Sight · Yellowstone National Park
A covered-wagon steak supper in Pleasant Valley.
Overview
Map
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Yellowstone Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Yellowstone National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Yellowstone audio tourRecorded for this place
Roosevelt Lodge and Lost Lake“You're coming up on Roosevelt Lodge, a seasonal log lodge where you can stop for a meal without staying overnight.”
Plays as you drive up to Roosevelt Corral and Old West Dinner Cookout in the Parkwolf Yellowstone Tour Guide.
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“First time driving through a national park. We used the Yellowstone tour on grand loop Road and it’s just like having a tour guide in your car with you.”
Guide
Roosevelt Corral is the starting point for Yellowstone’s Roosevelt-area horseback rides and the Old West Dinner Cookout. For the cookout, guests travel to Yancy’s Hole in Pleasant Valley by horseback, covered wagon or stagecoach; the full outing takes about 2½ to 5 hours. It’s a seasonal, reserved experience for an evening when the ride and dinner are the destination.
Book ahead; the cookout can sell out during its summer season. If you’re not staying at Roosevelt Lodge Cabins, allow ample time to reach the corral and check in before the safety talk. Horseback riders must be at least 8, 48 inches tall and under 240 pounds; closed-toe shoes are required, and personal bags and cameras can’t be carried on horseback.
The cookout serves steak with sides such as Roosevelt baked beans, corn, coleslaw and potato salad, followed by fruit crisp; vegetarian meals are available with advance notice. The evening also includes cowboy music and coffee brewed over a campfire, with a wooden-cow roping activity for children. At the departure point, NPS lists a flush restroom.
Yancy’s Hole is tied to the old site of Uncle John Yancey’s Hotel, one of Yellowstone’s early lodging stops. The hotel welcomed guests from 1884 to 1906, long before the present-day cookout carried visitors back into the valley.
Wildlife
713 sightingsGrizzly BearMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
743 sightingsWolfMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
5,273 sightingsBisonMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
3,258 sightingsElkMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
397 sightingsMooseMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
1,494 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 7 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Yellowstone. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
EasyLost Creek Falls Trail0.5 mi · 30 min · 0.2 mi awayA short creekside climb to a waterfall behind Roosevelt Lodge.
ModerateGarnet Hill Loop Trail8.1 mi · 4.5 hr · 0.2 mi awayA stagecoach road leads into Elk Creek canyon and river views.
ModerateLost Lake Trail2.8 mi · 1.5 hr · 0.3 mi awayA 2.8-mile loop pairs Lost Lake with sagebrush meadow views.
ModerateYellowstone River Picnic Area Trail3.7 mi · 2.5 hr · 0.7 mi awayA steep climb opens a view into the Yellowstone Narrows.
ChallengingSpecimen Ridge Trail17.7 mi · 11 hr · 1.3 mi away17.7-mile one-way ridge traverse over Amethyst Mountain.
ChallengingAgate Creek Trail13.1 mi · 9.5 hr · 1.3 mi awayA long descent to a remote stretch of the Yellowstone River.
ModerateRoosevelt Lodge–Tower Fall Trail2.6 mi · 2 hr · 2 mi awayA steep climb opens to Tower Fall and Yellowstone River views.
ModerateTower Fall Trail0.8 mi · 48 min · 2 mi awayA short switchback descent adds a riverbank below the falls.
Lodging · 0.2 mi awayRoosevelt Lodge CabinsRustic cabins near Lamar Valley, with a 1920s lodge and porch.
Gas station · 0.3 mi awayTower-Roosevelt Junction Gas StationFuel, ice, and a small store at Tower Junction.
Picnic area · 0.6 mi awayYellowstone River Picnic AreaA picnic stop that doubles as a steep start to canyon views.
Sight · 1.3 mi awayCalcite Springs OverlookRiver cliffs, basalt columns, and a hot-spring story in minutes.
Sight · 1.3 mi awayPetrified TreeOne ancient redwood, best as a quick add-on near Lost Lake.
Sight · 2 mi awayTower Fall Overlook132 feet of falling water framed by the towers that named it.
Store · 2 mi awayTower Fall General StoreIce cream, trail snacks and souvenirs beside the Tower Fall trailhead.
Campground · 2.1 mi awayTower Fall CampgroundA quiet base camp with a short walk to Tower Fall.Parkwolf’s Yellowstone ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
