Yellowstone/Cooke City, MT

[ekfeejay]

We are heading to Yellowstone soon ~ any recommendations on where to stay? We would prefer to stay in a cabin ~ looked on the internet and found Stillwater Outfitters and Painter Outpost ~ any other suggestions? Also, after riding the Beartooth Highway, we will be heading back into Yellowstone.

What is the best way to go into the Park ~ Cooke City, MT or Cody,WY? Thanks.

 

[7xray]

We are heading to Yellowstone next week ~ any recommendations on where to stay? We would prefer to stay in a cabin ~ looked on the internet and found Stillwater Outfitters and Painter Outpost ~ any other suggestions? Also, after riding the Beartooth Highway, we will be heading back into Yellowstone. What is the best way to go into the Park ~ Cooke City, MT or Cody,WY? Thanks.

Can't help on accommodations in Cooke City, but from the Beartooth Pass I'd recommend going south to Cody on the Chief Joseph highway and then back into the park at the East entrance.

Have fun.

Fred

 

[Roy Epperson]

We are heading to Yellowstone next week ~ any recommendations on where to stay?

We stayed in Cook City in August 2006. Unless they have changed, I would not recommend Soda Butte Lodge. We had problems with the room and the motel staff was "less than willing to correct the problem". However, the restaurant service a great breakfast. We had a great dinner at the Beartooth Cafe!

We came and went from Cook City through the North East entrance to the Park. We did go to Cody 'cause the Hells Angles was having a convention that week.....

 

[wheatonFJR]

I believe there is a Super 8 in Cooke City.

The family and I just stayed in a cottage in Gardiner, MT. We liked it there.

If you like animals...hit the east and north sides of YStone. If you like scenery...the east side is great with the falls and the grand canyon of YStone. If you like the thermals...then near Old Faithful on the southwest is best. We just got back today and had a great time out there.

 

[7xray]

Hi ekfeejay,

If you are coming in from the west on I90, jump off at Columbus and take Rt 78 through Absarokee to Red Lodge. I went through there today and it is just gorgeous. An alternative is to go to Laurel and take Rt 212 but that is pretty boring. Went over the Pass today about 11 am, 52 degrees F with cool wind blowing. The place was rotten with harleys as there was a rally in Red Lodge. Cooke City is the NE armpit of Yellowstone. I stopped for a burger (not bad) but the water in the place was off. Some kind of general water supply failure in the town. As Wheaton says, there is a super 8 and a number of other places but it is all pretty shabby. There is a bunch of construction west of town, had a 30 minute wait to get through. Once into the park the road is pretty good as they have upgraded it in the past few years. The Lamar valley between the NE entrance and Tower Falls is pretty but nothing special. Not many animals around this time of year. Only a few buffalo and I saw one lonely cow elk coming out of Mammoth.

I'd suggest you skip Cooke City altogether and stay in Columbus or Red Lodge and then go over the Beartooth and then head south to Cody and then in the East entrance. That would (to me) be way more interesting. And the road from the Beartooth Pass to Cody, called the Chief Joseph Highway, is superb. Not to be missed.

Cheers and have a good trip.

 

[ekfeejay]

I believe there is a Super 8 in Cooke City.
The family and I just stayed in a cottage in Gardiner, MT. We liked it there.

If you like animals...hit the east and north sides of YStone. If you like scenery...the east side is great with the falls and the grand canyon of YStone. If you like the thermals...then near Old Faithful on the southwest is best. We just got back today and had a great time out there.

Did you see everything you wanted to see? How many days did you spend? We hope to be able to do a couple short hikes and do lots of sightseeing, so it may take a couple days.

 

[ekfeejay]

Hi ekfeejay,If you are coming in from the west on I90, jump off at Columbus and take Rt 78 through Absarokee to Red Lodge. I went through there today and it is just gorgeous. An alternative is to go to Laurel and take Rt 212 but that is pretty boring. Went over the Pass today about 11 am, 52 degrees F with cool wind blowing. The place was rotten with harleys as there was a rally in Red Lodge. Cooke City is the NE armpit of Yellowstone. I stopped for a burger (not bad) but the water in the place was off. Some kind of general water supply failure in the town. As Wheaton says, there is a super 8 and a number of other places but it is all pretty shabby. There is a bunch of construction west of town, had a 30 minute wait to get through. Once into the park the road is pretty good as they have upgraded it in the past few years. The Lamar valley between the NE entrance and Tower Falls is pretty but nothing special. Not many animals around this time of year. Only a few buffalo and I saw one lonely cow elk coming out of Mammoth.

I'd suggest you skip Cooke City altogether and stay in Columbus or Red Lodge and then go over the Beartooth and then head south to Cody and then in the East entrance. That would (to me) be way more interesting. And the road from the Beartooth Pass to Cody, called the Chief Joseph Highway, is superb. Not to be missed.

Cheers and have a good trip.

Thanks for all the tips! Are you telling me Cooke City hasn't modernized at all in the last 20 years? I was there snowmobiling in 1991, and it wasn't much then. We are coming from the west but will be coming down Hwy 89 all the way from the border, and through the top of the park. The plan is to ride Chief Joseph to hwy120 then to Red Lodge and do the Beartooth (I've been told it best done from the Red Lodge side) back to Cooke City.

Is the "Chief Joseph" just the section between 212 and 120 or all the way to Cody?