Roosevelt Lodge & Cabins

The Roosevelt Cabins ended up being my favorite stay in Yellowstone. The cabins were so cool I’m thinking about building something similar, and the staff was 10/10. Showers and bathrooms get a 9/10, while the atmosphere was 10/10. We spent a week in Yellowstone and stayed here on our first night. I regret not booking the other nights too. It doesn't take terribly long to get across the main loop, and I definitely plan to come back. Such a memorable experience!

The lodge itself was nice, with cute rooms and comfy beds, though the floors squeaked a lot. We also had a very good meal at the reasonably priced restaurant. I’d consider booking again, but the reservation problem would make me wary. Someone coming from another country who doesn't know English well could have ended up without anywhere to stay. I booked 2 nights in January 2025 for August 2025, but when we arrived, the reservation had been changed to just 1 night. We had to drive back to Mammoth at the last minute to get cell service, check the booking, and call Xanterra customer service. They said the lodge had changed it that day and that I needed to speak with the lodge, even though I had just done that. I guess there was some kind of technical issue. The front desk girl was empathetic, and we got a partial discount and found a rental night in Gardiner. Still, it definitely wasn't an ideal experience.

I wonder how much the cabins have changed since the early 1980's, when I used to go every three weeks. Back then there was no private bathroom, and the only real heat was a pot belly stove. They were cheap places to sleep after spending the day enthralled by the park, not really hotel rooms. My most special memory was coming down from Mirror Lake toward the campsite. I was telling one of our party that bears weren't the biggest danger in the park, a moose with a newborn was. Just over the next rise, there was a moose with a very small calf. I yelled MOOSE and we scrambled up the nearest trees. I'm very tall and can reach 8 feet above my head flat footed. I jumped up, grabbed a limb, then turned to help my shorter friend climb to safety as the moose hit the tree below us. She snorted and shook her head for a while, then walked up the hillside with her little one, away from our cabin. Once we were sure she was out of earshot, we scurried down the hill. What an experience!

The location is great if you want to be near Lamar Valley. Our cabin had a bathroom with a corner shower and toilet, while the sink was in the room. There was a heater but no a/c, plus a fan, which was nice. We liked opening the windows at night. The rooms were a good size, with enough room to move around, though not enough space for a couch. In our 2 bed cabin, there was a desk and a bench at the end of one bed.