The Old Faithful Inn is by far the most important place to stay in Yellowstone if this is your only visit. The place exemplifies rustic charm in such magnitude that it almost seems unreal. It is however, quite authentic. This log cabin on growth hormone provides the comfort that you chose the right place to stay. I have stayed here twice. Once in 1976 and now again in August 2006. The main building is currently undergoing some renovation/reconstruction. The look is not changing but every 100 year old structure needs regular maintenance.
This visit we were lucky enough to get one of the historic dormer rooms at the front of the lodge. This meant a roomy space but at the expense of an in-room toilet. While there are shared facilities right down the hall having a private bathroom while on vacation with family should not be under-rated. After 4 nights enough was enough. Leaving the room in my robe for an early morning visit was odd as there are already tourists milling around outside the room taking pictures. The more plentiful rooms in the hotel wings are smaller but have that certain something known as a commode.
The hotel is immediately adjacent to the Old Faithful geyser which you will want to see erupt several times. Staying here makes that easy. The staff here is very helpful and friendly which was a pleasant surprise. They even delivered extra robes for the kids for those midnight trips down the hall.
On the downside, there are visitors to the Inn milling around the place at all hours. After all, the place is a national historic site in its own right. One other item is the Harleys. Now please, please don’t get me wrong. I love Harleys. Nothing like ‘em. But, these are very loud machines. And while popular to get that trademark rumble going, it just doesn’t seem to fit into the pristine surroundings of Yellowstone. Especially when they roll up in front of the hotel at 6:00 AM. Or when you are quietly ogling a roadside bison. And, while we were visiting there were literally hundreds of motorcycling visitors in the park. Its a shame there isn’t a noise limit of some sort.
Bottom line is that this is where you need to stay.
Wide open spaces, abundant wildlife, unique thermal features, virtuous waterfalls, colorful canyons, mountains, rustic lodges, and year-round recreation. The question of the 1988 fires and whether the park was destroyed always seems to come up. On a 2006 visit I did see some burnt areas that were not recovering but the majority of charred land had healthy, dense new growth rising up around the older burned trunks. To be honest, the mix of newer trees and burned areas made for even more interesting landscapes than I recall from a pre-fire visit.