Every year thousands of visitors plan a Yellowstone National Park trip without ever asking one of the most important questions of all, which Yellowstone entrance should I use? Most people default to the West Entrance because it is the most well-known. They book accommodation in West Yellowstone, drive in with the masses, and spend a significant chunk of their vacation sitting in traffic when they could be watching wolves in Lamar Valley or bison in Hayden Valley.
The truth is that choosing the best Yellowstone entrance for your trip is one of the single most impactful planning decisions you can make, and most visitors never think about it at all. This complete Yellowstone entrance guide breaks down all five gates honestly and objectively so you can make an informed decision about which Yellowstone entrance should work best for your trip.
Yellowstone National Park has five entrances: North, Northeast, West, South, and East and each one offers a completely different experience, access to different sections of the park, and dramatically different crowd levels. We make the case, backed by facts, for why the Yellowstone East Entrance near Cody, Wyoming is the smartest choice for most visitors.
Before diving into the details here is a quick reference breakdown of all five entrances in this Yellowstone entrance guide:
| Entrance | Location | Nearest City | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|
| West | West Yellowstone, MT | West Yellowstone | Very Heavy |
| North | Gardiner, MT | Gardiner | Moderate |
| Northeast | Cooke City, MT | Cooke City | Light |
| South | Moran, WY | Jackson | Moderate-Heavy |
| East | Cody, WY | Cody | Light-Moderate |
The West Entrance: West Yellowstone, Montana
The Most Popular Entrance
The West Entrance is the most visited of all five Yellowstone entrances, and that popularity is easy to understand. It is the closest entry point to Old Faithful and the Upper Geyser Basin, the iconic geothermal corridor that most first-time visitors consider the centerpiece of a Yellowstone trip. From the West Gate you can reach Old Faithful in approximately 30 miles of park driving.
What the West Entrance gives you access to: The West Entrance is the most direct route to Old Faithful, the Upper Geyser Basin, the Midway Geyser Basin including the Grand Prismatic Spring, the Norris Geyser Basin, and the Madison River area. For visitors whose primary goal is the geyser basins it is a logical choice.
The honest reality of Yellowstone West Entrance crowds: Popularity comes with a cost. The road from the West Entrance to the Old Faithful corridor is the park’s main artery. During that 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. peak this two-lane road can feel like a parking lot because most day-trippers head there first creating the park’s well-known traffic jams.
Yellowstone West Entrance crowds are worth understanding before you book. There will be minimal traffic at 7am at the West Entrance. By 8am things start backing up. The worst of the lines is between 9am and 11am. The late afternoon and early evening exit can be equally challenging — long lines of vehicles backing up well beyond Madison Junction as day visitors head back to town for dinner. To avoid the worst of the Yellowstone West Entrance crowds experienced travelers recommend arriving before 8am or waiting until after 11am to enter.
None of this makes the West Entrance a bad choice, but it is information every visitor deserves to have before deciding. If you are asking which Yellowstone entrance should I use for maximum convenience and minimum hassle the West Entrance is not the obvious answer that most travel resources suggest.
The West Yellowstone town experience: West Yellowstone is a well-equipped gateway town with solid hotels, restaurants, gear shops, and tour operators. It is purpose-built for Yellowstone visitors and does that job well. It is not however a destination in its own right, there is relatively little to do in the town itself beyond preparing for or recovering from a day in the park.
Bottom line on the West Entrance: A solid choice for first-time visitors whose primary goal is the geyser basins. Go in early or after 11am to manage Yellowstone West Entrance crowds effectively and plan your exit before the late afternoon dinner rush.
The North Entrance: Gardiner, Montana
The Historic Gateway — Open Year Round
The North Entrance at Gardiner, Montana holds a special place in Yellowstone history, it is the park’s original entrance and the only one open to regular vehicles year-round. Visitors entering through the North Gate pass under the iconic Roosevelt Arch, a dramatic stone archway dedicated by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1903 and one of the most photographed landmarks in the entire national park system.
What the North Entrance gives you access to: From the North Entrance visitors have immediate access to Mammoth Hot Springs with its dramatic terraced travertine formations. From Mammoth visitors can reach Tower Junction, the northern range wildlife watching areas, and the road toward Lamar Valley and the Northeast Gate corridor.
Crowd levels: The North Entrance sees moderate traffic, significantly less congested than the West Entrance, and Gardiner is a small but well-serviced gateway town with solid dining and accommodation options.
The year-round advantage: If you are planning a shoulder season or winter visit the North Entrance is your most reliable option for regular vehicle access making it an excellent choice for off-season travelers.
Bottom line on the North Entrance: A great choice for history enthusiasts, shoulder season and winter visitors, and anyone wanting easy access to Mammoth Hot Springs and the northern range. For visitors asking which Yellowstone entrance should I use for a winter trip the answer is clear, the North Entrance is your only year-round option.
The Northeast Entrance — Cooke City, Montana
The Quietest Gate — Gateway to Wolf Country
The Northeast Entrance is the least visited and least congested of all five Yellowstone entrances, and for serious wildlife watchers it is arguably the most rewarding gateway into the park.
What the Northeast Entrance gives you access to: The Northeast Entrance is the direct gateway to Lamar Valley, the legendary “American Serengeti” widely considered the greatest wildlife watching destination in North America. Wolf packs, grizzly bears, bison herds, elk, pronghorn, and bald eagles are all regularly encountered in the Lamar Valley corridor. For dedicated wolf watchers and wildlife photographers there is no more productive entry point into Yellowstone.
The Northeast Entrance is also the western terminus of the legendary Beartooth Highway, one of the most spectacular scenic drives in America with a summit of 10,947 feet making it the highest paved highway in the Northern Rockies.
The honest limitations: The gateway communities of Cooke City and Silver Gate are extremely small and remote, offering very limited accommodation, dining, and amenity options. Cell service is essentially nonexistent. For families or travelers requiring full-service amenities the Northeast Entrance presents real logistical challenges as a primary basecamp.
Bottom line on the Northeast Entrance: Outstanding for serious wildlife watchers, wolf enthusiasts, and experienced adventurers who do not require full-service amenities. The Lamar Valley access and minimal crowds are genuine advantages, the remote location and limited services are genuine limitations.
The South Entrance: Moran, Wyoming
The Grand Teton Gateway
The South Entrance connects Yellowstone National Park seamlessly with Grand Teton National Park via the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Memorial Parkway, making it the natural choice for visitors planning a combined two-park road trip. The gateway city of Jackson, Wyoming offers outstanding amenities, world-class dining, excellent accommodation options, and the full Jackson Hole valley experience.
What the South Entrance gives you access to: From the South Entrance visitors have direct access to Yellowstone Lake, the West Thumb Geyser Basin, and Grant Village. From here visitors can reach both the southern portions of the Lower Loop leading toward Old Faithful and the road north toward the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.
The honest considerations: Old Faithful is over 60 miles of park driving from the South Gate and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and Lamar Valley require significant additional driving. If your primary goal is maximizing time at Yellowstone’s most iconic destinations the South Entrance requires more time behind the wheel inside the park than other entry points.
Bottom line on the South Entrance: The best choice for visitors combining Yellowstone with Grand Teton National Park or those staying in the Jackson Hole area. A solid choice if your itinerary includes both parks, less efficient if Yellowstone is your sole destination.
The Yellowstone East Entrance: Cody, Wyoming
The Best Yellowstone Entrance, Here is the Full Case
Here is the entrance that experienced Yellowstone travelers consistently recommend, and the one most first-time visitors never consider. When you look at the complete picture the Yellowstone East Entrance near Cody, Wyoming makes the most compelling case as the best Yellowstone entrance for the majority of visitors. If you are asking which Yellowstone entrance should I use for the best overall experience, this is the answer worth considering most carefully.
Addressing the “Cody is Too Far” Concern, Honestly
This is the objection that comes up most often in Yellowstone travel forums and it deserves a fair and honest response. Cody is approximately 52 miles from the Yellowstone East Entrance, which puts Old Faithful roughly 82 miles of total driving from downtown. West Yellowstone by comparison puts Old Faithful about 30 miles inside the park. On paper that looks like a significant distance disadvantage.
But the paper comparison ignores one critical variable — time spent waiting.
The worst of the Yellowstone West Entrance crowds and lines is between 9am and 11am, regularly 30 to 60 minutes or more during peak summer season. Factor in the late afternoon and early evening exit backup when day visitors head back to town for dinner and a visitor staying near the West Entrance may lose a significant portion of their day simply waiting in line. The Yellowstone East Entrance by comparison typically has waits measured in seconds to minutes even at peak times.
Now consider that guests staying at Old Faithful RV Park are not driving from Cody, they are driving from a park just 32 miles from the Yellowstone East Entrance. That reduces the total drive to Old Faithful to approximately 62 miles, a difference that is largely offset by the time savings of rolling straight through the East Gate without a wait.
Is Cody too far? The honest answer depends entirely on what you value. If minimal wait time, a spectacular scenic drive, direct wildlife watching access, and a world-class gateway city matter to you, then the Yellowstone East Entrance is not just a viable choice. It is a genuinely superior one.
The Drive From Cody to the Yellowstone East Entrance is Extraordinary
The approach road from West Yellowstone to the park entrance is a flat drive through lodgepole pine forest, perfectly pleasant but unremarkable.
The drive from Cody to the Yellowstone East Entrance along the Buffalo Bill Scenic Byway is a different experience entirely. The drive from the park’s East Entrance to Cody along the Buffalo Bill Scenic Byway is considered one of the most beautiful routes in the country. The road follows the North Fork of the Shoshone River through the dramatic Wapiti Valley, past towering red rock canyon walls, the historic Buffalo Bill Dam, dense Shoshone National Forest, and the stunning Absaroka Mountains.
For guests staying at Old Faithful RV Park this spectacular drive begins the moment you pull out of the campground. Wildlife is regularly spotted along this corridor — pronghorn in the sagebrush flats, bighorn sheep on the canyon walls, eagles above the river. The Yellowstone experience does not begin at the gate. It begins 32 miles earlier.
American bison in the Yellowstone park, USA.
What the Yellowstone East Entrance Gives You Access To
From the Yellowstone East Entrance visitors reach Sylvan Pass with breathtaking views of the Absaroka Range before descending to Yellowstone Lake, Fishing Bridge, and the Hayden Valley wildlife watching corridor. From Hayden Valley the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Grand Prismatic Spring, Old Faithful, and Lamar Valley are all accessible via the park’s loop road system.
Hayden Valley is one of the finest wildlife watching destinations in all of Yellowstone, and it is right there waiting for Yellowstone East Entrance visitors without the need to fight through the busy western geyser basin traffic to reach it.
Cody, Wyoming: A Gateway City Worth Talking About
This is where the honest comparison between the West and East entrances becomes particularly compelling. West Yellowstone is a well-equipped tourist town, but it is fundamentally built around park traffic.
Cody, Wyoming is a genuine Western destination. A perfect example of the Greater Yellowstone Area experience is Cody, Wyoming. The drive from the park’s East Entrance to Cody along the Buffalo Bill Scenic Byway is considered one of the most beautiful routes in the country. Instead of fighting for a parking spot you can spend a day exploring history at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West or the historic Old Trail Town. At night the Cody Nite Rodeo runs all summer long.
The Buffalo Bill Center of the West — five Smithsonian-quality museums under one roof — is one of the finest museum complexes in the American West.
The Cody Nite Rodeo runs every night from June through August.
The Wild West Spectacular the Musical brings the history of Buffalo Bill Cody to life at the historic Cody Theatre.
World class fly fishing on the North Fork of the Shoshone River, whitewater rafting, outstanding dining, and authentic Western culture make Cody a destination that stands on its own.
Old Faithful RV ParkL Perfectly Positioned on the Yellowstone East Entrance Corridor
Right between Cody and the Yellowstone East Entrance, just 32 miles from the park gate, sits Old Faithful RV Park on the scenic banks of the North Fork of the Shoshone River. Our full hookup RV sites are big rig friendly with spacious pull through sites and stunning Absaroka Mountain views. Our rustic cabins sleep up to 6 guests with a main floor bedroom, loft bedroom the kids love, sofa sleeper, full bathroom, and fully equipped kitchenette.
Every night of your stay the extraordinary Yellowstone night sky blazes above you from one of the darkest Bortle Class 1 locations in the lower 48 states. And every morning you wake up to the sound of the North Fork of the Shoshone River and 32 miles of spectacular Wyoming scenery between you and the best Yellowstone entrance for the overall visitor experience.
Bottom line on the Yellowstone East Entrance: The most compelling all-around choice for visitors who value minimal wait times, a spectacular approach drive, direct access to the park’s finest wildlife watching areas, and a full-service gateway city with genuine Western character. The distance from Old Faithful is real: but when you factor in wait times, drive quality, wildlife access, and the Cody experience it becomes very difficult to make a stronger overall case for any other entrance.
A Balanced Side by Side Comparison
| Factor | West Entrance | East Entrance |
|---|---|---|
| Peak season entry wait | 30-60+ minutes possible | Minimal — seconds to minutes |
| Approach drive quality | Pleasant but unremarkable | One of America’s most scenic byways |
| Gateway city experience | Well-equipped tourist town | Full-service Western destination |
| Wildlife watching access | Good | Excellent — Hayden Valley direct |
| Peak season crowds | Very heavy | Significantly lighter |
| Distance to Old Faithful | ~30 miles inside park | ~52 miles inside park |
| Evening entertainment | Limited | Rodeo, live shows, fine dining |
| Night sky quality | Affected by town lighting | Bortle Class 1 dark skies |
Tips for Making the Most of the Yellowstone East Entrance
Start early every day. The Yellowstone East Entrance has minimal wait times but arriving at the gate early gives you the best wildlife watching conditions of the day, particularly at Hayden Valley at sunrise.
Stock up in Cody before heading up the North Fork. Cody has everything you need — groceries, bear spray, hiking supplies, and gear. Check our complete Yellowstone Packing List and stock up before heading toward the gate.
Stop at the Fishing Bridge Visitor Center. Rangers here have current information on trail conditions, wildlife activity, and road closures. Five minutes at the visitor center can dramatically improve your day at the Yellowstone East Entrance corridor.
Allow time for the drive itself. The Buffalo Bill Scenic Byway between Old Faithful RV Park and the Yellowstone East Entrance is genuinely spectacular and wildlife is regularly spotted along the corridor. Do not rush this drive, it is part of the experience.
Combine Hayden Valley with the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. These two world-class destinations are easily accessible on the same day from the Yellowstone East Entrance. Check our Yellowstone Wildlife Watching Guide for the best strategies.
Your Perfect East Gate Basecamp
At Old Faithful RV Park, on the scenic banks of the North Fork of the Shoshone River just 32 miles from the Yellowstone East Entrance — you have a comfortable, well-positioned basecamp for exploring everything the best Yellowstone entrance and Cody have to offer.
Before your trip make sure you have also read our essential Yellowstone planning guides:
- Bear Safety in Yellowstone Country
- Yellowstone Wildlife Watching Guide
- Yellowstone with Kids Guide
- Yellowstone Packing List
- Hiking Near Yellowstone’s East Gate
Opening May 8, 2026 — book early, summer fills up fast! Reserve your RV site or cabin Today!
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Frequently Asked Questions: Best Yellowstone Entrance
What is the best Yellowstone entrance to avoid crowds? The Yellowstone East Entrance near Cody, Wyoming and the Northeast Entrance near Cooke City, Montana are consistently the least crowded of all five entrances. The East Gate is particularly practical because it combines minimal wait times with direct access to Hayden Valley wildlife watching and the full-service gateway city of Cody, making it the best Yellowstone entrance for most visitors seeking a balanced overall experience.
Which Yellowstone entrance should I use for wildlife watching? The Yellowstone East Entrance provides the most direct access to Hayden Valley, consistently one of the top wildlife watching destinations in the park. The Northeast Entrance provides direct Lamar Valley access which is the world’s premier location for wolf watching. Both are significantly less crowded than the West Entrance making wildlife encounters more relaxed and rewarding. If you are asking which Yellowstone entrance should I use for the best wildlife experience the East or Northeast Gates are your answer.
How bad are Yellowstone West Entrance crowds in summer? The worst of the Yellowstone West Entrance crowds and lines is between 9am and 11am. During peak summer season visitors regularly report wait times of 30 to 60 minutes or more during this window. Late afternoon and early evening can also see significant exit backups as day visitors head back to town for dinner. Arriving before 8am or after 11am significantly reduces wait times at the West Gate.
Is Cody Wyoming really too far from the Yellowstone East Entrance? It depends on your priorities. Old Faithful RV Park in Cody, Wyoming is just 32 miles from the Yellowstone East Entrance. When you factor in the typical Yellowstone West Entrance crowds and wait times during peak summer season the time advantage of staying near the West Entrance is considerably smaller than the raw distance numbers suggest. Add the spectacular Buffalo Bill Scenic Byway drive, minimal East Gate wait times, and Cody’s world-class amenities and the Yellowstone East Entrance becomes a very competitive choice for most visitors.
What does the Yellowstone East Entrance give you access to? The Yellowstone East Entrance provides direct access to Sylvan Pass, Yellowstone Lake, Fishing Bridge, and the Hayden Valley wildlife watching corridor. From Hayden Valley visitors can access the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Grand Prismatic Spring, Old Faithful, and Lamar Valley via the park’s loop road system, making the Yellowstone East Entrance one of the most strategically positioned gates in the entire park.
Which Yellowstone entrance should I use for families? The Yellowstone East Entrance near Cody, Wyoming is an outstanding choice for families, minimal wait times, a spectacular scenic drive, direct access to family-friendly wildlife watching in Hayden Valley, world-class family attractions in Cody including the Buffalo Bill Center of the West and the Cody Nite Rodeo, and comfortable family accommodation at Old Faithful RV Park with cabins sleeping up to 6 guests. For most families asking which Yellowstone entrance should I use the East Gate is the answer.
Where is the best place to stay near the Yellowstone East Entrance? Old Faithful RV Park in Cody, Wyoming offers full hookup RV sites and rustic cabins sleeping up to 6 guests just 32 miles from the Yellowstone East Entrance — ideally positioned on the Buffalo Bill Scenic Byway between Cody and the best Yellowstone entrance for the overall visitor experience.
Rest. Explore. Repeat.