Yellowstone Hotel Guide

If you're looking for fancy hotels with top-notch amenities, Yellowstone's campgrounds and lodges are probably less than ideal. The park's hotels, such as the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel and the Old Faithful Inn, offer the comfort of a hotel in the great outdoors. If you're looking to escape the park for the night, you may want to reserve a room in one of the neighboring towns, such as Cody, Wyoming or West Yellowstone, Montana. But before you go to make a reservation, decide which area of the park interests you the most and choose the closest town.
For travelers looking to experience Yellowstone in full, there are numerous campgrounds scattered throughout the different regions of the park. Most of the area's campgrounds are run by the National Park Service, and they feature flush toilets, showers and coin-operated laundry facilities. Keep in mind the campgrounds are first-come, first-serve. To obtain a permit to camp in other areas of the park, you must contact the Backcountry office 48 hours in advance of your trip. For more information, visit the National Park Service's website.

• Try to spend at least two nights within park boundaries, whether you prefer campgrounds or hotels. When the sun dips below the horizon, you'll see a summer sky that sparkles more brightly than in the gateway cities (weather permitting), and you might hear coyotes and other wildlife." -- Frommer's
• Make reservations at least two months in advance for July and August for all park lodgings. Old Faithful Snow Lodge and Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel are the only accommodations open in winter; rates are the same as in summer." -- Fodor's
• Though all campgrounds have toilet facilities, not all have showers. RV owners should note that generators are not allowed at the following campgrounds: Indian Creek, Lewis Lake, Pebble Creek, Slough Creek, and Tower Fall. To camp in the backcountry, you'll need a permit … these can be collected no earlier than 48 hours in advance of your camping trip." -- Rough Guides