By Last Updated on November 8, 2022
Disclosure: Our writers only recommend vacation rentals they’ve experienced firsthand, and all opinions expressed are their own. This post may contain affiliate links that allow us to earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
No visitor to Cody, Wyoming will ever remember the time they spent inside. Photo albums and memories made here don’t include hotel rooms or your Cody, Wyoming vacation rental. An hour’s drive west of here, Yellowstone National Park’s east entrance welcomes the world to the greatest scenery on earth.
That’s where your memories will be made.
For a clean, comfortable, ideally located vacation rental in Cody, Wyoming which puts you a half-mile from downtown shops and restaurants, five minutes by car to the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, and on the gateway to Yellowstone, we have just the house for you.
Perfect for Big Families
With one king bedroom, a queen bedroom, a kid’s room with bunk beds for four and two, large, sectional couches, this Cody Wyoming vacation rental sleeps eight comfortably and more if need be. A port-a-crib is available.
Two full bathrooms with showers easily accommodate everyone in the family knocking the day’s dust off from a hike before dinner.
A stackable washer and dryer relieve you from needing to overpack numerous changes of clothes or returning home with a pile of dirties.
The full-size kitchen includes a full-size family refrigerator and freezer, microwave, stove and sink. Of course a coffee maker (grind your own beans) and toaster. The dining room table seats six with a full compliment of pots, pans and dishes.
With bedrooms, bathrooms and living spaces spread out over two floors, family members won’t be on top of each other in between adventures in the park.
Other Amenities
An outdoor backyard patio at this Cody Wyoming vacation rental offers a gas grill and seating for four.
Strong private wi-fi accommodates streaming video, downloading and uploading video and audio simultaneously on multiple devices – even recording simultaneous video Zoom meetings on multiple computers (we know because we were recording two podcasts at once)! Perfect for the traveler who can’t totally unplug.
The king bedroom and downstairs living room are equipped with Roku Smart TVs. If you’re watching a lot of television on your Yellowstone vacation though, you’re probably doing it wrong.
Pets and smoking are not allowed.
What to do in Cody
Cody may only be a town of 10,000 residents, but it’s charming downtown strip of Western boutiques and outfitters, art galleries, tourist shoppes and restaurants along Sheridan Avenue proves surprisingly satisfying.
Dinner at Cody Steakhouse is an absolute MUST! Fast, friendly service. Cold draft beer. A big-city hotel cocktail program. Everything on the menu is outstanding and reasonably priced. Meatloaf, ribs, steaks, soup, salads – all good. Reservations aren’t a bad idea as out of high season – June through August – depending on the day, this may be one of the few places open in town, and in high season, town is packed.
Grandma’s for breakfast is the local’s favorite. It gets the job done.
Buffalo Bill Center of the West
Five museums in one, the Buffalo Bill Center of the West shares the history of Buffalo Bill and Annie Oakley, the area’s natural history, Western and wildlife art, firearms and the Plains Indians under one roof for one admission. Entry isn’t cheap – $22 for adults – but the displays, galleries and objects on view are absolutely first rate by any standard.
I visit museums for a living as a travel writer. The Buffalo Bill Center of the West’s presentation stands shoulder-to-shoulder with anything in Denver or Dallas.
Admission allows for two consecutive days of entry.
Take advantage of early morning hours May 1 through October 31 when doors open at 8 AM.
Yellowstone and Beyond
The most direct route into Yellowstone National Park from this Cody Wyoming vacation rental follows U.S. Highways 14/16/20 due west to the east entrance. Single vehicle admission is $35 and that’s good for seven days.
Full day guided tours of Yellowstone are available if you’d rather not drive the narrow, windy roads yourself.
The one grizzly bear we saw during our October 2022 visit, Snow, was viewed from the roadside a few mile inside the east entrance. The grizzlies inside Yellowstone are so well studied each has an individual name. Researchers and the numerous professional photographers who work in the park know their parents and personalities. When you see a grizzly by a roadside in Yellowstone, the “grizzly jams” will be composed of these scientists, photogs and tourists alike.
On clear days, the jagged peaks of the Grand Tetons jut into the sky far off in the horizon. Stop at little Sylvan Lake for serenity and leg stretching after the drive. Magnificent views of Yellowstone Lake highlight entering the park from this side. You’ll likely see bison across from the lake on East Entrance Road as it flattens out.
Full bathroom, dining, souvenir and fueling facilities can be found 20 miles from the east entrance at the Fishing Bridge Fishing Bridge Visitor Center.
Dramatic gorges, waterfalls and mountaintops, along with heartbreaking lessons in America’s attempted genocide of its Indigenous population, can be found nearer to Cody on the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway (Wyoming 296) 20 miles north out of town up state road 120.
Whether on foot following one of the numerous hiking trails through the area or simply pulling off at the scenic overlooks, these areas around Clarks Fork Canyon match what can be seen inside the park for landscapes, but not wildlife.
We chose the Upper Sunlight Falls trail, which had some stunning views. When you get to the end of the trail AllTrails lays out, follow the fence line down to the left until you hit the edge of the rim. That’s where we got the shot above.
We had an incredible vacation in Cody and definitely look forward to returning!
What do you think?