West Yellowstone, MT

Travel Guide

West Yellowstone
West Yellowstone
West Yellowstone
West Yellowstone
West Yellowstone

Outdoor opportunities abound in this gateway to Yellowstone National Park, with fishing, hiking and wildlife encounters all on your doorstep.

West Yellowstone is a town in Montana surrounded by national parks and many miles from a big city. See grizzly bears and wolves in their natural environment and explore the geysers, hot pools and hiking trails of neighboring Yellowstone Park.  Get to West Yellowstone by car from Salt Lake City in Utah, about 325 miles (523 kilometers) south. Ride a snow mobile to get around the town and surrounding wilderness in winter. Attractions such as an IMAX theater and the Yellowstone Historic Center keep you entertained indoors. 

Nestled beside the world-famous Yellowstone National Park, West Yellowstone has served as a gateway for those looking to explore its natural riches since 1908. Despite having a permanent population of just 1,200 the town receives more than 3.5 million visitors per year and is well set up to help tourists make the most of their time in the area. 

Head out into the park and waterfalls, geysers and rejuvenating hot pools that are all within easy reach of the town. Try and catch a trout in the nearby Madison and Gallatin rivers or rent a boat and enjoy a day on the water on Hebgen Lake. Enjoy a scenic drive out to the Earthquake Lake, which was formed in 1959 by a 7.5-magnitude earthquake.  

As you’d expect for a town that sits 7,000 feet (2,134 meters) above sea level, the winters can be harsh. This doesn’t have to stop you from getting into the outdoors. Wrap up warm and jump onto a snowmobile or take a tour of the area in a sled pulled by dogs. Cross-country skiing is also a popular activity. 

Visit the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery center, where you can see grizzly bears and raptors in their natural environment. Learn about the town’s history in the Yellowstone Historic Center, which holds old coaches and trains from the area and a display on the 1959 earthquake. Enjoy the area’s stunning scenery from the comfort of a seat in the IMAX cinema, or catch a show at the Bears Den Cinema. There are also outdoor theater and musical performances in the town center during the summer.

Where to stay in West Yellowstone

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Lazy Acres

5/5(1 area review)

If you're looking for some top things to see and do in Lazy Acres and surrounding area, you can visit Two Top Mountain and Tweedy Lake.

Lazy Acres
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Horse Butte

Hebgen Lake is one noteworthy place to stop while you're exploring Horse Butte and the surrounding area.

Horse Butte
Gray Wolf Inn & Suites
Gray Wolf Inn & Suites
3 out of 5
250 S Canyon St, West Yellowstone, MT
The price is ₩421,898 per night from Aug 3 to Aug 4
₩421,898
₩496,509 total
Aug 3 - Aug 4
includes taxes & fees
Stay at this 3-star business-friendly hotel in West Yellowstone. Enjoy free WiFi, free parking, and a 24-hour fitness center. Our guests praise the helpful staff ...
8.8/10 Excellent! (1,257 reviews)
"Nice and clean rooms, breakfast could have been better. Overall very good."

Reviewed on Jul 4, 2025

Gray Wolf Inn & Suites
Yellowstone Westgate Hotel
Yellowstone Westgate Hotel
2.5 out of 5
638 Madison Ave, West Yellowstone, MT
The price is ₩401,171 per night from Jul 11 to Jul 12
₩401,171
₩452,055 total
Jul 11 - Jul 12
includes taxes & fees
Book a stay at this business-friendly hotel in West Yellowstone. Enjoy free breakfast, free WiFi, and free parking. Our guests praise the breakfast and the pool ...
8.8/10 Excellent! (1,015 reviews)
"Stay overall was excellent but had a little mixup with room assignments in their system and another guest was accidentally assigned to and given a key card to our room, which they unlocked and walked in. Luckily we were present when it happened. Staff working the front desk were very apologetic and ..."

Reviewed on Jul 7, 2025

Yellowstone Westgate Hotel
Kelly Inn West Yellowstone
Kelly Inn West Yellowstone
2.5 out of 5
104 South Canyon, West Yellowstone, MT
The price is ₩398,582 per night from Jul 9 to Jul 10
₩398,582
₩449,139 total
Jul 9 - Jul 10
includes taxes & fees
Stay at this hotel in West Yellowstone. Enjoy free breakfast, free WiFi, and free parking. Our guests praise the breakfast and the helpful staff in our reviews. ...
9.2/10 Wonderful! (1,183 reviews)
A great place to stay visiting Yellow Stone
"Excellent location, minutes away from the west entrance of Yellow Stone. friendly staff, good breakfast."

Reviewed on Jul 6, 2025

Kelly Inn West Yellowstone
Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.
Terra Nova Cabins
Terra Nova Cabins
3 out of 5
35 Kirkwood Creek Road, West Yellowstone, MT
Stay at this 3-star business-friendly cabin in West Yellowstone. Enjoy free WiFi, free parking, and daily housekeeping. Popular attractions Kirkwood Marina and ...
9.2/10 Wonderful! (675 reviews)
"Very clean easy access. Beautiful views"

Reviewed on Jun 30, 2025

Terra Nova Cabins
Castle in the Sky Unit X
Castle in the Sky Unit X
4 out of 5
128 D Pkwy, West Yellowstone, MT
Stay at this 4-star vacation home in West Yellowstone. Enjoy free WiFi, free parking, and Netflix. Popular attractions Yellowstone Park West Entrance and West ...
"Great 1bd/1bth property. It was clean and had all amenities listed. Great location for drive into Yellowstone Park. The town is very unassuming a lot of small businesses, not many chain stores or restaurants. We came at the end of season mid October so some places were closed or it was their last ..."

Reviewed on Oct 14, 2024

Castle in the Sky Unit X
The Yellowstone Hideaway Unit B
The Yellowstone Hideaway Unit B
4 out of 5
12 Gibbon Ave, B, West Yellowstone, MT
Stay at this 4-star apartment in West Yellowstone. Enjoy free WiFi, free parking, and Netflix. Popular attractions Yellowstone Park West Entrance and West Yellowstone ...
9.6/10 Exceptional! (10 reviews)
"Very well equipped property with full kitchen and laundry"

Reviewed on Apr 22, 2025

The Yellowstone Hideaway Unit B
Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.

Popular places to visit

Reviews of West Yellowstone

4.5
Top Destination
5 - Excellent
534
5 - Excellent 60%
4 - Good
300
4 - Good 34%
3 - Okay
55
3 - Okay 6%
2 - Disappointing
5
2 - Disappointing 1%
1 - Terrible
1
1 - Terrible 0%

5/5 - Excellent

Verified traveler

Beartooth BBQ was an awesome place, too!

4/5 - Good

Verified traveler

The Mexican bus had amazing food as well as the crepe shop, Yogi's, right next to ii.

5/5 - Excellent

Verified traveler

Snowmobiling there is fantistic.

4/5 - Good

Verified traveler

The town is pretty quiet midwinter, but I like the lack of crowds.

4/5 - Good

Verified traveler

Nice small town. Very nice public park for kids. In winter limited options for eating, if there for several days probably prepare for either eating lots of hamburgers or making some of your own meals.

5/5 - Excellent

Verified traveler

Snowmobile excursion into Yellowstone was an awesome experience

Cities near West Yellowstone