Roughrider Cabins in Yellowstone Park

The Roughrider Cabins in Yellowstone Park are some of the best places to Stay in Yellowstone for budget travelers who don’t want to camp.

If you’re looking for inexpensive lodging, and don’t mind roughing it just a bit, the Roughrider cabins are for you. Of course, there is plenty of camping in Yellowstone, but these are a nice little upgrade from the Yellowstone campgrounds. 

Staying in one of these rustic cabins was a highlight during my recent visit to Yellowstone National Park. If they would have had openings, I would have stayed at least one more day to explore the park.

The quaint cabins are located at the Roosevelt Lodge; about midway between the Northeast Entrance of the park and the North Entrance of the park. Built in 1920, the cabins are near Tower Falls and located near a campsite once used by President Theodore Roosevelt.

The lodge features family-style dining, a bar, and a seating area, plus a large front porch with rocking chairs where visitors can relax and enjoy the view.

There are two types of cabins at Roosevelt Lodge. The Frontier Cabin (under $150 per night) is outfitted with double beds, electric heat, and a private bathroom with shower. The Roughrider cabins (under $100 per night) do not have a bathroom or electric heat but are furnished with a full-size bed, desk, end table, and wood-burning stove.

Limited parking is available near the cabins. You can unload your gear and park in the main dining lodge parking lot.

Clean public bathhouses are a short walk from the cabin and offer hot showers and toiletries.

Our home away from home was comfortable and toasty until my husband crawled out of bed in the wee hours of the morning to visit the bathhouse and failed to close the door.

Even in mid-July, the cool temperature required a fire to take the chill out of the cabin. We could have braved the cold or snuggled a bit closer, but why let the wood-burner stove go to waste?  Two presto logs were provided for the fire and in seconds we had a roaring, toasty fire that kept us warm the rest of the night.

The village was quiet and we slept comfortably. We awoke early and found an empty bathhouse. After quick showers, we packed up, turned in our key, and headed out to explore Yellowstone for the day.

We drove to Lamar Valley, minutes away, to view the bison which were plentiful in the morning.

My husband and I stopped at Yellowstone during a cross-country drive from Ohio to Oregon. We weren’t sure how long we would stay at Yellowstone so I did not call ahead for reservations, which was a big mistake on our part.

Yellowstone is beautiful and we were extremely lucky that the park had a cancellation for this cabin on the day we arrived.  If availability would not have been an issue we would have stayed in the park for several days.

The Roosevelt Lodge and Roughrider Cabins will definitely be on my radar for future visits. The Roughrider cabins in Yellowstone are a comfortable, budget-friendly option.

I loved that the cabin provided added privacy that you simply don’t get when tent camping (which was what we had hoped to do in Yellowstone), but if you’re not one to rough it, you may consider one of the other properties at Yellowstone. Just head my advice and book far in advance for the best rates, lodging options, and availability.

Have you visited Yellowstone? What did you love?

Yellowstone National Park Tips:

• How to Plan a Yellowstone National Park vacation
• Things to do in Yellowstone National Park in One Day
• Things to do in Yellowstone: Old Faithful Geyser Eruption
• Yellowstone Packing List

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