Where We’re Staying

The North Yellowstone Lodge (1083 US Hwy 89 S; Gardiner, MT) is located along the banks of the Yellowstone River approximately 10 miles north of Gardiner and the Yellowstone National Park entrance. The lodge is a cozy base for our teacher workshop and is conveniently located for access to culturally and ecologically important sites in and round the park.  

The lodge has two main buildings—the first includes a kitchen and pantry, dining room, and communal space; and the second houses sleeping quarters and bathrooms/showers. Additional communal spaces include picnic tables outside on the deck overlooking the Yellowstone River, a fire pit, picnic tables in the dorm courtyard, a “game room” connected to sleeping quarters, and the orchard beyond the lodge.  

Dorm rooms are a mix of singles and shared rooms—all singles have a queen bed and shared rooms are mix of queens and full-size bunk-style beds. Participants will also be given the option to camp in the orchard beside the lodge. 

Costs of lodging, which would be deducted from your stipend, are as follows: 

  • $74/night for a single room ($444 for the week) 

  • $41/night for a shared room ($246 for the week) 

  • $20/night for camping ($120 for the week) 

There are only 6 available single rooms, and these will be assigned on a first-come-first-serve basis (by order of our receipt of your confirmed offer to participate, due April 14). If you have concerns about the available lodging options, please reach out. We’re happy to try to accommodate your needs, or to support you in finding lodging in the area that meets your needs. And if you know other participants and would prefer to share a room with them, please reach out—we’ll try to respond to any and all preferences for room assignments! 

The lodge is largely ADA accessible. However, if you have specific mobility needs, please reach out to workshop organizers so that we can ensure you are placed in a room that accommodated your accessibility needs.  

Families and pets are not permitted to stay at the lodge. If you intend to bring family or pets, you will be responsible for securing your own lodging.  

Travel & Lodging

Alternative Options

If you decide to seek alternative lodging in the area—either to accommodate family or pets traveling with you, or because having a single room and more personal space is a priority for you—here are a few options we would encourage: 

  • Yellowstone Basin Inn: $600+/week 

  • Absaroka Motel: $750+/week 

  • Yellowstone River Motel:$800+/week 

  • 406 Lodge: $1,000+/week 

  • Various Air BnB and VRBO options: $1,200-$2,000/week, depending on size, location, and comfort.  

Getting There

To get to the north entrance of the park and Gardiner—where this program will be based—it is easiest to fly into the Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport (BZN) in Bozeman.   

Other options (in order of proximity) include the Billings-Logan International Airport in Billings; the Yellowstone Regional Airport near Cody, WY; the Idaho Falls Regional Airport in Idaho Falls, ID; or the Missoula International Airport in Missoula. But flying into these locations will require significantly more driving and sometimes driving through the park (and paying for an individual vehicle entry on your own dime).   

It is approximately 80 miles from the Bozeman airport to the lodge outside Gardiner. Whereas it could be up to 280 miles from those other locations.   

Group transport from/to either the Bozeman or Billings Airport may be available depending on number and logistics of participants arrival and departure flights.   

Things to Do in and Around Yellowstone

In or Through the Park!

  • Spans the geothermal basins in the south of the park, Yellowstone lake, and wildlife rich areas in the center and north. The best way to see all of Yellowstone in a day (or two if you stay somewhere in the park!!). Entry is $35 per vehicle.

  • Northeast of YNP. One of the most spectacular drives in the state! Incredible views and hikes and camping on the Beartooth Plateau possible. You’ll need to go through YNP to access Cooke City, so the cost would be $35 per vehicle.

  • A similarly stunning drive to the above. $35 per vehicle for park entrance fee.

  • Or drive south through Yellowstone and into GTNP, which has stunning views and wildlife of its own. $70 total for entry to both parks (or you can get an annual parks pass for $80).

North of Gardiner

  • A great place to soak for a few hours or relax for a few days!

  • There’s great hiking in the Paradise Valley, both heading up into the Gallatin range and the Absarokas. Easy hikes include Pine Creek Falls and Passage Creek Falls, but options are virtually unlimited for longer hikes/backpacking.

  • Peak wildlife watching (tons of grizzly bears) and some more strenuous hikes. Also a campground, though we would recommend having some sort of hard-sided sleeping shelter (i.e., not a tent), given the prevalence of grizzlies,

  • Museum of the Rockies, downtown shopping and dining, Hyalite Canyon recreation and plenty of other hikes in and around Bozeman.

Eating in the Area

  • Follow Yer Nose BBQ and Wildflour Bakery

  • Tons of options. Wonderland Café is popular. Eat Café is big with the locals. Grizzly Grill Food Truck is great.

  • Copper Bar, Rice (downtown), Montana Aleworks, a brewery on basically every corner (we like Map Brewing and Mountain Walking), Wild Crumb Bakery, Bozeman Co-op, tons of great little coffee spots.

Staying in the Area

  • Yellowstone Hot Springs, Eagle Creek Campground (USFS)

  • Mammoth Campground, Lewis Lake, Madison, Norris

  • Roosevelt Lodge

  • Yellowstone Basin Inn, Absaroka Motel, 406 Lodge, Yellowstone River Motel, OTO Dude Ranch (USFS, very expensive but you get the authentic Dude Ranch experience)