Which Yellowstone Entrance Should You Use?
Five gates, five very different trips.
Leah Cooper · September 14, 2026
8 minute read
Yellowstone has five entrances, and if it's your first trip, it's easy to stare at the map and think:
Okay...which one am I supposed to use?
It depends on where you're coming from, when you're going, where you're staying and what part of Yellowstone you want easiest access to.
We've been to Yellowstone ten times now. We haven't personally entered through every entrance, but we've driven most of these routes—and I definitely have preferences.
One important note: I'm primarily talking about spring, summer and fall travel here. Winter access is completely different, which I'll explain when we get to West Yellowstone and Gardiner.
The Quick Version
West Entrance / West Yellowstone
Probably my favorite all-around option with kids. Convenient, especially for a late arrival.
North Entrance / Gardiner
My choice for winter and a great option for Mammoth and Lamar Valley.
Northeast Entrance / Cooke City
Incredible for Lamar Valley. We've driven out this way but haven't entered here.
East Entrance / Cody
Beautiful canyon approach that brings you toward Yellowstone Lake.
South Entrance / Grand Teton
The obvious choice if you're combining Yellowstone with Grand Teton or Jackson.
West Entrance: My Favorite All-Around Option With Kids
West Yellowstone is busy.
There's a reason.
It's convenient.
I especially like it when we're arriving later in the day. Instead of pushing tired kids farther into the park, you can stay in West Yellowstone, eat, walk around, grab whatever you forgot, get gas and start Yellowstone fresh the next morning.
We've also stopped here before heading into camp just to eat and let everyone move around. There are plenty of shops, and we've found some surprisingly good discounted Yellowstone sweatshirts over the years.
And the drive from this side around sunset?
One of my favorites.
“I wouldn't avoid West just because it's busy.”
For a first family trip, there's a lot about it that works.
What About West Yellowstone in Winter?
Winter is different.
From the West Yellowstone side, winter park access is generally by authorized snowcoach or snowmobile rather than simply driving your own vehicle into the park.
I absolutely want to do a Yellowstone snowmobile trip as my kids get older.
But when we took them in winter, they were younger and flexibility mattered more.
Sometimes kids are just done.
That's why we chose Gardiner.
North Entrance: Gardiner + Flexibility
Gardiner is a small gateway town sitting right at Yellowstone's North Entrance, and I loved it as our winter home base.
We flew into Bozeman, stayed there the first night and drove down to Gardiner the next day.
We had restaurants, groceries and a comfortable Airbnb, while still being right at Yellowstone.
My recommendation?
Get the rental with the hot tub.
Sauna too, if you can.
Coming back after a below-zero day in Yellowstone and getting into a hot tub while the kids play in the snow is absolutely part of the winter experience.
More importantly, Gardiner gave us flexibility. We could drive our own vehicle into the accessible portion of the park, visit Mammoth, continue toward Lamar and decide how long we wanted to stay.
We hired a guide for our first day, learned how to navigate winter Yellowstone and look for wildlife, then went back on our own the next day.
For winter Yellowstone with younger kids, that freedom was exactly what I wanted.
And outside of winter, if Mammoth and Lamar Valley are priorities, North is still worth serious consideration.
Northeast Entrance: For Lamar Lovers
We've never actually entered through the Northeast Entrance, but we've driven all the way out toward Cooke City.
And this part of Yellowstone is gorgeous.
The big reason?
Lamar Valley.
Don't treat Lamar like a road you're driving through to get somewhere else.
You could spend an entire day here.
Pull over. Get the binoculars out. Watch. Drive a little farther. Stop again.
Then the scenery changes as you continue toward Cooke City, moving from open valley into trees, pines and mountains.
In winter, we drove into Cooke City for burgers and watched the snowmobilers coming and going. On the way back, we spotted moose.
We haven't used this as our entrance, but I can tell you this:
The drive itself is part of the experience.
East Entrance: Cody + Yellowstone Lake
I also really like the East Entrance.
Coming from Cody, you drive through a dramatic canyon before reaching Yellowstone. Cody is also a good place to grab groceries and supplies before heading in.
Then you're approaching Yellowstone from the lake side, which makes this entrance especially interesting if Yellowstone Lake or fishing is part of your plan.
And we've had one of those perfect Yellowstone moments here:
A bear crossed the road around sunset.
“Sometimes the drive into Yellowstone is Yellowstone.”
The East Entrance turns the approach into part of the trip. Canyon, lake, wildlife — you get all three before you even reach the geyser basins.
South Entrance: Best If You're Adding Grand Teton
We've driven out through the South Entrance but haven't entered this way.
Of the routes we've driven, this was probably my least favorite.
Not because it isn't beautiful—it is.
It just felt more visually similar for longer stretches, and with kids in the vehicle, the drive felt longer.
But if you're combining Yellowstone + Grand Teton + Jackson?
Then it makes complete sense.
Logistics win.
If Grand Teton is on the same trip, the South Entrance saves you from backtracking. That's worth a longer approach drive.
Don't Choose an Entrance by Itself
Instead of asking, Which Yellowstone entrance is best?, ask:
- Where are we coming from?
- Where are we sleeping?
- What time are we arriving?
- What do we most want to see?
- Are we combining Yellowstone with somewhere else?
- And what season are we going?
For our family:
West is my favorite all-around option with kids.
North is my choice for winter and strong for Mammoth/Lamar.
Northeast is incredibly appealing if Lamar is your priority.
East is beautiful and makes sense for Yellowstone Lake.
South makes the most sense to me as part of a Grand Teton/Jackson trip.
And whichever one you choose, remember:
The entrance is part of the trip.
Stop in West Yellowstone.
Enjoy the canyon outside Cody.
Drive through Lamar slowly.
Watch the sunset.
Pull over when someone thinks they saw something.
Maybe it's a bear.
Maybe it's an elk.
Maybe it's another rock.
You're not waiting for Yellowstone to begin.
You're already in it.
Keep planning Yellowstone
The rest of what we've figured out over more than ten trips.
Yellowstone With Kids: Start Here
How we'd plan a first Yellowstone trip today: how many days, which entrance, where to sleep and what to see first.
How I Pack for Yellowstone With Kids
After enough Yellowstone trips with four kids, I stopped trying to pack less. I started packing differently.
Yellowstone in Winter With Kids
What to pack, where to stay and why this might become one of your family's favorite Yellowstone trips.
Where to Stay in Yellowstone With Kids
Inside the park versus the gateway towns, and who each one suits.
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