I was able to book online for 2017 on Sunday, May 1. It was a busy site in the morning, but I got both my reservations through by noon. I got all my first choices/dates. Yahoo!

I'm making lots of notes, as I hope to visit Yellowstone--preferably off season--in the next couple of years.

Re: coffee ... I travel with a collapsable cone and my own favorite ground coffee. The cone is less than an inch thick. If I'm staying somewhere that does not have a way to boil water I bring an immersible heater. These are much easier to carry than a French press or a percolator--and make really good drip coffee.

Congrats, Googs!

Thanks Sludick!

Now I have one year to devise my coffee plan. Haha.

We stayed in a hot tub cabin in Mammoth. We loved it but it is quite rustic, especially the bathroom - very small and old. Only one bed in the room, not a huge room but you could squeeze in a cot. I'd suggest a separate room for the kids.

From the photos on the reservation site it looks like some or all of the Mammoth cabins have been renovated. I hope we get a Frontier cabin that is. I would have loved the two room cabin, but no bathrooms.

After Yellowstone I think we'll splurge with a suite in Cody. Does anyone recommend a hotel in Cody? Maybe with pool for the kids.

We didn't find great lodging in Cody. But we loved the rodeo and BEST of all is the Buffalo Bill Museum. It's like 5 museums in one. Absolutely fantastic!! We had no idea and thankfully had enough flexibility to see it all .... It's a do not miss
Of all the National Parks, Yellowstone remains our favorite so far. Enjoy!!

Superb pk305! Now, two must-do's on the Cody list. My father visited Cody 30+ year ago and the only thing he can recall was the wonderful Buffalo Bill Museum. I'm wondering if I need to book Cody as far out as I did for Yellowstone.

Medora, ND shows no vacancies in the top two hotels (of three). I hope they aren't booked.

Someone gave me the recent National Geographic which features Yellowstone. Very insightful and inspiring!