By Mary L. Peachin
Sunday, March 12, 2000
A last-minute reservation doesn exist in most of our national park system. If you plan your summer vacation to Yellowstone or Grand Teton National Parks in late spring, youll probably be told, “You shouldve called a year ago.”
Chagrined and unwilling to wait at 6 in the morning at the gate of one of those national parks campsites hoping to get an overnight spot, these half dozen places offer an alternative to pacify that “no-vacancy” frustration. They are not crowded (though you should still make reservations as early as possible), and they are all in areas that offer scenic road trips with opportunities for animal viewing, and activities including fishing, hiking, or horseback riding.
If you are set on staying in Yellowstone National Park, there is a well-kept secret to the lodging dilemma — the Yellowstone Institute (see accompanying story) offers nature study field trips or programs throughout the summer. Class enrollment includes housing at the Buffalo Ranch, located in the Lamar Valley between Mammoth Hot Springs and Cooke City. The institute has rustic log cabins, outhouses, and a community building that has a full kitchen for the use of students, and showers and modern bathrooms. – There are several bed-and-breakfast places and motels at Gardiner, Mont., at the north entrance to the park, and further north. The Yellowstone Country Bed and Breakfast (406-333-4917; www.yellowstonebb.com) is located a 30-minute drive north near Emigrant, Mont. Two newly built log cabins with two bedrooms each are situated on the bank of the Yellowstone River. If you don care to scramble down the bank to fly fish in the river, there is a casting pond filled with stocked trout directly behind the cabins.
Both cabins have wooden decks with gorgeous views of the Absaroka Range of the Gallatin National Forest. The cabins are $130 per night double occupancy.
Information on other accommodations in the Paradise Valley area north of Gardiner is available at www.paradisevalleymontana.com.
Continuing north, you might want to take a detour through Livingston, a small western town filled with art galleries. U.S. Highway 89 follows the Shields River into Clyde Park, a two-tavern-and-one-store town.
The Gibson-Cassidy House (406-686-4490) is the only two-story building in Clyde Park. Owner Nancy Gilbert has added a personal touch to the antique furnishings by using decorative dried floral arrangements. Nancy serves a full breakfast in her formal dining room. Her four rooms are $65 and $75 per night.
To the west in Bozeman, the Voss Inn (406-587-0982) is a favorite B&B. Built in 1883, the Victorian red brick mansion has been featured in Gourmet magazine. Six rooms, with private baths, have been renovated with period antiques combined eclectically with African artifacts. The Voss Inn is located four blocks from Main Street, one of Montanas great old downtown areas. Antique stores, retail shops, good restaurants and cowboy bars line the street.
For those passing through the West Yellowstone, Mont., entrance, the Old Kirby Place (406-682-4194) about 30 miles northwest on U.S. Highway 287 in the Madison Valley is another option. It has a main cabin with two rooms plus two separate cabins. All meals, which are cooked and served by owner Walter Kannon, are included during your stay. Walters standing ingredients usually include sweet Walla Walla onions and garlic simmered in olive oil.
The Old Kirby Place is a destination for experienced anglers and riders. Walter will arrange for a fishing guide or a float down the Madison River. If you are capable of getting the horse out of the pasture and saddling it, he will lead you on a horseback ride.
If your vacation plans take you south toward Grand Teton National Park, the view of the west side of this spectacular mountain range and the drive through scenic Teton Pass makes an indirect route through Swan Valley, Idaho, worthwhile.
Swan Valley, which is about halfway between Jackson Hole, Wyo., and Idaho Falls, Idaho, is landscaped in early summer with flowering fields of Idaho potatoes.
The Hansen-Silver Guest Ranch (800-277-9041) lies in the shadow of Mt. Baldy in the valley. Second-generation owners Brett and Becky Hansens newly decorated cottages showcase Beckys creativity. She has used dried floral arrangements to decorate antique horse harnesses, tools and other ranch equipment. Their old barn has been renovated for group functions.
Becky serves a full breakfast in the kitchen of their home. If you don feel like driving the 10 miles into the town of Swan Valley, they will pack a lunch or serve dinner, at an additional cost. Day trips include floating and fly fishing the South Fork of the Snake River, or horseback riding with Brett along Rainey Creek.