Yellowstone Wildlife Cabins

We were seven family members in the Fox Cabin, and it felt like a clean, new home with everything we needed. There are three bedrooms, two full bathrooms, a full kitchen, and a living room, so we didn’t feel short of anything. It’s very close to the park’s west gate and within walking distance of lots of shops and restaurants. We’d stay there again when visiting Yellowstone with a group this size.

We arrived at the property at 7:45 PM, and the trip there had been extremely stressful. The check-in agreement says there’s an extra charge for arriving after 8 PM. We’d set out from Idaho Falls at 8 AM on July 12th, entered Yellowstone through Grand Teton National Park and the South Entrance, then visited West Thumb Geyser Basin. We finished there around 4 PM and headed toward West Yellowstone, unaware that Highway 191 between West Thumb and Old Faithful Geyser was under construction with strict one-way traffic. That cost us at least an hour. We reached Old Faithful at 6 PM and hurried on, but there was more than an hour of traffic in a three-mile stretch from Fountain Geyser to Madison Junction. We passed the junction around 7 PM, already very anxious. There was no signal in the park, so we couldn’t call or email the landlord. Traffic kept stopping off and on after that because of an accident ahead and two sightings of deer and bison, with cars pulling over for photos. We had to wait in line, which was awful. The house was very quiet, in a safe town, and the landlord was enthusiastic and gave detailed information about the house, Yellowstone National Park, and nearby attractions. The listing and website description were quite similar. Most equipment covered basic needs, and the low nighttime temperatures meant we didn’t need air conditioning. But in the daytime the kitchen, dining room, and two bedrooms got very stuffy and hot. The windows there couldn’t be opened, there were no electric fans, and air circulation was poor. Only the outside living room had a ceiling fan and an exhaust fan venting outdoors. The house was old and felt much like a mobile home. The furniture and equipment were dated but usable. There were two living room sofas, and their cushions could be put on the floor as makeshift mattresses. They were old, though, and the springs were easy to feel. Lying on them, we tilted and sank to one side. The kitchen ventilation was poor too. Its window could only be opened at an angle from outside and needed a tree branch to prop it up. Cooking around 8 in the morning was still very stuffy. The utensils were enough for basic cooking, but seasonings amounted to small bottles of salt and pepper. Earlier reviews said there was no cooking oil, so we bought a small bottle at the supermarket before check-in. We hadn’t expected that salt and pepper would be the only seasonings. There was no sponge, just two dishcloths and a small bottle of hand soap. We weren’t sure whether the cloths were for the table or the dishes, so we had to wash the dishes by hand or use kitchen paper. On the second day there was no hot water in the bathroom.

After full days hiking and exploring Yellowstone National Park, it was lovely to come back to the Bear Cabin, relax, and make dinner. We stayed for a week in September, and cooking breakfast and dinner there saved our family of six a lot of money. It was also much easier with the children than going to restaurants. There was plenty of space for us and our four kids. The older ones could play outside in the evenings while we watched them from the windows. Being able to do laundry was handy too, and meant we didn’t even need to check our luggage. We loved the stay and would recommend it.

The cabin was cozy and comfortable, and had the furniture and utilities four adults or a family with kids would need. It also gave us an authentic feeling of living like pioneer explorers. For us and our guests from Moscow, Russia, it felt like a “dacha,” the kind of summer cabin in the woods many Russians have. Fresh air, being able to open the windows and smell the woods, quiet nights, comfortable living room couch and chairs, and a fully equipped kitchen were the things we valued most. We rented Bison Home for four nights for four people. Its location was ideal for exploring Yellowstone Park and living comfortably. We got back late most nights because of traffic in the park, but restaurants and the grocery store were still open, so we could get dinner and buy food for breakfast the next morning. We enjoyed our stay. Thank you very much, Cynthia!