The Northern Pacific Railroad built the first train depot serving Yellowstone at the park's northern entrance in Gardiner, Montana, in 1883, making the area increasingly accessible to tourists. Arriving in Gardiner, tourists travel five dusty miles by stagecoach or Tally Ho wagon to the National Hotel (now Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel), then embark on a six-day park tour. It started. Two of his stagecoach companies provided tours: the Yellowstone National Park Transportation Company, based in Gardiner, and the Monida and Yellowstone Stage Company, based in West Yellowstone. Tourists were guided by eccentric stagecoach drivers with unique names such as “Crying Jack” and “Society Red,” who told frontier-style stories about the park.
After enjoying a day of sightseeing by stagecoach, tourists checked into luxury lodges operated by the Yellowstone Park Association, where they dressed in fine clothing and spent an evening of recreation and relaxation. During the stagecoach era, the Army controlled the park, but these trips were risky. Slow-moving stagecoaches carrying wealthy tourists became easy targets for robbers.
Concessions such as the Wiley Permanent Camp Company (1883-1917) and the Shaw and Powell Camp Company (1898-1916) offered alternative guided experiences. They provided transportation within the park in a “Mountain Stage” wagon and overnight accommodations at permanent campsites. The route was similar to a stagecoach tour, but with fewer amenities. These included comfortable raised tents with beds and clean linens, and dining tents with cooks serving hearty meals. Travelers enjoyed a more casual atmosphere than those staying in hotels, enjoying evening fireside stories and songs.
Thrifty tourists can enter the park in their own covered wagon. These “sagebrasher” often camped along the sides of roads and fished for food in plentiful rivers and lakes.
