How Much Does A Trip To Yellowstone Cost?

Cost of Travel To Yellowstone National Park

Depending on where you are coming from, the cost of getting to Yellowstone will vary. Flights into Jackson, Wyoming; Idaho Falls, Idaho; or Bozeman, Montana will range in the hundreds of dollars. You are going to need a car to get from one of those airports to Yellowstone and to drive around Yellowstone. While you can take a guided tour of Yellowstone, if you spend more than one day, you’ll want to be able to explore on your own. There isn’t a shuttle system in Yellowstone like there is in Yosemite and Zion National Parks. And it’s a big park with slow speed limits. Driving will be the cost of gas plus hotels if you need to spend the night in route. If you drive to Yellowstone, you already have your vehicle, which simplifies things.

Make planning your trip a cinch with one of my 3-day itineraries or 6-day itineraries.

How Much Does it Cost to Get Into Yellowstone Park?

Yellowstone National Park fees are:

7-Day Yellowstone National Park Pass (covers the Yellowstone entrance fee for everyone in your vehicle)
- Private, non-commercial vehicle: $35
- Motorcycle or snowmobile: $30
- Individual (by foot, bicycle, ski, etc.): $20/person
Annual Yellowstone Pass (covers the Yellowstone National Park entrance fee for everyone in your vehicle)
- $70

Both types of passes are sold at all entrance stations and online through the Your Pass Now website. If you have already paid your National Park entrance fees by way of the America the Beautiful All Access Pass, you can show that to the ranger in the entrance kiosk and drive right in. The U.S. Park Pass is $85 and can be purchased online or at any National Park entrance. Yellowstone admission funds are returned to the national parks at a rate of 80%, knowing that I am supporting parks, makes Yellowstone prices much more bearable, especially when the Federal Government keeps cutting the National Parks budget.

How Much Does Yellowstone Cost – Lodging?

As with everything in this guide to budgeting for a Yellowstone trip, the cost of lodging depends on where you want to stay. Hotels are, of course, more expensive than camping and a different experience. You can stay inside the park or in one of the gateway communities near the park’s entrances. Regardless of where you want to stay, make your reservations as early as possible. Yellowstone hotels and campgrounds fill up quickly! You can find reviews and lodging recommendations in these posts:

How Much Does it Cost to Camp in Yellowstone?

There are 12 campgrounds in Yellowstone National Park and many more in the National Forests surrounding the park. Five of the campgrounds take reservations, the others are first come, first served. Yellowstone campsites cost from $20 for a basic tent camping site to $99 for a campsite with full hook ups. That does not include tax. See what campgrounds in Yellowstone cost in the NPS chart below.

How Much do Hotels in Yellowstone Cost?

Yellowstone lodging is not inexpensive. Roughrider Cabins, the most basic of Yellowstone lodging cost $125 plus tax. That’s for one double bed and no bathroom. On the other end of the spectrum, rooms at the Lake Yellowstone Lodge can cost $550 or more. A suite at the Old Faithful Inn costs more than $700. Most hotel rooms in Yellowstone are between $200-$400 per night. There are many hotels outside of Yellowstone National Park and their room rates are about the same or slightly lower.

How Much Does a Trip To Yellowstone Cost – Food

When you are wondering, “how much would a trip to Yellowstone cost?” you have to figure in food costs. There are plenty of restaurants and grills in Yellowstone. Lunch for one person could cost as little as $10 in one of the grills or much more in one of the dining rooms. Dinners run from $15-$40 per person. Eating outside the park in one of the gateway towns, can be less expensive. When I am helping people plan a trip to Yellowstone through my vacation coaching service, I recommend shopping outside the park for better prices and more variety. You could eat every meal in a Yellowstone restaurant, but that takes a big chunk of time from your day. I recommend bringing at least lunch with you to picnic along the way.

How Much Does Yellowstone Cost – Gear

If you don’t already have all the clothing and gear you need for a national park trip, you may need to make some purchases. Consider specialized clothing, sun and rain protection, and things that make a trip outside more fun. See my summer packing list and my winter packing list for all the necessities and find out how much Yellowstone gear costs.

Yellowstone Family Vacation Packages

How to visit Yellowstone depends on your goals and interests. For some people planning Yellowstone Park vacations, it might be easier to get an all-inclusive package. This could include transportation, lodging, food, and Yellowstone National Park tours. National Park tour packages are definitely the easiest ways to go and the most expensive. Like all these other cost categories, the prices vary wildly depending on how long you want to go to Yellowstone, how luxurious you want your trip to be, and what time of the year you travel. A Yellowstone vacation package costs from $1,000/person for four nights to $5,000 or more per person. Not including tax and tips.