Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
www.gardinerguesthouse.com
,
$70-400 depending on season and number of rooms) wel-
comes both children and pets and offers three modest but comfortable guest rooms and a
cabin. Owners Richard and Nance Parks are longtime residents and an extensive source of
information on the area. His fly shop and guiding company,
Park's Fly Shop
(202 2nd
St. S., 406/848-7314,
www.parksflyshop.com
)
, is one of the oldest businesses in town. The
Flying Pig Raft Company
(511 Scott St. W., 866/264-8448,
www.flyingpigrafting.com
)
offers a host of higher-end vacation rentals ranging from cozy canvas wall tents on a nearby
ranch ($150-250) to an enormous private lodge ($550) that can sleep up to 15.
For more standard hotels, there is a decent selection ranging from the riverfront
Ab-
saroka Lodge
(310 Scott St., 406/848-7414,
www.yellowstonemotel.com
, $50-150), where
each room has its own balcony, and the
Comfort Inn
(107 Hellroaring St., 406/848-7536
or 800/424-6423,
www.comfortinn.com
, $124-244) to the barebones but clean and pet-
friendly
Super 8
(702 Scott St. W., 406/848-7401,
www.yellowstonesuper8.com
,
$55-155)
and the recently renovated
Yellowstone Park Travelodge
(109 Hellroaring St., 406/
848-7520,
www.travelodge.com
,
$129-210).
The difference between camping outside the park and inside Yellowstone is simply that
you need to focus on reservations and availability instead of permits and regulations. There
are six campgrounds in Gardiner—four national forest campgrounds and two private ones.
The
Yellowstone RV Park & Campground
(121 U.S. 89 S., 406/848-7496, May-Oct.) is
ideally situated on the Yellowstone River just 1.3 miles north of the park entrance.
Those in search of a more rustic experience might enjoy the pack-in, pack-out
Bear
Creek Campground
(Forest Rd. 493, 10.5 miles northeast of Gardiner, 406/848-7375,
4 sites with no services, mid-June-late Oct. depending on weather, free) or the
Timber
Camp Campground
(Forest Rd. 493, 9.5 miles northeast of Gardiner, 406/848-7375, no
services, mid-June-late Oct. depending on weather, free), both of which are small, isolated,
and pleasantly rustic.
Known since 1960 for its “Hateful Hamburgers” and the huge personality of its owner,
Helen, this fabulous burger joint was sold to the Wild West Rafting Company and is now
known as
M
Wild West Corral
(Hwy. 89 S., across from the Super 8 Motel, 406/848-7627,
11am-10pm daily May-Oct., burgers $9-14). Even without Helen, this is still the kind of
place you might easily drive 100 miles to for the burgers, shakes, and old-school ambience.
