9 Tips to Visit Yellowstone on a Budget

Planning a budget friendly Yellowstone vacation isn’t as easy as it might seem. Tucked in the northwest corner of Wyoming and southern edges of Montana, Yellowstone’s remote location has, no doubt, helped preserve its natural wonders. But being so far from a metropolitan area can drive up lodging, flights, gas and food costs. After years of visiting Yellowstone, we’ve learned how to enjoy the park and not break the bank. Here are nine insider tips to save money on your next Yellowstone vacation.

Weigh Whether Driving or Flying to Yellowstone Is More Affordable

Road to Yellowstone (Phot0 courtesy Yellowstone Regional Airport)

Everyone planning a Yellowstone vacation has to decide whether they will drive or fly. If you’re a family of five traveling from Chicago to Yellowstone, it may be most cost-effective to drive. You won’t spend money on airline tickets or a rental car. And while you’ll need to pay for hotels, food and gas along the way, those costs are manageable. To save on food costs, stay at inexpensive hotels where breakfast is included, pack snacks and stock your cooler with lunch foods. Better yet, if you’re a camper, pack your tent and camp stove and stay at campgrounds along the way.

If you have airline miles or limited time, it may be cheaper to fly and rent a car at the airport. Yellowstone visitors fly into a mix of regional and international airports, all with pros and cons.

Know the Cheapest Places to Fly into Yellowstone

To be clear, there’s no airport right next to the park. Regional airports within an hour’s drive of the park include Yellowstone Regional Airport in Cody, Wyoming, and Jackson Hole Airport, which sits in Grand Teton National Park in Jackson, Wyoming. Just under a two-hour drive are Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport and Idaho Falls Regional Airport. It’s worth checking flight prices to all four airports on various airlines using a tool like Google Flights. If you really want to hone in on deals, Airfarewatchdog.com can alert you when prices drop.

While farther from Yellowstone, Salt Lake City International Airport in Salt Lake City, Utah, and Denver International Airport in Denver, Colorado, offer what the small airports don’t: choice. With more flights and airlines to choose from, you may find cheaper prices. It’s a five-hour drive to Yellowstone from Salt Lake City and an 8.5-hour drive from Denver. While flying into these airports eats up time you could be spending in the park, it may also save you a lot of money.

When you’re pricing your flights, be sure to price rental cars, too. Rental car prices can vary wildly, and an overpriced vehicle can erase all the savings you got for your flights. Wherever you fly into, reserve your rental car way in advance.

Be Aware that the Cheapest Gas in Yellowstone Is Outside the Park

Gardiner, Montana in autumn (Photo courtesy Yellowstone National Park Service)

Whether you fly or drive there, you need a car to tour Yellowstone. The park’s vastness and its lack of a public transportation system force visitors to be completely dependent on their vehicles to explore any of the park’s gems.

While there are seven gas stations in Yellowstone, the gas in the park is more expensive than outside the park. Save money by fueling up in West Yellowstone, Gardiner and Cooke City in Montana. Because the park is larger than Delaware and Rhode Island combined, be strategic and scout out your fuel stops in advance. If you’re going to visit Mammoth Hot Springs, fuel up in the town of Gardiner, which is several minutes away. If you’re staying in West Yellowstone, fuel up there before venturing to Old Faithful. No matter where you explore, keep your eyes on your gas tank. Running out of gas in Yellowstone is no picnic, especially with all those grizzly bears roaming around.

Use These Hacks to Find the Best Hotel Deals in Yellowstone

Sunset at Yellowstone’s Upper Geyser Basin (Photo: Getty)

If you have your heart set on staying in the park, there are some essentials you need to know. First, you’re battling with literally thousands of others to stay in the park, so to get the cheapest rates, book your rooms as early as possible. Yellowstone National Park Lodges, the company that runs the park’s hotels, releases rooms 13 months in advance, so be ready to book the instant rooms are released for your dates.

Second, seek out the more affordable properties. Lake Yellowstone Hotel and Old Faithful Inn are two of Yellowstone’s finest hotels, but both properties have cabins a stone’s throw away that are much cheaper. Instead of staying at Lake Yellowstone Hotel, stay at Lake Lodge Cabins. Pass on the Old Faithful Inn, and opt for Old Faithful Lodge Cabins. If you book a cabin with a communal bathroom, the price drops more.

Roosevelt Lodge Cabins are another affordable option with shared or private bathrooms. Like many things in life, as the price drops, amenities tend to disappear. If you book a Rough Rider cabin, you won’t find a bathroom, TV, internet or a coffee maker in your room. But you’ll have a cozy bed in the heart of the park.

For the best hotel rates, sign up for the park’s hotel newsletter as it often offers special promotions and book directly through Yellowstone National Park Lodges.

If you like to camp, the cheapest way to stay in Yellowstone is in your tent or RV at one of the park’s 12 campgrounds. All but Mammoth Campground in Gardiner requires advanced reservations. Book as early as possible for a night stay that could cost you the equivalent of three trips to Starbucks. Remember, camping is only allowed in designated campgrounds inside the park.

Stay in the Most Affordable Places Outside of Yellowstone

Cooke City, Montana (Photo courtesy Kaden Harrison)

Lodging outside of Yellowstone is often more affordable. The farther you have to drive, the cheaper the prices. For instance, for the price of a no-frills cabin in Yellowstone, you may be able to reserve an amenity-filled hotel room outside the park. But pricing often depends on where and when you book. In Montana, West Yellowstone and Gardiner both sit right on the park’s boundary and Silver Gate/Cooke City are just minutes from the boundary. These towns have a mix of affordable lodging and restaurants, which means you can save money and access the park quickly. Thirty minutes from the West Entrance, you may find more bargains in Island Park, Idaho.

Even farther, Cody, Wyoming, is 55 miles east of the park’s East Entrance and Jackson, Wyoming is 57 miles from the park’s South Entrance. Both towns offer world-class museums and restaurants, and lodging for a variety of budgets. However, you’ll spend more time in the car and more money on gas driving to and from the park. While Cody offers affordable lodging, Jackson tends to offer higher-end prices in the summer. If you stay outside the park, choose a town that puts you closest to the attractions you want to see. For the cheapest options outside the park consider camping. There’s a variety of national forest and BLM campgrounds as well as privately run campgrounds and RV parks nearby that offer affordable ways to spend the night.

Make Reservations for Yellowstone’s Cheapest Time of Year

Yellowstone Elk on Mt. Everts in Fall (Photo courtesy NPS/Neal Herbert)

Yellowstone’s high season is June through August, but even September has become a popular time to visit, so finding good deals in summer means looking way in advance. You’ll find the highest hotel rates during peak season.

Almost all park roads close in the winter, leaving only Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel and Old Faithful Snow Lodge open, so adventurous travelers have to take a snowcoach to get to Old Faithful. While you’ll discover a snowy, uncrowded Yellowstone, it’s not the cheapest season because you have limited lodging and dining options and need to arrange tours into the heart of the park.

Hotel rates fall most during spring and fall in and out of the park. The park roads open in late April, and between then and early June, you’ll find some hotel rates will be between 30-50% lower than high season. The same goes for the fall season from late September to late October before park roads close for the season.

If you have flexibility with your dates, find the best deals by visiting Yellowstone National Park Lodges’ website. Select the flexible calendar option to see the lowest rates for any Yellowstone hotel on any day.

Save Money in Yellowstone by Preparing Your Own Food

Yellowstone has a variety of eateries from delis to sit-down service. While they vary in price, eating every meal in the park will empty your wallet quickly. Even Yellowstone’s convenience stores are expensive and lack a large selection of food.

For the really budget conscious, pack dishes, a camp stove, pans and a picnic blanket before you leave home. Preparing your own meals at Yellowstone’s designated picnic areas will save you a ton of money. You’ll save even more by buying your food at a grocery store outside of the park. If you’re coming from the south, Jackson has both a large Albertson’s and a Smith’s grocery store. Heading west toward the park, Cody, has an Albertson’s and a Walmart Supercenter. Heading east into the park, West Yellowstone is home to Food Roundup Supermarket and Market Place.

Whether you prepare all your meals or just some, scout out the park’s designated picnic areas to plan where to dine. Each picnic area has tables and vaulted toilets.

Dine at Yellowstone’s Budget Friendly Restaurants

Old Faithful Inn Dining Room (Photo: Shutterstock)

If you’re an avid restaurant-goer, consider dining outside the park for lower prices and more variety. Or check out Yellowstone’s dining establishments to see what might fit your budget. Similar to lodging, there are less expensive grab-and-go options alongside pricier sit-down locales. For instance, Old Faithful Inn Bear Paw Deli offers counter service with deli style items whereas Old Faithful Inn Dining Room requires dinner reservations and offers a pricier experience with waitstaff.

The silver lining of preparing some of your own meals is you may free up some money to splurge on a special meal like dinner at Lake Yellowstone Hotel Dining Hall where large windows showcase stunning views of Yellowstone Lake. There’s also the Old West Dinner Cookout where you ride in a covered wagon to a cookout replete with steaks, cornbread muffins, coleslaw and cowboys singing by the campfire.

Cut Costs in Yellowstone by Buying an All-Parks Pass

Everyone has to pay a fee at the park’s entrance station. Yellowstone park passes are good for seven days and cost $35. But if you plan on visiting other federal recreation sites within the year, buy the America the Beautiful Pass. It costs $80 but gives you access to more than 2,000 federal recreation sites for 12 months. It’s especially handy if you’re headed to Grand Teton National Park or Glacier National Park right after Yellowstone.

While planning a budget-friendly Yellowstone vacation requires some effort, you’ll find it was all worth it as you watch a wolf loping through the Lamar Valley, bison grazing along the road to Tower Fall and the iconic Old Faithful shooting up toward the clear blue sky.

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