Planning a Yellowstone trip from Cody, WY

Ninety percent of Yellowstone visitors enter through the West Entrance near West Yellowstone, MT. This creates a predictable result: the western sections of the park are the most crowded, the most photographed, and the ones that most resemble a theme park in July. The east entrance via Cody is genuinely different.

The road from Cody into Yellowstone through the Wapiti Valley is 52 miles of one of the most scenic drives in North America. It follows the North Fork of the Shoshone River through canyon walls, past volcanic pinnacles, and through some of the densest grizzly bear habitat in the lower 48. You may see bears before you enter the park.

The eastern sections of Yellowstone, Fishing Bridge, Lake Village, the Hayden Valley, see a fraction of the western crowds. The Hayden Valley is the best wildlife corridor in the park: bison herds of hundreds, wolves (occasionally), grizzlies, and elk in concentrations that rival what you'd see in an African game reserve.

Cody itself is worth a full day. The Buffalo Bill Center of the West is legitimately one of the best western museums in the country, five museums under one roof covering Plains Indian art, natural history, firearms, western art, and Buffalo Bill's life. Budget three hours minimum. The Cody Nite Rodeo runs every night in summer. It's touristy and also genuinely excellent.

Our Yellowstone property, The Yellowstone, is 50 miles from the East Gate and 10 minutes from downtown Cody. We'll send you a curated local guide before arrival, everything above and more, with the seasonal timing notes that matter.