Reasonable accommodations in Wyoming
 

Would like to visit Yellowstone area next summer, but am shocked by the high rates to stay in the Jackson Hole area (to say nothing of flying in).
Are there reasonable accommodations that do not include camping?
Thanks in advance

Unless you tell us what you consider 'reasonable' (your actual budget) no one can offer suggestions.

But just in general -- that is a very expensive area to stay. Just a fact of life.

Obvious first question, what do you consider "reasonable"?

Wouldn't you rather stay in the park? Yes, things book up early. I spent 5 nights in Yellowstone with a friend last month, had a camping reservation as it was all that was available when we booked in advance. After 1 night, we checked every day for cancellations and were able to stay in cabins in great locations every night thereafter.

If you want specific accommodations booked in advance then you may have to pay top dollar outside the park. But if you're willing to see what turns up, as we did, you may find yourself with cabins or rooms in wonderful locations for less inside the park. 3 of 4 were significantly less expensive than rooms available in towns on the fringes and we were able to stay in the best locations - Old Faithful, Lake & Mammoth.

Try flights into Billings, MT. I flew home from there on Alaska and it wasn't expensive.

Jackson Hole is probably the most expensive place to fly into and to stay in the whole area. If Yellowstone is your destination, don't fly into Jackson Hole or stay there.

Start checking for accommodations inside the park immediately, as these book up quickly.

Thank you! I would define reasonable as anything under $225/night

$225 is about the most we paid (I didn't pay for that one but around that). One was under $100, the rest in between. So, unless what you want is a posh lodge room, you're likely to do better by staying in the park, booked now if you can or last minute cancellations after arrival. And, as I mentioned, fly into Billings. Jackson is a high-end small airport, while Billings airport (BIL - Billings Logan International Airport) is for regular people.

We did a last minute trip to Yellowstone in late July. We were coming from the north so we ended up in West Yellowstone. Not much to the little town, but relatively convenient if you can't get into the Park. There were many hotels and motels there. We could not find anything in your price range, but this was a weekend and as I said same day reservation. I imagine if you try in advance you might get a rate in your price range. We tried to get into the park hoping for a cancellation, but nothing was available at the last minute.

"Last minute" for us was asking at the desk as we checked out in the morning. We succeeded every time. Mid-late Sept is a surprisingly busy time in the park, lots of people getting in just before the end of the season when most places in the park close. So, needless to say, I was pleased to cut the camping short after 1 night.

Check both West Yellowstone and Gardiner MT for lodging if you can't get lodging inside the park.
Last time I stayed in the area was at the OTO Dude Ranch site.
I had a free 1 bed cabin and the USFS even fed us while we put on the roof of the lodge (my last PIT project).

Maybe checking at the actual place of lodging makes a difference. I called the 800 central number for all the lodging in the park. It was in the afternoon for that day. Early am might work better as you could get people leaving early that day.

Cancellations, judging by my experience, get snapped up in moments. There was 1 while I was standing at the desk (mid-morning) that was booked before the desk person could put us in. We'd already gotten one for that night but were hoping for a different location, greedy ladies that we are. In any case, yes, standing there as the cancellations for that day come in puts you, literally, at the front of the line. By afternoon it's much less likely.

I should also say that within the park every location is a good location. We moved as we were able to book and were thrilled with every one. I would hate to have missed any part of the park where we stayed. It gave us a really comprehensive overview and new views, new places to have drinks and dinner every evening and new adventures every morning.

My companion grew up in Billings and knows the park well. She assured me as we went that it was all wonderful and she was right. Booking a room or cabin anywhere you can get one will be perfect.

Thank you, everybody! If anyone else wants to weigh in, I would like to hear what you have to say.

As stated above, keep trying for park lodging but be aware that next summer in Jackson/GTNP will be even more busy than usual during mid to late August due to the solar eclipse that is going straight over the park.

West Yellowstone/Gardiner type of border towns are alternatives for visiting Yellowstone but even those places often raise their rates to $250-$350 in high season for what would typically be more in the $100-$200 range for comparable motel lodging. But there are a few places that have better deals so start checking individual websites.

Bozeman Mt (BZN) is another alternative airport to consider that we usually use to access southwest MT/Yellowstone. It's even closer to Yellowstone than Billings so we always check both but prefer to fly into Bozeman.

I'm not sure that saying Bozeman is "even closer to Yellowstone than Billings" gives the whole picture. The park is huge and it depends not only on where they want to go in the park or end up staying, if reserving in advance, but also costs for flights and lodging. It's a complex equation.

Red Lodge, MT might be another place to check for accommodations. We stopped there for lunch on our way to Billings and it's a very pleasant town.

BTW, NorCalJo, I didn't mean to sound so grumpy, mainly just the last part, that it's complex when all factors are considered. Yes, they should check Bozeman, too.

I'm a No. CA Jo too.

No offense taken MmePerdu! You're right -there are a lot of factors to consider and the drive through Red Lodge to Cook City into the park is beyond gorgeous (even if it's a bit longer mileage/time than Bozeman is to West Yellowstone or Gardiner).

I grew up mostly in Billings so have a soft spot for it although I admit I'm a bit annoyed lately with BIL as we moved to Chicago and can only get a direct flight from ORD to BZN and no direct flights into BIL. :(