎ 800/548-9551), 118 Electric St. There are also some Best Western affiliates; the general toll-free number is ☎ 800/528-1234. They include the Best Western Desert Inn, 133 Canyon St. (☎ 406/646-7376); the Executive Inn, 236 Dunraven St. (☎ 406/646-7681); and the Best Western Weston Inn, 103 Gibbon St. (☎ 406/646-7373). Still holding its own is the 88-room Stage Coach Inn, 209 Madison Ave. (at Dunraven St.; ☎ 800/ 842-2882).

Less expensive options (doubles cost $50–$100) include the Brandin' Iron Motel, 201 Canyon St. (☎ 800/217-4613 or 406/646-9411), and the 1912 Madison Hotel, 139 Yellowstone Ave. (☎ 800/838-7745 or 406/646-7745), which also has some historic rooms with shared bathroom that go for as little as $37.

Bar N Ranch

890 Buttermilk Creek Rd. (P.O. Box 250), West Yellowstone, MT 59758. ☎ 406/646-0300. Fax 406/646-0301. www.bar-n-ranch.com. 14 units, including 7 cabins. A/C TV. Lodge $97–$103 double; cabin $118–$132 double. Lower rates Oct–Jun. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V.

One of the oldest brands in Montana, the Bar N is an excellent new lodging option in West Yellowstone; the spiffedup lodge and cabin complex opened in 2004. Located on 200 acres of unsullied ranchland with 2 miles of the Madison River and a fishing pond, the lodge has a great river-rock fireplace. The lodge rooms mix equal parts Ralph Lauren and Old West, exuding a simple, elegant style with antler lamps, hardwood floors, stark white walls, and jetted tubs. The cabins are similarly decorated one- and two-bedroom units arranged in a half-circle around the lodge; all of them have fireplaces, and several have in-room hot tubs. A staff guide is available to take guests fishing, rafting, or horseback riding, and there's a good restaurant.

Holiday Inn SunSpree Resort

315 Yellowstone Ave., West Yellowstone, MT 59758. ☎ 800/HOLIDAY or 406/646-7365. www.doyellowstone.com. 123 units. A/C TV TEL. $79–$144 double; $90–$200 suite. AE, DISC, MC, V.