Elephant Head Lodge is a small AAA log-cabin mountain lodge resort located just 11.7 miles East of Yellowstone National Park and 40 miles west of Cody, WY. The lodge and most of our cabins are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It gets its name from a rock formation overlooking it. The Lodge, Restaurant, and the "Trapper" cabin were built in by Buffalo Bill Cody's niece, Josephine Thurston, and her husband Harry W. Thurston. Harry chose the site for its dependable water for early travelers to Yellowstone - and for trappers and Indians. Our small lodge is a wonderful base for touring the Yellowstone National Park, Cody, and the Shoshone National Forest. It is a great place for relaxing, fishing, hiking, and viewing wildlife, as well as good homecooked food. There are 15 cabins that house 1-8 people. 5 cabins have kitchenettes. All with bath(s), pet friendly, & non-smoking.
We really enjoyed our stay. We chose a small sleep cabin for us and our small dog. I did miss the part about the restaurant being closed but we called ahead and she gave us ideas of places to eat. The bedding was clean and tightly tucked in like grandma made it just for you. So cozy! The shower was the warmest most heavenly shower. We loved the pet friendly atmosphere and yes not every thing in the photos on this sight are still there but it is such a relaxing, beautiful sight. I would go again and recommend it. If they ever get the restaurant open again i am sure this would make it even better.
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Date of stay: July 2023
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Location
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Trip type: Traveled as a couple
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This is a lodge for those seeking a rustic experience. We only used it due to its availability during peak season and proximity to East entrance. In terms of the cabin, it was functional for us, but nothing fancy. Parts of the cabin looked a little dusty and the bathroom was definitely quite dated. The beds were a good size. As listed on the lodge's website, there is no a/c or wifi in the room. Neither of the things were an issue for us because a) temperature drops significantly in the night so as long as you keep windows open, the fan in the room will suffice b) you can travel to Cody for some internet access plus we were only in the area for a short duration. It might be more of an issue for people staying longer. Our cabin didn't have a kitchenette or microwave, but there are cabins that do. Plenty of breakfast options around the lodge, but we just drove into Cody and had dinner around Yellowstone. Ice was available free of charge on site.
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Date of stay: July 2021Trip type: Traveled with family
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Very nice cabin, but we were surprised to find upon arrival that their dining facility was closed—especially since one major appeal of staying at a lodge-type location is not having to drive to food for every meal. Some of the cabins had microwaves an small refrigerators, and the lodge was clearly not fully booked, so it would gave been nice of we’d been offered an upgrade. The lack of wifi (although other nearby lodges had it, so it wasn’t a technology issue) made food-sourcing even more challenging. Our cabin was described as being in a more remote/private area, but it was in fact located right in front, beside the closed dining hall and shared a deck with another cabin. Also, the “friendly dog” guarding the ice and ice buckets in the lodge office was…not terribly welcoming.
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Date of stay: September 2022Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:Verify dining facility is open, don’t go by online cabin descriptions, and be careful getting ice.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Debbie Millard, Owner at Elephant Head Lodge
Responded Sep 18, 2022
It has been posted on the website that the restaurant has not been open - lack of staff. You were called ahead of arrival that was the situation, and given food options available, You were offered outside charcoal grills here to use, and we furnished the charcoal. Plus we also had ice for coolers and/or use in your cabin. We give you neighboring restaurants options with hours, phone numbers, and location. Most guests have figured out how to make that work. Larger cabins were available that you could have upgraded for more money and moved in to, if you had wanted that, it was never mentioned to us. Wifi is limited in the area of the national forest and inside Yellowstone, and you were informed of that on the website, u[on booking, and when you arrived. Cody dining options were also offered. Since the dining room was not open, it did not pose issues with privacy at your cabin, other than the deck was outside. None of our decks are shared with another cabin, unless you invite people to your deck. We do have a "friendly dog" which most people love. She is briefly at times left in the office on a leash and may bark at you if she is alone and on checkin you are told what to do with her and the office helps absence, but the ice machine is outside away from the dog. It is always posted in the office to "be right back", most are not in that big of hurry that a short wait for us to return is not an issue. We try to be extremely accommodating to our guests, if you just ask. Hope you enjoyed our stay.
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Have returned home from a 6 night Stay in the Wrangler cabin. We booked at this “Lodge” after our in Yellowstone Park reservations were cancelled, so this was not our first choice for lodging. I was a little apprehensive based on past reviews and was really hoping for the best. Unfortunately our experience was subpar. Most of my disappointment originates with the completely overstated amenities on their website. This property has no amenities. Housekeeping was restricted to emptying of garbage. I was actually okay with that as cabin was stocked with towels and less contact is preferred these days. I was traveling with small children and we tried to use the play area but the knee high thistle and burr plants put an end to that. Our cabin included a set of bunk beds in a separate room, about the size of a walk in closet. Perfect for 2 seven year olds, except the top bunk had no railing. We made do by pulling top bunk mattress down to floor. The top bunk can’t be used for kids and an adult would not have headroom, so keep that in mind. If you disregard the inflated claims on website and understand you are getting a place to sleep and prepare for an awesome day in America’s first National Park you won’t suffer the same disappointment I did. Albeit at 340.00/night you might.
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Date of stay: July 2021
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I will first start out and say that I have not stayed at this location.So this review does not reflect the lodge in appearance or function. However due to Covid19 I rescheduled our trip from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend instead of canceling the reservation. I did this in an effort to help them not lose money due to the unforeseen pandemic. I was charged $20 additional dollars to move my reservation from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend because it was a higher rate due to the time of year. Which I paid. Unfortunately due to Covid19 we were still unable to make this trip and when I went to cancel it, I was told I would be charged an additional $50 to cancel. An offer from the lodge was to settle at splitting the cost in half for the cancellation fee. However after I told them that I would have canceled this reservation back on Memorial Day weekend but chose not to in an effort to minimize their loses due to Covid19, I was told there would be a $25 cancellation fee and they then hung up the phone. I do not feel it is fair to be charged an additional $50 (or even $25) to cancel the reservation especially given the advanced notice of almost 2 months prior to the stay. Considering I helped them avoid losing money due to Covid19 I would think they should do the same in return. Unfortunately even though this looks like a beautiful place to stay, I likely will choose not to due to this situation that could have been avoided.
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Date of stay: July 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Debbie Millard, Owner at Elephant Head Lodge
Responded Aug 22, 2020
Sorry you feel this way. As a business there are still business expenses of running credit cards to process a deposit and then again when there is a refund. So it is not expense free for the business. When you made the reservation the policy is stated for the $50 cancellation fee, and I split that with you trying to help you out. Since you didn't come, there was a loss of money to us anyways whether sooner or later. Besides you were not charged an additional $50, you were just not refunded back that amount (in your case $25 ) to partially cover your cancellation fee. Covid has not been nice to many of us, and we hope we are able to weather the storm. We are a beautiful place to stay - even during this pandemic.
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We went to Elephant Head Lodge to meet up with our parents. The four of us stayed in the Homesteader cabin (1 bedroom, plus Murphy bed and futon in living room). I was concerned it would be too small- but it was the perfect size for two couples who know each other well. The best part about the Homesteader cabin was the large porch and the view; we had no other cabins in sight from the porch and we didn’t see another guest the entire time! (Which was exactly what we wanted). The evening light and star gazing from the porch was incredible. It was sunny in the morning and shady in the afternoon. I wouldn’t stay in any other cabin. Every evening we were there we saw mule deer from the porch. The dining room was closed when we were there, but we had spoke with Debbie on the phone ahead of time, so we were able to bring all our own food to prepare in the cabin. The kitchen was small but had everything we needed for three days of meals. The cabin was rustic and older, but had the amenities needed to make it comfortable. Debbie and JT were both very friendly and helpful. We went into Yellowstone through the east entrance every day and the drive was pleasant with no traffic or lines at the gate. This was the perfect way to stay outside Yellowstone.
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Date of stay: August 2020Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Debbie Millard, Owner at Elephant Head Lodge
Responded Aug 22, 2020
Enjoyed meeting your family. Glad you were able to have some quality family time together and away from every one else. Hope to see you again.
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We were 4 adults and stayed in Wrangler 11, a very spacious, clean, cozy cabin that could easily sleep 6. The lodge was clean, Debbie was a wonderful hostess and assisted us with tips on visiting the park, entertainment in Cody and local places for breakfast and dinner. She even made reservations for us to go horseback riding. The porch and rocking chairs were most relaxing after days in the park. We will and have recommended Elephant Head Lodge to other people looking for a rustic, cabin experience just minutes from the east entrance to Yellowstone. We will definitely return. Thank you Debbie and staff for a friendly, peaceful vacation. Terri and Wes Malone
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Date of stay: August 2021
Value
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Response from Debbie Millard, Owner at Elephant Head Lodge
Responded Sep 9, 2021
Thank you for your kind words. We enjoyed having you around. Look forward to seeing you again. We like sharing our little piece of paradise with others. Glad you had a wonderful trip. Thanks for coming.
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Great location but needs some TLC. Found the place on the web and it looked beautiful. Not what we expected. Grounds unkempt. Cabin clean but very outdated. Shag carpeting on the floor and worn linoleum in the bathroom. Our cabin could use some TLC. Twenty four hours before our arrival we were informed that the restaurant would not be open. This was one of the perks advertised on their web site. Understanding that Covid 19 was a real hardship for places like this, we were sorely disappointed in what we found on our arrival, especially for the price. A great potential if they can rebound from the past two years of covid.
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Date of stay: June 2021
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Response from Debbie Millard, Owner at Elephant Head Lodge
Responded Jun 22, 2021
You are on vacation - relax. We have a very special place with nature itself. Yes there is always things that need worked on, but look for the positives as well. We tried to inform you in plenty of time to let you know other food options - grocery store locations, other restaurants, charcoal grills and coolers, some cabins with their own kitchenettes. We are looking for more employees, hopefully the world decides to put people back to work before things get worse. Many of us as doing the best we can to just be even to have places for people to go during these trying times. If you are looking for the 5 star top of the line, we are not it. We have other special traits - beauty in nature, wildlife, quiet, rest, relaxation, and peace.
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What a perfect place to slow down, relax, and enjoy beautiful cabin views! We loved our clean, historic cabin, perched under the pines & the elephant head rock formation. We wished we could have stayed longer and will certainly be back! We loved the pause from WiFi & TV and it helped us unplug!! Need to call someone? No problem— there is a fun rotary phone for guests to call out! We loved opening our cabin windows, listening to the birds, the wind through the Aspen leaves, sitting on our porch, and playing various board games provided by our host. The cabin window box flowers along with the wildflowers around the property were beautiful. These cabins are in a perfect, quiet location just outside the East entrance of Yellowstone. We drove to and from Yellowstone several days and the views in & out of the park were incredible! The owner, Deb, was excellent and did such a good job welcoming us & communicating nearby dining options and things about YNP. Our individual cabin had a mini fridge, coffee maker, and microwave so the food we brought with us worked perfect! Ice was available for cabin/cooler, drinks (vending/bar service) to purchase, and we even got some elephant head souvenir shirts. We will carry so many priceless memories from this stay! Can’t wait to see Deb & her precious pup Aspen again someday :)
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Date of stay: July 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stayed in the Homesteader. I am sure this was once a beautiful place to stay but it is now in need of attention. The restaurant has been closed too long to still blame it on the pandemic. Also closed was the lounge and usually the office was empty. There was ice available in the mornings and the scoop was kept in the office. The landscape is overgrown and not inviting. The cabins, ours anyway, needed repairs Ike the porch safety railing was completely off in one whole section. The sitting area by a well was too overgrown to sit by it. We saw 1 staff member at check in and the day we left. Towels were left on the bathroom floor but the main garbage can was emptied daily. There was a trick to unlocking our door. We killed 6 moths one night in the bed room. There was no internet service, which is ok but we were told she had a password but not for the guests. Other cabins up and down the street have service. We love wilderness and don’t need to be told, like other reviewers, to “relax” and accept the conditions because it’s nature. What it is is a neglected property which charges a lot for very little service or comfort. We were disappointed.
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Date of stay: July 2021Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Debbie Millard, Owner at Elephant Head Lodge
Responded Jul 24, 2021
It is still a beautiful place. Yes the restaurant is still closed as we are still looking for employees to help run it. We are not blaming the pandemic, it is lack of people willing to work to help get over the pandemic. Do you know of any one who wants to work? Alcoholic beverages are available, you just can't sit at the bar , try out the outdoors or comfort of your deck. Your group never asked for any alcohol. Because we are short handed, why have someone sit in an office, when other things need done and guests did not need anything, or all they had to do was ask someone for assistance. Ice was available all day - ice scoop is in the office for sanitary reasons, but available from 7am until 9pm. The landscape was in need of attendence, but that too has now been attended to, as time has allowed and help available. The safety rails were repaired shortly after you left, we didn't want to attack the project with guests present, for your privacy. You better speed it up if you want to see our staff - they are on duty when most guests are gone enjoying the area, and we aim to have the days duties done before guests come back if possible. Dirty towels can be left on the floor for us to replace, which they are as needed, and garbage is collected once a day because of being in bear country. The door lock procedure was explained at checkin. So much of these things were never mentioned to staff while you were here. The moths would have been a simple solution too. Yes we have internet available for business operations. It is up to businesses whether they share their passwords. You were told there was no internet access, and you have to travel somewhere to get access. People come here to enjoy nature and the quiet side of life. Sorry you was disappointed, but many others enjoy it here. If you want a 5 star service place, check them out and most of them are going to cost you even more, and all of us are struggling with less staff this year. Have a nice day.
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There are more places to choose from in the Cody area.
ALSO KNOWN AS
elephant head hotel cody
LOCATION
United StatesWyomingCody
NUMBER OF ROOMS
15
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