Something remarkable is happening at Yellowstone National Park right now.
No, it’s not an animal migration or the park’s trees turning colors as fall arrives. Instead, rooms at the park’s lodges are available for stays beginning tonight. There are open campsites throughout Yellowstone as well.
“It’s rare, but right now, rooms are available at many of the iconic lodges and destinations within Yellowstone National Park — and even some campgrounds,” a Yellowstone National Park Lodges spokesperson told TravelAwaits. “As a matter of fact, people are literally walking up to the reception desks and getting rooms.”
Normally, anybody who wants to stay in one of the lodges at Yellowstone needs to make reservations months in advance. The same goes for reserving campsites.
“Millions of people travel from all over the world to experience Yellowstone National Park,” the spokesperson told TravelAwaits. “However, due to unusual circumstances, including fewer international visitors and the lack of long-term planning, there are rooms available at the proverbial inn for late summer and fall travel, which is almost unheard of.”
Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park, in Wyoming as well as parts of Montana and Idaho, is the nation’s oldest national park. People travel from around the world to see its attractions such as thermal features including the Old Faithful geyser, the breathtaking Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River, and of course, its bison, wolves, bears, and other wildlife.
Amazingly, the park, which was established on March 1, 1872, encompasses more than 2.2 million acres and has more than 900 miles of hiking trails.
So, just how many people visit Yellowstone? Consider, for instance, that nearly 3.3 million people visited in 2022, according to the National Park Service. While that number is down substantially from 2021’s visitor count of nearly 4.9 million, it must be pointed out that 2021 was a record-breaking year for attendance at Yellowstone.
Lodging Within Yellowstone
Yellowstone National Park Lodges is part of the Xanterra Travel Collection, which is the primary authorized concessioner in Yellowstone.
The company has nine lodging facilities offering more than 2,000 rooms in Yellowstone National Park. Those lodges include Old Faithful Inn, Canyon Lodge & Cabins, Lake Yellowstone Hotel & Cabins, Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel & Cabins, and Roosevelt Lodge Cabins.
Xanterra also operates numerous campgrounds where you can park your RV or simply pitch a tent while visiting Yellowstone. They include Fishing Bridge RV Park, Madison Campground, Grant Village Campground, and Canyon Campground.
Memorable Experiences In Yellowstone
It should be pointed out, however, that since Xanterra Travel Collection is the primary concessioner at the park, it is every visitor’s “direct in-park source for lodging, camping, and activities in Yellowstone,” Xanterra Travel Collection explains.
Indeed, Yellowstone National Park Lodges also offers tours and activities guided by Certified Interpretive Guides that “help create memorable and engaging experiences,” it explains.
“Take your Yellowstone experience to the ‘next level’ with our award-winning Lodging & Learning packages or our engaging Adventure packages,” Yellowstone National Park Lodges continues. “Both are guided excursions that bundle fun, convenience, touring, lodging, meals, and transportation that will make for lifelong memories.
You can find all the details about the company’s packages — such as the Fall Wolf and Elk Discovery Package that includes four nights at Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel & Cabins with expert-led tours to wolf and elk habitats to learn more about species — at the Yellowstone Packages webpage.
Know So You Can Stay
“Rooms and campsites are available tonight,” Yellowstone National Park Lodges explains. “You can make reservations online, by calling Yellowstone National Park Lodges at (307) 344-7901, or even walking up to lodges’ front desks.”
You can find more information at Yellowstone National Park Lodges and you can check lodging availability and even make reservations at the Yellowstone National Park Lodges Book A Stay webpage.
Now that you’re thinking about a visit, be sure to read all our Yellowstone National Park content, including: