Old Faithful Inn is completely booked for the week of our travel next June, 2001. Where should we try in the park? MUST have a bathroom.

We planned a last minute trip this past June to Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons so I know what you are going through. However,we stayed in West Yellowstone at the Holiday Inn Sunspree Resort and LOVED it! It is 2 blocks from the entrance to Yellowstone and is a great place to base your trip. There are alot of interesting places to shop and eat in town,along with an IMAX theater that had two great Yellowstone movies(perfect for night or a rainy afternoon).Our whole family agreed that we were glad that we stayed there instead of in the park. You really have the best of both worlds!!!! My husband and son flyfished along the entrance river with the geyers in view-what a memory.If you stay there in West Yellowstone-go across the street to the yellowstone museum in the old train station for a wonderful historical view of the park,fires,etc. West Yellowstone can be touristy at high season but we went the last two weeks and it wasn't bad. Any questions,email me . Debbie

Lisa,
Keep trying to get reservations, over and over. Call (don't use the net) weekly and then daily closer to your departure. There are many cancellations. I've had good luck in finding rooms inside the park with this strategy. I left my name/number and they even called me back. (Also book your dinner reservations ahead of time).

The Mammoth Hot Springs "hotel" has cabins - some with bathrooms. We stayed there and were pleased.

There are other properties inside the park, and most have private bathrooms.

You can also consider splitting up your stay to a few nights in Old Faithful Inn and, say, Mammoth Hot Springs. The park is huge, and returning to Old Faithful in the evening may take 1-2 hours, depending on where you are in the park. If you plan your trip around the "figure 8" you can spend a day/two in one area then head toward another section of the wonderful park.

Try the Lake Yellowstone Hotel. An excellent facility in the park. It usually doesn't fill up as fast as the Old Faithful Inn.

We stayed at the Canyon Lodge, which is about a 1/4 mile from the Old Yellowstone Hotel. Both of these are in a great location, right in the middle of the park. We did a quarter of the figure 8 loop road each day. Canyon Lodge consists of duplex cottages (all private baths). It has a decent cafeteria (they even cooked the trout we caught)and laundry facilities. We thought about staying in West Yellowstone, however, decided that we would spend a lot of time back-tracking through the park. The plus to staying there, as a previous poster said, is the abundance of conveniences, which you do not find in the Park.

Sorry--in the post above I meant to say LAKE Yellowstone Hotel.

GOL, boy were you right!! I called back after I read your post and guess what? Yep, a suite in the east wing! only got 2 nights (that's fine because that's all I could afford at $369.94 for summer 2001 rates!) This is worth it, right? Now, do I go with Signal Mt. Lodge in G.T. or Jackson Lake Lodge?
Our third night in Y.S. is at Mammoth Hot Springs--thank you for the suggestion. WE CAN'T WAIT!!!

Lisa,
Thanks for the feedback-it's nice to hear good or bad (one disadvantage to not giving real e-mail address).

When you receive your hotel confirmation info, you will (should) also get brochures with info/numbers for other activities such as horseback riding (e.g., a 'ranch' near M. Hot Springs) and many other things to do.

Everyone seems to love YNP, and have their own wonderful stories and suggestions. The chat part of www.yellowstone-natl-park.com is filled with Q&A like yours. I found this site very helpful, including their chat archive. People post complex stuff from wolf pack movement/sightings and geyser eruptions to trip planning suggestions. Some tips I remember: Just north of MH Springs on the road to Gardiner is a hot-spring filled stream that is great for swimming. It is near the '45th Parallel' sign. Another is being able to join the ranger/hotel employee when they lower the US flag on the top of Old Faithful Inn. Only 2 people are allowed to go (you must ask), but you get to go on the roof of the hotel for a spectacular view.

To enjoy YNP, you must use all of your senses: Smell, Sight, Taste, Sound and Touch. Have fun!

Lisa-go back through the past year in the forum for further info.We got a last minute cancellation last year for

Signal Mountain Lodge for three days(weekend)that someone had made 7 months ahead but cancelled with the gas prices. I have traveled extensively throughout the world and it was one of the most breathtaking views that we ever had outside of our room. We sat on porch at night with the mountains reflecting on the lake below with a gorgeous sunset and the mornings were equally the same beauty.Signal
Mountain Lodge is right on the lake so you can walk around,rent boats,swim(depending on water temperature?)cute bar and restaurant in the next lodge.You
ve three options there: cottages,family suites and rooms. We had the family suite with kitchenette,separate bedroom,pullout sofa,etc. It was about $175.00 and worth every penny. Jackson Lake Lodge is nice but not right on the lake for you to leave your door and enjoy it. It had alot of convention people when we went for a breakfast one morning. Signal Mountain is still close enough to drive into Jackson or Teton Village if you want to and come back without a long time in the car.We did 3 days exploring the Tetons at Signal Mountain and then went down to Jackson and stayed for 3 days.We did rafting,eat,shopping,etc. things down in jackson. Good Luck on your planning-good thing you are going in June because of all of the fires and smoke that seem to come at the end of the summer.We were glad and grateful that we went in June after seeing the horrible destruction out there in the past few weeks.

You can't go wrong with either place in the Tetons. If I had to make a choice, I'd probbly go with Signal.
P.S.: The Tetons are great!

We stayed at Old Faithful Inn for one night, and it was gorgeous. We spent the evening watching Old Faithful go off, eating ice cream and playing cards with our sons on the balcony. Unforgettable. Our room was a little on the small side (but it wasn't a suite), but it was very nice. We also spent a couple of nights at the Snow Lodge Cabins which were very spacious, and you could hear the wolves howling at night. Near Mammoth Hot Springs, we opted for a Best Western in Gardiner. It was great! We overlooked the Yellowstone River with a nice deck running the length of the motel. Plus there was a pool, laundry facilities, etc. A bit more to do than Yellowstone proper, but not quite the tourist town that West Yellowstone tends to be. I'd highly recommend it.

We stayed at Jackson Lake Lodge in the Tetons, and while it was nice, and the view from the lodge outstanding, I've heard much better things about Signal Lake Lodge. I think it's also more centrally located. Our drive to Jackson took almost an hour from Jackson Lake Lodge.

We were lucky enough to find an off-the beaten-path outfitter that took our family of four novices horseback riding. We were the only people on the ride, so rather than the usual nose to tail guided trip you get on most tours, our wrangler took us off the path and over rivers, into the brush, had us trotting, etc. It was a blast. We all absolutely loved it. I think it was called Wilderness Outfitters. Also did whitewater rafting with Sands. Great, informative staff, and wonderful views.

Have a great trip, and kudos to you for your tenacity in getting OFI reservations.

Thanks to ALL of you for helping me plan this vacation--it is going to be incrediable and we can't wait! Unfortunately, we have 10 months to go!
Thanks again!