Hotels

Before picking up the phone to make a reservation, take some time to study maps of the parks. While the parks are small enough that you can drive practically anywhere in a day, you'll want to be acquainted with the locations of the park attractions that you most want to see and their proximity to accommodations. For instance, if you want to see Old Faithful at all different hours of the day and night, or if you want to hike the Lonestar Geyser Trail, try to get a room at the Old Faithful Inn or the Snow Lodge. If you find big bodies of water soothing, check in at the LakeYellowstone Hotel or Colter Bay.

Also keep in mind that the characteristics of the lodgings vary considerably, and request specific information about the type of rooms available before making a reservation. If you are bedding down in one of the historic hotels or cabins in the parks, be aware that they offer fewer modern conveniences than your typical commercial motel.

One final bit of advice: Try to spend at least two nights within park boundaries, whether you prefer campgrounds or hotels. When the sun dips below the horizon, you'll see a summer sky that sparkles more brightly than in the gateway cities (weather permitting), and you might hear coyotes and other wildlife. And you will discover that the hours just after daybreak are an ideal time for exploring: The trails are empty, animals go about their early-morning routines oblivious to visitors, and the silence is deafening.

To book a room within Yellowstone, you need to contact Xanterra Parks & Resorts, P.O. Box 165, Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190 (tel. 307/344-7311; www.travelyellowstone.com). Most Yellowstone accommodations are open from early May to mid-October. During Yellowstone's winter season, which begins in mid-December and runs through early March, accommodations and meals for snowmobilers and cross-country skiers can be found at either Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel or Old Faithful Snow Lodge. Because these dates are heavily dependent on weather conditions, it's best to call ahead to check the listed dates with the concessionaire.

It's easier to find a vacant room before June 20 and after September 25, and the week before Labor Day weekend is traditionally slow. The more popular lodges and campgrounds in the parks are typically fully booked during the peak season, so reservations should be made a few months in advance. The rates sometimes drop in October, and those making reservations before April 1 can also get a significant discount. Both of these specials apply only to Old Faithful Snow Lodge, Lake Yellowstone Hotel, Grant Village, and Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel.

If you want television, air-conditioning, and other modern amenities typical of American hotels, stay in a gateway town rather than in the park. Some of the inns are close to a century old, and the park has encouraged the concessionaires to keep technology to a minimum. Although some of the park lounges now have televisions, and telephones have been added to many rooms, you'll only find two in-room TVs in the entire park (in the suites at Mammoth, but reception wavers). Most of the accommodations do have heat, although, in some cases -- the cabins at Roosevelt, for example -- it's a wood stove.

Mammoth Hot Springs Area

5 miles from the Gardiner (north) entrance to Yellowstone

This area is open year-round and houses the park headquarters. It's a 5-mile drive from the park's north entrance, and you can often find a room here, even during the height of the peak season. Besides easy access, the area has quite a bit to offer: the park's best visitor center; colorful, travertine limestone terraces; a historic hotel with one of the park's better restaurants; and a campground.

Canyon Village Area

40 miles from the West Yellowstone (west) entrance; 38 miles from the Gardiner (north) entrance

This is one of the busiest areas in the park because the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone is, like Old Faithful, on everyone's itinerary. Accommodations here are in lodge rooms, modestly priced cabin units, or a large campground, and there are restaurants and coffee shops that fit most palates and pocketbooks, as well as a visitor center, general store, and post office. With the many amenities available here, it doesn't matter that it's 40 miles from the nearest gateway town.

Tower-Roosevelt Area

23 miles from the Gardiner (north) entrance; 29 miles from the northeast entrance

This is a throwback to the early days of Yellowstone: no big complex of shops and services, and a certain cowboy philosophy. Out of the way and far from the crowds, the lodge here offers easy access to the hiking trails and the beautiful corridor of the Lamar Valley. The basic cabins are an affordable (and apt) choice for families who want to "rough it" without pitching a tent.

Lake Village Area

27 miles from the east entrance; 56 miles from the West Yellowstone (west) entrance; 43 miles from the south entrance

More elegant than the Old Faithful Inn, this cluster of structures on the lake has the feel of a Victorian-era resort. There are accommodations in a historic hotel, motel and cabin units, and waterfront camping sites, all of which provide access to the lake's numerous recreational opportunities and the nearby hiking trails. The hotel's dining room is the finest in the park, although there are also cheaper alternatives in the neighborhood.

Grant Village Area

22 miles from the south entrance; 47 miles from the West Yellowstone (west) entrance

This relatively modern addition doesn't have the romantic ambience of the Old Faithful Inn or Lake Yellowstone Hotel. Regardless, it's reasonably priced and has a good location, on the south shores of beautiful Yellowstone Lake near West Thumb, with a good visitor center and access to various sights.

Old Faithful Area

30 miles from the West Yellowstone (west) entrance; 39 miles from the south entrance

Despite the crowds, the Old Faithful area is probably the best spot to center a hotel-based visit to the park. First of all, you'll spend a night in the midst of the most famous geyser basin in the world. You'll also have more choices of rooms, restaurants, and services -- including a visitor center, a gas station, and a large Yellowstone General Store -- than anywhere else in the park. And, from a logistical point of view, you'll have excellent access to attractions in every direction.