Yellowstone Lodging Spotlight: Old Faithful Lodge

Of the three lodging areas in the Old Faithful area, the Old Faithful Lodge seems to be the least auspicious.

Compared to the historic grandeur of the Old Faithful Inn or the sleek, modern styling of the Old Faithful Snow Lodge, the Old Faithful Lodge appears downright campy. Not extravagantly campy however. I mean it looks like a cozy dining hall you’d find a stone’s throw away from a small lake and bonfire circle in Camp Anywhere, strains of “Kumbaya” floating through the silky forest air.

That’s the appeal. If the Old Faithful Inn impresses with its size, and the Old Faithful Snow Lodge entices with its snugness, the Old Faithful Lodge invites with its coziness.

Stepping into the Lodge, for instance, is like walking into camp registration. The architecture is reminiscent of “parkitecture,” with the abundance of wood and stone (the logs that help support the ceiling and frame the lobby’s windows, for instance, would not be out-of-place in the Old Faithful Inn, nor would the stone fireplace opposite the windows) but those windows (huge, clear, crisply delineated) are a world away from “parkitecture.”

Compared to the Old Faithful Inn and the Old Faithful Snow Lodge, the Lodge has several advantages. Firstly, its Rustic Cabins offer the most affordable lodging option in the Old Faithful area. Secondly, for privacy-minded visitors, their Frontier Cabins (which come with half-bathrooms) offer the most secluded lodging option.

Old_Faithful_Lodge_Eruption

And overall, Old Faithful Lodge has an unbeatable location, built within sight of Old Faithful Geyser, whose eruptions are visible from both the lobby and the cafeteria.

The lobby, in particular, is a wonderful gathering point. In the morning, you can get a muffin from the Bake Shop or some ice cream in the afternoon, while you read or play some travel checkers or wait for Old Faithful to erupt.

What makes the main lodge building so supremely cozy, however, is its cafeteria. Although not as upscale as what’s offered in either the Old Faithful Inn Dining Room or the Obsidian Dining Room, the Old Faithful Lodge Cafeteria’s food offerings perfectly fit its surroundings: pasta bar, hot sandwiches, fruit and salads sitting on ice, an entrée station.

Even if you’re not staying in the Old Faithful area, or in the Lodge even, you should still swing by if you want a nice, no-fuss breakfast, or you want a place to relax away from the busier channels of the Old Faithful Inn or the Old Faithful Snow Lodge.

About Sean Reichard

Sean Reichard is the editor of Yellowstone Insider and author of Yellowstone Insider For Families 2017.

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