West Yellowstone

The rambling town of West Yellowstone is smack in the middle of some of the best hiking, fishing, sightseeing and hunting in the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem. As a gateway town, it's necessary and there's a sprinkling of attractions. It's only 90 miles from Bozeman and 32 miles from Old Faithful, making it an almost ideal base from which to explore the park and countryside – but not quite.

As Yellowstone National Park's busiest entrance – admitting over 1.8 million visitors per year, more than twice as many as the next-most popular south entrance – traffic here can come to a standstill throughout town as everyone funnels through the gates. The town itself holds few charms, filled as it is with uninspiring, overbooked restaurants and cheap souvenir shops. If you do stay here, get up and get out early before the rest of Montana and Idaho arrive.