How to Visit Yellowstone Last Minute and Still Have an Amazing Trip

Yellowstone's Old Faithful Lodge is an icon, yet it's nearly impossible to get a room.

Are you thinking about visiting Yellowstone at the last minute, but don’t have any reservations for lodging? Maybe you don’t know where in Yellowstone to start? Maybe you’re wondering if you can just pull up at one of the four main gates to enjoy the park? You might be wondering where your best chances are to find a last-minute place to stay near Yellowstone.

The good news is, you don’t need reservations to visit Yellowstone or see any of its popular attractions. The bad news is that if you don’t make reservations for lodging at least four to six months in advance, you’re going to have a hard time finding any place to stay in or immediately near the park. Especially in Yellowstone’s brief summer high season.

My father considered himself the king of improvised Yellowstone trips and took me on a few. In later years when I was working as a travel writer with too much time on my hands in the west and wanted to check out Yellowstone.

Between his hard-earned lessons and my more recent experiences, I’ve learned a few tricks when it comes to visiting Yellowstone at the last minute without reservations.

Can You Visit Yellowstone Without Reservations?

Yes! Yellowstone doesn’t require entrance reservations, so you can drive into the park anytime. However, lodging and campsites inside the park often book months in advance, making it tricky for last-minute travelers. The key is knowing where to stay, being flexible, and having multiple backup options outside the park.

Finding a Last-Minute Rental Car Near Yellowstone

If you're flying into Salt Lake City, Utah, Bozeman, Montana, Cody or Billings, you'll need to reserve a rental car as soon as possible. The most popular options are reserved well in advance, but you might be able to find a less popular model within a week of your flight. I find that Discover Cars network of rental cars usually has the best availability and pricing of all the rental car agencies near Yellowstone.

Best Chances to Find Last Minute Lodging Near Yellowstone

Without reservations, your chances of finding a hotel room or cabin inside the park are on par with winning the lottery. You can waste an awful lot of time trying to find that one in a million last-second cancellation.

On the other end of the spectrum, you can always disperse camp at a primitive spot in one of the national forests within an hour of Yellowstone. However, this is a rough, scrabble existence alone in the woods with no amenities. And you’ll be up all night wondering if that noise you heard is a bear, cougar, or wolf about to bite your face off.

An established dispersed campground outside of Yellowstone with a rare picnic table.

The comfortable middle ground that offers you a fair chance of finding a place to lay your head at night is to get a hotel room in one of the towns an hour outside of Yellowstone or get a campsite at one of the primitive campgrounds outside the park. Most have pit toilets and reasonable access to washing water. You can sort out the rest once you’re there.

Pro Tip: When road tripping, always travel with a basic tent, air mattresses, and sleeping bags in the car. If you suffer a breakdown or you find a last second campsite, you can always set up to get through the night. Then a quick trip to town will let you buy the rest of what you need.

Where to Stay Last Minute

The following are some of your best Hail Mary chances of finding a place to stay in or near Yellowstone without reservations.

First-Come, First-Served Campgrounds (Inside Yellowstone)

Some Yellowstone campgrounds don’t take reservations and operate on a first-come, first-served basis. Arriving early, before 7 AM, gives you the best chance at securing a spot. Yet there are usually people staying multiple days in one site, and there are those who have been known to be there hours before predawn gray to form a line.

Yellowstone's Grant Campground Map showing some first-come, first-serve campsites

In my experience, the only chance you have of getting a campsite in one of these places is early on a weekday. Pulling through on a Sunday afternoon or before the first photon of predawn gray on a Monday is your best chance.

My dad once got extremely lucky on a Wednesday morning as some people were packing up and he offered to help them in exchange for getting their spot.

Indian Creek Campground – Quiet, no RV hookups, 16 miles from Mammoth Hot Springs.

Lewis Lake Campground – Near Yellowstone Lake, great for fishing and kayaking.

Tower Fall Campground – Close to wildlife viewing areas and Lamar Valley. In my experience, this is your best chance. Especially in early summer.

Check the Campground Availability at Yellowstone National Park for real-time updates on the best sites.

Gateway Town Hotels & Motels (Outside Yellowstone)

Assuming all the Yellowstone in-park lodging is fully booked, look for last-minute accommodations in nearby towns.

West Yellowstone, MT

Closest to the park’s busiest entrance. Lots of hotels but can be pricey. Even if you’ve got the money to shell out on a last-second room, your chances they of finding something, and I definitely wouldn’t start here.

Gardiner, MT

Near the North Entrance and Mammoth Hot Springs. More budget-friendly options. There’s

Roosevelt Arch at Yellowstone's North Entrance

also a lot of outfitters here, and if you ask nicely, they might be able to point you to an available primitive cabin nearby.

Cooke City & Silver Gate, MT

Small mountain towns near the Northeast Entrance, great for wildlife lovers. In my experience, this is your best chance of finding a last-second opening or a room that hasn’t yet been reserved. Some of the lodges here are also affiliated with campgrounds that have small rental cabins. So, even if you can’t get a room, they might be able to point you in the right direction.

Cody, WY

About an hour from the East Entrance, with a Wild West vibe and more availability. Cody was straight-up built to be a tourist town, and while it has a bit of a tourist trap vibe, it also offers a good chance of finding a hotel room. There are also a fair number of vacation rental cabins in the Hills surrounding Cody and the drive to Yellowstone’s East Gate that might be available.

Big Sky, MT

Big Sky, Montana is only an hour outside of Yellowstone’s west gate. It’s usually a ski town, where the population drops in summer. This means you can usually find an open hotel room or a vacation rental or an available chalet. However, most of these rentals will require a two-night stay.

Livingston, MT

Livingston is a little over an hour from Yellowstone’s north gate and is a quaintly, iconic

The Murray Hotel is just one of many possible hotels in Livingston. Just an hour away from Yellowstone, a

western town. I love Livingston, I’m thinking about retiring there. I met Jim Harrison there years ago when he was singing its praises. If you call around, you can usually find a hotel room or a vacation rental that’s either available or has a last minute opening.

Pro Tip: Check hotel websites directly instead of third-party booking sites. Some hotels hold rooms for walk-ins!

Last-Minute Park Lodging (Cancellations & Walk-Ins)

Yellowstone’s lodges inside the park are typically booked months in advance, but cancellations happen! This really is a dice roll, with chances that are on par with sinking a hole-in-one at Pebble Beach.

Yellowstone's Canyon Lodge is nearly impossible to get a room without a reservation

My Father tried this half a dozen or so times and struck out every time. I would only consider these if you happen to be driving through. Even if you can get a miraculous last-second room, they’re very outdated, and most don’t have AC.

Call Xanterra (Yellowstone’s lodging operator) 888-297-2757. It’s best to call early in the morning to check for same-day openings.

Try the Old Faithful Snow Lodge or Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel for last-minute availability.

Privately Owned Campgrounds Outside Yellowstone

There are tons of great campgrounds just outside Yellowstone where you can tent camp or stay in a camper van or truck camper. A few even have RV sites available, but most RV campgrounds book out 9 to 12 months in advance, so don’t bet on bringing your travel trailer.

Mallard’s Rest Campground

Recently re-opened, you’ll find it 12 miles south of Livingston, MT, along the Yellowstone River. Great fishing, quiet riverside camping, beautiful views, and very low wildlife concerns

Amenities: Vault toilets, picnic tables, fire rings (no potable water)

First-Come, First-Served site available.

This small, scenic campground along the Yellowstone River is a great spot if you're coming from Livingston. It’s less crowded than the campgrounds closer to the park but still offers easy access.

Carbella Recreation Site

Near Emigrant, MT, about 20 minutes from Gardiner, north entrance to Yellowstone. Free dispersed camping, river views, easy access to Yellowstone

Amenities: Vault toilets, fire pits (no water or hookups). However, Emigrant Outpost is nearby for supplies, and if the current isn’t high, you can bathe in the freezing cold river.

First-Come, First-Served campsites with no reservations needed. This is exactly the reason why you should always travel with a tent and some basic camping gear.

This BLM (Bureau of Land Management) site is free and sits right on the Yellowstone River. It's a fantastic option for budget travelers looking for a scenic but convenient camping spot.

Beartooth Lake Campground

Just off the Beartooth Highway (US-212), about 23 miles from Cooke City, MT. There are tons of great hiking, alpine lake views, and even some fishing opportunities.

Amenities: Vault toilets, picnic tables, fire rings (no water)

First-come, First-Served sites are available.

This campground sits at 8,900 feet and offers spectacular mountain views. It’s a great alternative to the crowded campgrounds near Yellowstone’s Northeast Entrance. It’s breathtaking literally and metaphorically. Just make sure you have bear spray with you, as the wildlife concerns here are some of the highest in the GYE.

Crazy Creek Campground

You’ll find it 12 miles east of Cooke City, off Beartooth Highway. Waterfalls nearby to hike to with quiet camp sites, and nearby hiking trails

Amenities: Vault toilets, fire rings, picnic tables (no water or hookups).

Crazy Creek Campground close to Yellowstone with great scenic vistas.

First-come, First-served sites are available.

Tucked away near Crazy Creek Falls, this is a lesser-known spot with peaceful surroundings. It’s great for avoiding the Beartooth Highway crowds while staying close to Yellowstone.

Red Cliff Campground

Nestled 7 miles south of Big Sky, MT, on Highway 191, it has great river access, hiking, and proximity to Big Sky. There are even white water rafting and ziplining outfitters in the area.

Amenities: Vault toilets, potable water, picnic tables, fire rings

First-come, First-Served campsites available

This riverside campground is one of the most scenic in Gallatin Canyon, offering great fly-fishing and a convenient stop before heading into Yellowstone. The movie A River Runs Through It was filmed near here.

Camp on National Forest Land (Free & No Reservations Needed)

Camping near Yellowstone is by far your best option for finding a place to stay near the park on short notice. I always travel with a tent and basic camping equipment just in case I have car trouble and need a place to stay while I wait for repairs!

A dispersed campsite in Gallatin National Forest, with no amenities and tons of wildlife

There are some areas where you can likely find an open campsite or a campground with an overflow camping area.

If you’re okay with primitive camping, head to nearby Custer Gallatin, Shoshone, or Caribou-Targhee National Forests. These areas allow dispersed camping (free, no reservations), but you’ll need to bring everything, no bathrooms, water, or picnic tables. This is truly primitive camping, and unless you’re a hardened backcountry camping enthusiast, you’ll need to butch up to handle this option.

Best Places for Dispersed Camping Outside Yellowstone

Gallatin National Forest (North Entrance) – Near Gardiner, good for car camping.

Shoshone National Forest (East Entrance) – Less crowded, great mountain views.

Caribou-Targhee National Forest (West Entrance) – Easy access from Idaho, with beautiful scenery. This is a great option, and I know of some spectacular dispersed camping opportunities near Mesa Falls, Idaho.

Pro Tip: Use the iOverlander app to find great free camping spots.

To learn more about Yellowstone National Park and outdoor adventures, follow Eric Beuning's Author Page.