Gateway to Yellowstone – Why Gardiner, MT
Planning a trip to Yellowstone? Staying at the hotels in the park is an amazing experience, but usually requires reservations a year in advance. Finding lodging outside the park can be found in West Yellowstone, Gardiner, Cody, or Jackson. We chose Gardiner, Montana and glad we did. Providing some information to help you plan your stay in Gardiner.
Link to the Gardiner Montana travel site
Why Gardiner?: Jackson is a great place to spend time but below Grand Tetons and a bit of a drive for Yellowstone. Cody is also a great home base east of the park, but a little further away than we wanted. West Yellowstone is a little bigger and comes in to Yellowstone National Park a little further south. We chose Gardiner because it was smaller and very convenient for our itinerary.
I want to suggest Gardiner as a home base for your trip for a few reasons:
Location – The town of Gardiner is sitting right at the northern entrance of Yellowstone which is the only entrance open year-round. The Roosevelt Arch which is a beautiful landmark named after President Teddy Roosevelt as a champion for the national park. You can quickly connect to Grand Loop Rd for convenient access to key parts of the park. West Yellowstone is also close to Grand Loop Rd which is really the basis for all sites in the park.
Charm – If you want to experience the charm of Montana, Gardiner will not disappoint. You will not find upscale luxury hotels with wine bars and spas. You will find an amazing group of locals that own quaint hotels, rustic restaurants and authentic bars and shops. When planning hotels and restaurants, it might seem a bit rustic for your taste. Please trust the reviews. The locally owned businesses are great.
Convenience – Gardiner has everything you need to have a great vacation at Yellowstone. It is also the home to many tours outside and inside the park that provide access to whitewater rafting, fishing, wildlife guide and other activities
Restaurants in Gardiner
The Corral Drive-In – Recommended by our hotel we went across the street to a great restaurant stand with outdoor tables for a burger. They have options for buffalo burger, elk burger or your more traditional burgers. And did I mention they have beer and ice cream to cover all of your dinner needs. Loved the stop
Yellowstone Grill – Another cute spot with a great patio. Menu of burgers, sandwiches, salads and more. Their western breakfast is also a hearty way to start the day.
Yellowstone Pizza Company – So the pizza is good, but the views are what sells this restaurant. We enjoyed our meal while watching elk graze at the entrance of Yellowstone.
Iron Horse Bar & Grill – This restaurant has a very Montana menu with bison meatloaf, elk nachos along with more traditional items. The view is also great especially from the patio where you get a view of the mountains.
Tour Companies
There is nothing like Yellowstone, but if you are staying for a week it may be nice to add in some tour or other adventures in the area. Gardiner has its share of tour companies. While eating our breakfast on the patio, we watched as the tour companies prepped for the day.
Flying Pig Adventures – Located right near Tumbleweeds Bookstore and Cafe, they offer whitewater rafting, horseback riding, and fly fishing tours.
Yellowstone Dreamin Adventures – Located in the downtown area and they offer hiking and wildlife tours.
Yellowstone Rafting & Zipline – Located in the downtown area and have options for rafting, ziplining and horseback riding.
Where to stay
Yellowstone Gateway Inn – This is where we stayed and the only one we can truly vouch for. Pictures looked a little rustic but we were convinced because of the great reviews. We were thrilled with our stay. Everything was very clean, newly renovated and had a full kitchen. It got 5 star reviews from us.
Other places nearby include Ridgeline Hotel at Yellowstone, The Roosevelt – Yellowstone, Yellowstone Village Inn and Suites
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