Cody Wyoming as a base camp for a Yellowstone Vacation
What’s it like to head to Yellowstone using Cody as your base camp? In this post, I’ll share some ways to organize your time to see Yellowstone. [Updated April 7, 2024]
Why Cody?
Cody, Wyoming is an excellent place to launch your western vacation. The East Entrance is arguably the nicest one. While you’re not right on the edge of the park, that’s a true advantage these days. It takes 2.5 hours to drive to Old Faithful with no stops from Cody. And from West Yellowstone, it often takes 3 hours because you are in stop and go traffic the whole way (with no traffic it takes about 40 minutes).
Using Cody as a base camp for your adventures, you’re stopping to watch wildlife and seeing amazing scenery. Because there’s so much to see along the east entrance road, being in stop and go traffic only happens where there are wildlife jams, and even then only for a moment until you find a place to pull off.
In addition, Cody is a full service town (including veterinarians and a doggy day-care) without the overcrowding seen in other gateway communities. The most common comment from so many visitors here in Cody goes something like this, “We had no idea how much was here! We could easily spend another week just in Cody!”
Getting settled in Cody
Once you’ve decided on Cody your base camp, you’ll want to spend at least one day just exploring Cody. The main attractions are:
- The Buffalo Bill Center of the West – Here you get five museums in one: the Draper Natural History Museum, Plains Indian Museum, Whitney Gallery, Firearms Museum, and, of course, the Buffalo Bill Museum. People don’t expect a world-class museum in a gateway community to Yellowstone. It’s often unofficially referred to as the Smithsonian of the West. Your entrance fee covers two days because there’s really that much to see.
- Cody Nite Rodeo – Every night from June through August (except the days of the Cody Stampede Rodeo the first four days in July), we have a rodeo. This allows competitors to practice every night, gaining tremendous experience. The announcers do a great job of helping those not familiar with rodeos understand what they’re watching. It’s an exciting way to finish out a day. It starts at 8 PM each night, and buses stop at various places in town to pick you up, drop you off when it’s over. Or you can take your own car out to the rodeo grounds.
- The Irma Hotel – This building is in the heart of downtown Cody and has been a gathering place since it was built. Inside is the famous rosewood bar given to Buffalo Bill by Queen Victoria. There’s live entertainment on the weekends in the Silver Dollar Saloon. And every night during the summer there’s a western gunfight staged for your entertainment. Spend some time walking downtown – there are many great shops and art galleries to visit.
Planning your days to Yellowstone
Give yourself two days to head into Yellowstone and another if you want to also cover Grand Teton National Park (know the difference between Yellowstone and Grand Teton). If you only have one day, you’ll likely need to pick one and come back again to cover more.
DAY ONE – LOWER LOOP
If you only have one day for Yellowstone, I’d suggest you drive the lower loop and give yourself 10-12 hours for this trip. This is the trip with the highest number of stops and amount of walking. Drive in through the East Entrance. On the way in, you’ll pass Sylvan Lake and keep your eyes open for bears all the way to Yellowstone Lake. At Fishing Bridge, you can go either way, but I usually take a left. Possible stops along the road would be:
- Lake Village to see Lake Hotel
- West Thumb Geyser Basin
- Old Faithful Geyser and the Upper Geyser Basin
- Midway Geyser Basin
- Lower Geyser Basin
- Gibbon Falls
- Beryl Spring
- Artist Paint Pots
- Norris Geyser Basin (give lots of time here if you stop)
- Canyon area to see the Lower Falls
- Brink of the Upper Falls
- Hayden Valley (watch for wildlife – bears, wolves, and bison)
Return to Cody, your base camp, via the East Entrance.
DAY TWO – UPPER LOOP
This is the scenic drive and wildlife watching trip with travertine springs at Mammoth. This day you’ll drive more than you stop and walk.
Head north out of Cody toward Billings on Hwy 120. About 20 miles north of town, after dropping down a long hill, you’ll find the turnoff for the Chief Joseph Scenic Highway. Take a left there, and you’ll find some tremendously gorgeous country. Miles (and miles) later, when you get to a T in the road, turn left to head to Yellowstone. (Turning right is another potential day trip over the Beartooth Highway and on to Red Lodge, MT)
Watch for wildlife all along this route of the northern part of Yellowstone. As you get closer to Cooke City, really watch for moose (though they are all throughout the area). You’ll travel through the famed Lamar Valley – sometimes referred to as the Serengeti of the West due to the vast size of the area that’s teeming with wildlife. Here you’ll see a good chunk of the bison that live in the park. Wolf packs live here as well as grizzlies, elk, pronghorn (aka antelope) and more.
When the road comes to a T, you’ll turn right at Roosevelt Junction. Sights you might consider stopping along here are:
- Tower Fall
- Calcite Springs Overlook
- Petrified Tree
- Undine Falls
The next stop is at Mammoth Hot Springs, where you can stop to see the hot springs and take the one-way loop around the upper terraces. This is also home to the historic Fort Yellowstone. After exploring this area, head back the way you came, keeping your eyes open for more wildlife.
You can also head back to Tower Junction and head over Dunraven Pass, down to Canyon and back out the east entrance.
A third (and longer) route – that makes for a long day, but is doable – is to head south from Mammoth – head to Norris and then over to Canyon and back. If you aren’t planning to stop at Norris, the second route is faster and you’ll still see a lot of gorgeous country!
This drive takes six hours with no stops, so give yourself 9 or 10 hours for this day.
DAY THREE – Beartooth Highway
This is mainly a driving day that takes you up in altitude through stunning scenery. The road usually opens in mid-May and closes in the fall when the early snows set in. Take the same route as you did with the Upper Loop, but at the T in the road near Cooke City, turn right. The twisting road takes you to some absolutely gorgeous country.
On your way down the east side, you can stop at Bear Creek in the evening for the pig races or head on to Red Lodge and explore this delightful extra gateway community.
It’s a smooth drive back to your Cody base camp.