Three Bear Lodge is one of West Yellowstone's most characterful places to stay and a natural base for both summer park days and winter snowcoach and snowmobile trips. It sits just two blocks from the park's West Entrance, the busiest gateway into Yellowstone, within walking distance of the town's restaurants, shops, the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center and the operators who run winter tours into the interior. After a fire in February 2008 destroyed part of the lodge, it was rebuilt with reclaimed wood from the old building, with handmade furniture and a log-and-stone lobby that gives it a warm, rustic feel. Rooms include playful Goldilocks-themed options and larger multi-unit rooms that suit families and groups, along with lodge and motel rooms at premium and standard levels. The on-site restaurant saves a walk on cold evenings. Seasonal context matters in West Yellowstone: from November 1 until the over-snow season begins on December 15, the West Entrance is closed to cars, and the town is quiet; from mid-December, it becomes the main hub for snowcoach tours and guided snowmobile trips to Old Faithful and the geyser basins, and lodges like this one fill with winter visitors. In summer, reservations are recommended well ahead, especially June through August. Fit: families looking for space and fun themed rooms, winter travelers booking snowcoach or snowmobile tours, and first-time visitors who want to be close to the park gate.
West Yellowstone is a working gateway town, and Three Bear Lodge fits that character: unpretentious, friendly and practical. Its location means you can walk to the entrance-area businesses, grab breakfast and be inside the park within minutes in summer, or step out to meet your snowcoach in winter. Spring brings bison calves to the meadows along the Madison River, and fall brings the elk rut, both within an easy drive of the lodge.
Booking craft
Request a family or multi-unit room for groups, ask about the restaurant's seasonal hours, and book snowcoach or snowmobile tours as soon as winter dates are set, since popular days sell out. In summer, start early to beat the line at the West Entrance and head for the Madison and Firehole river corridors to Old Faithful and Grand Prismatic Spring.
Practicals
217 Yellowstone Avenue, West Yellowstone, two blocks from the West Entrance. The entrance is closed to cars from November 1 until the over-snow season starts mid-December, and reopens to cars in spring. Fit: families, winter snowcoach and snowmobile travelers, and first-timers.
Why stay here
- ✓Two blocks from the West Entrance
- ✓On-site restaurant
- ✓Goldilocks-themed rooms
- ✓Family and group rooms
- ✓Log and stone lobby
- ✓Walk to snowcoach departures
- ✓Walk to town restaurants
- ✓Lodge and motel room options
Good questions
How close is Three Bear Lodge to Yellowstone?+
Two blocks from the West Entrance, within walking distance of town restaurants, shops and winter tour departures.
Can I enter the park from West Yellowstone in November?+
Not by car. The West Entrance closes to regular vehicles on November 1; from December 15, snowcoach and guided snowmobile tours operate until the spring reopening.
Is it good for families?+
Yes. Goldilocks-themed rooms and larger multi-unit rooms suit families and groups, and the on-site restaurant is convenient.
