Where to Stay When Visiting Yellowstone and Grand Tetons

Jackson sits 12 miles south of the Grand Teton entrance and works as your Tetons base. The town square on Cache Street has the famous antler arches, and you'll find solid food along Broadway and Glenwood. Stay near Town Square if you want walkable dinners after a day on Jenny Lake. The Snow King side is quieter and cheaper, but you'll drive 5 minutes into town. Yellowstone's south entrance is 57 miles north, so this is wrong as a Yellowstone base. Use Jackson for 2 to 3 nights, then move north. Jackson Hole Airport is 20 minutes away inside the park itself.

Best for

Couplesfoodiesanyone doing 2 to 3 days in Grand Teton

Walk times

Town Square to Million Dollar Cowboy Bar 2 min
Town Square to Snake River Brewing 8 min
Hotel Jackson to Persephone Bakery 5 min

Skip if: You're spending most of your trip in Yellowstone. The drive eats your day.

Local tip: Skip the chain hotels on West Broadway. They charge resort prices for highway-side rooms. Stay within 4 blocks of Town Square or don't bother with Jackson at all.

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$269per night

Teton Village and Moose

Wake up inside the park

Luxury $380-$450/night

Teton Village sits at the base of the tram and puts you 20 minutes from Moose Junction, which is the heart of Grand Teton. Moose itself has Dornan's and the Chapel of the Transfiguration, and the Jenny Lake trailhead is 8 miles north. This is where you stay if you want to be on the trail at 6am before the crowds hit. Teton Village runs pricier than Jackson but you skip the morning commute. The downside: limited dining outside the resort, and the village is quiet after 9pm. Yellowstone's south entrance is still 50 miles away, so this isn't a Yellowstone base either.

Best for

Hikers who want early trailhead accessski-in ski-out in winter

Walk times

Tram base to Mangy Moose 3 min
Hotel Terra to Spur restaurant 4 min
Village to Teewinot lift 5 min

Skip if: You want nightlife or budget pricing. Both are absent here.

Local tip: Book Jenny Lake shuttle tickets the night before. The 7am boat across the lake saves you 2 miles of walking and beats the 10am crowd at Hidden Falls.

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$426per night

Gardiner, Montana

North entrance gateway with the Lamar Valley advantage

Luxury $180-$180/night

Gardiner sits at Yellowstone's only year-round entrance and puts you 5 minutes from Mammoth Hot Springs. This is the right base for Lamar Valley wildlife viewing. You'll be in the valley by sunrise when the wolves and bears are out, while West Yellowstone visitors are still 90 minutes away. The town runs along Park Street with maybe 6 restaurants worth eating at. Tumbleweed Bookstore and Wonderland Cafe are the locals' picks. Don't expect resort amenities. Most properties are motels or rustic lodges. Yellowstone Forever Institute runs out of Gardiner if you want a guided wildlife day.

Best for

Wildlife photographersLamar Valley first-timersshoulder season visitors

Walk times

Park Street to Yellowstone Pizza Company 4 min
Roosevelt Arch to Wonderland Cafe 6 min
Town center to Yellowstone River bridge 3 min

Skip if: You want geysers as your priority. Old Faithful is 2 hours from Gardiner.

Local tip: Drive into Lamar Valley before 6:30am. By 8am the pullouts at Slough Creek and Soda Butte fill with spotting scopes and you'll struggle to find a spot.

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$202per night

West Yellowstone, Montana

Closest to Old Faithful and the geyser basins

Luxury $220-$210/night

West Yellowstone is the geyser-basin base. You're 30 miles from Old Faithful and 14 miles from Madison Junction, so the Upper, Midway, and Lower Geyser Basins are all morning trips. The town itself is touristy. Canyon Street is a strip of t-shirt shops and chain motels, but Madison Crossing and Bullwinkle's Saloon are decent for dinner. The IMAX and Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center are skip-worthy unless you have kids who need a rest day. Lamar Valley is 2 hours away from here, so wildlife viewing means a long drive. Pair West Yellowstone with Gardiner if you can. 2 nights each.

Best for

Families doing Old Faithful and Grand Prismaticfirst-time Yellowstone visitors

Walk times

Canyon Street to Madison Crossing Lounge 5 min
Town center to West Entrance 8 min
Holiday Inn to Wild West Pizzeria 3 min

Skip if: You're chasing wolves and bears in Lamar Valley. Wrong side of the park.

Local tip: Hit Grand Prismatic from the Fairy Falls trailhead overlook, not the boardwalk. The boardwalk is at ground level and you can't see the colors. The overlook adds 1.6 miles but it's the shot you came for.

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$246per night