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Yellowstone Budget Calculator
2026 pricing for Yellowstone in USD. Reflects the $5/pp/night + $10 backcountry permit through the Recreation.gov Early Access Lottery, the deregulated in-park lodges, required bear spray and food storage, and the new $100 non-US-resident surcharge live since 2026. Every number is sourced.
Trip shape
Backcountry permit (3 nights)
Designated site $5/pp/night + $10 reservation · $25 total
This is the permit, not a campground fee. Yellowstone backcountry sites are booked through the Recreation.gov Early Access Lottery — a one-time $10 application/reservation plus $5 per person per night. Day hiking and the geyser basins need no permit. How the lottery works →
Base lodging (2 town nights)
Getting there & back (fly + rental car)
Rental car ($55/day) is added automatically for 6 days except on a road trip. Combining Bozeman-in / Jackson-out (open-jaw) adds ~$371 for the BZN–JAC leg, and distances inside the park are large — plan on a lot of driving.
Park entry
Entrance fee $35 per vehicle · 7-day pass
Visiting more than a couple of parks, or crossing back and forth? The $250 non-resident annual pass is the break-even alternative to stacking the $100 per-visit surcharge.
Travel insurance (optional)
The US requires no trekking insurance. This line is your choice, not a rule.
Camping gear
Rent tent, pack, pad, and stove in Bozeman or a gateway town for ~$90-180 the trip, or bring your own for nothing. Only matters on the backcountry loops.
Bear spray & food storage (required)
Yellowstone requires you to store food, garbage, and anything scented in a bear-resistant way. Bear spray is not optional in this park — carry it and know how to use it.
Shoshone Lake backcountry loop
Yellowstone 2026
Realitätscheck
This is bear and thermal country. Carry bear spray, store all food and scented items in a bear-resistant way, and keep your distance: stay at least 100 yards (91 m) from bears and wolves, and 25 yards (23 m) from bison, elk, and everything else. In the geyser basins, stay on the boardwalks and marked trails — the ground is thin and the water is boiling.
Don't forget
Backcountry sites are won through the Early Access Lottery on recreation.gov; in-park lodges (Xanterra) book out a year ahead; and food storage is required everywhere.
Yellowstone research →Jede Zahl mit Quelle. 2026 data. Yellowstone research
Quellen
Every number traceable to a primary source. No affiliate links. No commissions. Pricing in USD, 2026 rates. The backcountry permit and the park entrance fee are two different systems — kept separate here on purpose.
Methodik: Backcountry sleeping is the NPS rate of $5 per person per night plus the one-time $10 reservation, booked through the Recreation.gov Early Access Lottery — day hikes and geyser basins need no permit. Developed campgrounds run ~$30-40 a night; gateway-town motels (Gardiner, West Yellowstone, Cody) ~$150-300; the in-park Xanterra lodges (Old Faithful Inn, Lake Hotel) are now deregulated at $400+. The park entrance fee is $35 per vehicle for 7 days; the $100 non-US-resident surcharge is the fee that went live in 2026 and applies per foreign visitor, with the $250 non-resident annual pass as the break-even alternative. Flight prices are aggregator averages to BZN / JAC; the rental car is ~$55/day, and the open-jaw BZN–JAC leg adds ~$371. Bear spray and a bear-resistant canister are required, not optional. The US mandates no trekking insurance, so that line is optional. The calculator does not include tips, gear you already own, or side trips.
Yellowstone price updates
Permit lotteries, the foreign surcharge, and deregulated lodge rates all move.
One email when the NPS fees change, when the non-US-resident surcharge is revised, or when the Recreation.gov backcountry lottery windows open. Every claim sourced.
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