Visitors to Yellowstone : The most convenient lodgings are the few hotels inside the Yellowstone Park, but they have to be booked early and require reservation of one year in advance. The second best choice would be the hotels in West Yellowstone, Montana, near the West Entrance Gate which is more centrally located to all activities inside the Park. If wildlife is your theme, then I would opt for hotels in Gardiner, Montana, outside the North Gate since wildlife activities are centered in the Lamar Valley and Hayden Valley. Jackson Hole, Wyoming, is about 40 min. further south to the South Gate but it is another good option to stay with excellent amenities such as shopping, restaurants and hotels, particularly if you want to visit both Grand Teton and Yellowstone. Visitors need be aware that some roads to the Northeast Entrance Silver Gate are not open untill late May. East Entrance to the Park from Cody is narrow, winding, and slow through mountain passes with some section speed limit of 15 mph along steep cliff road.
