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Log Cabin On Historic Yellowstone Park Ranch on the McDonald Ranch

Photo gallery for Log Cabin On Historic Yellowstone Park Ranch on the McDonald Ranch

entrance to cabins, schoolhouse and creek with other old buildings for storage
Golf
Exterior
Bathroom
Room

Reviews

10 out of 10
Exceptional
5 bedrooms2 bathroomsSleeps 12185.8 sq m

Popular amenities

  • Dryer
  • Parking available
  • Washer
  • Kitchen
  • Barbecue grill
  • Air conditioning

Explore the area

Map
Gardiner, MT
  • Yellowstone Hot Springs
    ‪20 min drive‬
  • Yellowstone National Park North Entrance
    ‪31 min drive‬
  • Mammoth Hot Springs
    ‪43 min drive‬
  • West Yellowstone, MT (WYS-Yellowstone)
    ‪126 min drive‬

Rooms & beds

5 bedrooms (sleeps 12)

Bedroom 1

1 Queen Bed

Bedroom 2

1 Queen Bed

Bedroom 3

1 Queen Bed

Bedroom 4

1 Queen Bed

Bedroom 5

1 Queen Bed

2 bathrooms

Bathroom 1

Toilet · Shower only

Bathroom 2

Toilet · Shower only

Spaces

Deck or patio
Kitchen
Garden
Dining area

About this property

Log Cabin On Historic Yellowstone Park Ranch on the McDonald Ranch

Schoolhouse cabin is nicely restored for comfort and family get togethers. Authentic hand hewn logs, beautiful decor, with 5 Queen bedrooms, room for two more twin beds, big kitchen, 3 leather couches and chair, indoor/outdoor eating areas, big deck and yard. Barbecue grill, fire pits, on the creek. Animals all around tame and wild. TV/DVD/cable, wifi if wanted, beautiful view of meadows, mountains..other cabins and lodge on property. Big family re-unions to just couples accommodated (at reduced rates).
Our cabins have most all amenities ...

Get away from it all, relax, daytime walks.

Located in the mountains next to Yellowstone Park. Our road connects to Old Yellowstone trail at Yellowstone River, and takes 20 minutes or is 9 miles from the park line. Takes 20-30 minutes to reach Gardiner and park pay shack via hwy 89 or Old Yellowstone Trail, (14 miles total from Gardiner). 6 miles of dirt road and 8 miles of interstate highway.

Come enjoy the beauty and comforts of our unique ranch log cabins and Lodge while visiting our Yellowstone Park.

Property manager

Shai McDonald
Premier Host

Languages

English

Add dates for prices

Amenities

Kitchen
Washer
Dryer
Air conditioning
Outdoor space
Mountain view

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House Rules

Check in after 4:00 PM
Minimum age to rent: 18
Check out before 10:00 AM
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Children

Children allowed: ages 0–17
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Events

No events allowed
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Pets

No pets allowed
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Smoking

Smoking is not permitted
Furniture inside and out is not to be moved Cushions are not to be removed from furniture and placed elsewhere please. dishes need to be cleaned

Important information

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
On-site parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Host has not indicated whether there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property; consider bringing a portable detector with you on the trip
Host has not indicated whether there is a smoke detector on the property

We should mention

A car is required for transport to and from this property

About the area

Gardiner

Located in Gardiner, this holiday home is in a rural area and in the mountains. Roosevelt Arch and Fort Yellowstone Historic District are local landmarks, and the area's natural beauty can be seen at Yellowstone National Park North Entrance and Yellowstone National Park. Travelling with kids? Consider Parks' Fly Shop, or check out an event or a game at Rodeo Arena. Make sure you get close to the area's animals with activities such as game walks and birdwatching.
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Map
Gardiner, MT

What's nearby

  • Yellowstone Hot Springs - 20 min drive - 10.0 km
  • Parks' Fly Shop - 29 min drive - 22.4 km
  • Roosevelt Arch - 30 min drive - 22.9 km
  • Yellowstone National Park North Entrance - 31 min drive - 23.4 km
  • Mammoth Hot Springs - 43 min drive - 30.5 km

Getting around

  • West Yellowstone, MT (WYS-Yellowstone) - 126 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Lighthouse Restaurant - ‬21 min drive
  • ‪Paradise Perk Espresso - ‬24 min drive
  • ‪Follow Yer Nose Smoke Wagon - ‬24 min drive
  • ‪Grizzly Grille - ‬24 min drive

Frequently asked questions

Is Log Cabin On Historic Yellowstone Park Ranch on the McDonald Ranch pet-friendly?

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

What time is check-in at Log Cabin On Historic Yellowstone Park Ranch on the McDonald Ranch?

Check-in begins at 4:00 PM.

What time is check-out at Log Cabin On Historic Yellowstone Park Ranch on the McDonald Ranch?

Checkout is at 10:00 AM.

Where is Log Cabin On Historic Yellowstone Park Ranch on the McDonald Ranch located?

This family-friendly Gardiner holiday home is located in the mountains, steps from Gallatin National Forest and within 6 mi (10 km) of Aldridge Lake and Yellowstone Hot Springs. Cutler Lake and Yellowstone River are also within 9 miles (15 km).

Reviews

10

Exceptional

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
Learn moreOpens in a new window
Rating 10 - Excellent. 43 out of 46 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 2 out of 46 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 1 out of 46 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 46 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 46 reviews

9.6/10

Cleanliness

10/10

Check-in

10/10

Communication

10/10

Location

9.8/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

8/10 Good

Jahara M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Beautiful views

The stay was excellent! Good place to spend time with family. The only thing is the smell on the cyrtains. Other than that exxellwnt everything.
Stayed 8 nights in Dec 2024

10/10 Excellent

Lorin G.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Fantastic stay!

New Years family gathering of 6 adults and 5 children aged 10-15 (grandparents, parents, grandchildren) from Hawaii and Nevada.The cabin was better than expected! Very charming, well stocked, beautiful location for winter fun.Sledding and hot springs nearby, horses and snowman building. We definitely created some wonderful memories and would all love to return at some point.
Stayed 4 nights in Jan 2025

10/10 Excellent

William B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Awesome stay

The house was beautiful, spacious, and fit our group of ten perfectly. The property was a dream in October, with all the weathers you could imagine, and the kids loved seeing the horses and other wildlife nearby.
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2024

10/10 Excellent

Trent R.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great Secluded Location

This property proved to be everything we were looking for: Seclusion, great scenery, clean, plenty of space for 2-3 families, relatively close to the park, and owners who were a pleasure to work with. I highly recommend staying at this place.
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2023

10/10 Excellent

Aaron D.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Quiet place off the beaten path

Excellent property, great house with everything we needed
Stayed 9 nights in Feb 2023

10/10 Excellent

Aaron D.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Excellent place

Quite, very large house with all the amenities, our crew was there working in the park. We stay in alot of places in a year and this house is by far the best yet
Stayed 9 nights in Feb 2023

10/10 Excellent

Jonathan T.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great Cabin!

We had a fantastic stay at this charming house near Yellowstone! The property was clean and offered plenty of room for our family. Our young kids absolutely loved interacting with the horses, and the playroom kept them entertained for hours. The adults enjoyed relaxing on the lovely wrap-around porch, perfect for morning coffee and evening chats. The organized kitchen made cooking a breeze. Overall, a wonderful and charming place for a family getaway—highly recommend!
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2024

10/10 Excellent

John W.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Excellent getaway

This place is beautiful. Set in a mountain meadow. It is spacious and very secluded. And less than 30 minutes from the entrance to Yellowstone. Trip was magnificent.
Stayed 5 nights in May 2024

10/10 Excellent

Aimee M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Beautiful!

This was such a beautiful, calm & relaxing experience!! The property and its managers were exactly what we were looking for. This will definitely be a repeat vacation!
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2022

10/10 Excellent

Aaron D.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Perfect 5 bedroom house

Our crew was here for work in the park. Nice cabin away from the hussel and bussel
Stayed 8 nights in Mar 2023

10/10 Excellent

Deborah O.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Family vacation

Enjoyed being on beautiful property. Might want to add curtains to bedrooms upstairs that receive morning light for sleeping later.. privacy not an issue. Truly had a good time.
Stayed 6 nights in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Jess W.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Peaceful, secluded family vacation

We had a wonderful stay at the Schoolhouse Cabin. The views from the porch were stunning, we enjoyed walking around the property and visiting the horses. We saw lots of wildlife including elk, moose, deer, and eagles. 12 of us across 4 generations stayed here and we had plenty of room. The kids enjoyed the playroom and we liked having the big table to sit and enjoy family meals together. We loved the proximity to Yellowstone for adventures, and also really appreciated being able to retreat to this peaceful, quiet cabin away from it all.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Anita M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great vacation house

My adult niece and nephew were with me and we were in town for the Wolves of the Rockies Yellowstone Wolf Summit. This house was perfect for us. The outdoors could be seen from all rooms in the house. We were gone most of the time we were there but the house was extremely comfortable and inviting.
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2023

10/10 Excellent

Molly E.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Better than advertised

The home was beautiful, better than the pictures on the listing. The beds were comfortable. Plenty of space for all 6 of us and everyone was very comfortable. Gorgeous location and easy to get into Gardiner for supplies and into the park nearby. Shai was quick to respond and helpful. The dishwasher was not working when we arrived and they had it replaced with a new one immediately. Perfect place for our family vacation, we could not be happier with our stay!
Stayed 8 nights in Jun 2024

10/10 Excellent

Susan L.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Follow the Creek

What an amazing location! A world unto its own! Not for someone who wants to be in the middle of town but if you want to be in the middle of no where, this is the place. But still only 30 minutes to Mammoth HotSprings! It was perfect for the 8 of us!
Stayed 4 nights in May 2023

10/10 Excellent

Bart M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Fantastic place and stay

We were 6 adults and 3 kids visiting from Alberta to see Yellowstone. The house is located north of Gardiner, and getting there takes some effort as the road is unpaved (although in great shape) and narrow but it's totally worth it. The house has 4 bedrooms upstairs and 1 downstairs, very well kept and clean and lots of character. We had horses, dogs visiting us and tons of ground squirrels. Kids had a blast. Everything a large family would need was there, totally recommended!
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2023

10/10 Excellent

Zach S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Secluded Getaway

This was an awesome experience. It's quite the drive to get to the place, but you are rewarded as soon as you come to the opening where this and a couple of other cabins are. We stayed for three nights. We spent some time at Chico Hot Springs, Gardiner, and Yellowstone. The place was very clean. The kitchen is well stocked. The grill was in pretty rough shape, but still serviceable. The kitchen has most of the items you'd need to cook just about anything. There were two friendly dogs on the property. There are also some horses that will come to greet you at the fence. We had a great time with family for our few days there!
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2023

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Never been so relaxed on vacation

Family met up from Nebraska and California and all agreed we have never had a more relaxing vacation! The TV never was turned on! The laughs over games at the table and conversations on the deck, with stunning views of mountains/valleys and the perfect compliment of the babbling creek were just what we all needed! It was quiet and rural with spectacular animal viewing in all directions from the property allowing us to avoid the "park" tourist traffic. Horseback riding just a few miles from the McDonald Ranch was a perfect excursion to get to more beautiful vistas. Cabin was perfect as described. The kitchen was missing a few things, but luckily, our "kitchen crew" is always up for an improvising challenge and we made it work. Staff was amazing and accomdating. WE WILL BE BACK!!!
Stayed 5 nights in Sep 2023

10/10 Excellent

Wade D.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Family vacation

The house had plenty of room and the quiet country setting, was perfect for vacation.
Stayed 4 nights in Sep 2021

10/10 Excellent

Kevin K.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Fun!

Great stay!
Stayed 4 nights in Aug 2021

10/10 Excellent

Kari C.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Amazing

We were looking for a cabin that could hold 11 people (2 teenagers and 9 adults) and was close to Yellowstone. This was perfect. Plenty of space, beautiful views, and 8 horses that were surrounding the property. 2 super friendly dogs came to visit (and play), and a friendly cat hung out occasionally. The only negative was the drive from the main road to the cabin was long (15 min) and winding (can't see around the bends), through the mountains. It was beautiful, but a little scary for those of us not used to mountain driving. But definitely worth it!
Stayed 4 nights in Aug 2021

10/10 Excellent

Elysia H.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Remote, quiet, beautiful, fun

We are from the South, like way down in South Louisiana. So you can about imagine us seeing mountains for the first time! 😲 we came to the private road toward The McDonald Ranch we were amazed at how people could drive this daily. Of course we quickly adjusted to it by the second day, with trips thru Yellowstone, and quick trips back and forth to Gardiner. The Dogs would always come down to visit us which was comforting and kept the kids entertained. The Yellow Lab is VERY fast, the Blue Heeler is sweet as pie. The landscape and history was amazing. You gotta read all the articles on the walls and in the book. Very interesting. Noone bothered us, but I will say if you wanna strike up a convo. With any neighbor that is in any other cabins, the bridge over the creek is the spot, if you're out there they usually come out to say hi and strike up a conversation. I highly reccomend walking the property and seeing as much as you can. Just bring bear spray Just in case. If you wanna ride, try Stermitz Ranch down the road. It was an awesome experience. It was the best place we have ever been too. And will definitely be back. Thank you. The Guidry family
Stayed 5 nights in Aug 2021

10/10 Excellent

Laura T.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Absolutely beautiful property

We had an amazing stay at the Schoolhouse. We found out it was actually an old school built in 1904 and has lots of original charm as well as newer pieces to make you feel like you are in a real Western retreat. We loved sitting on the porch and watching the horses and wildlife outside. The creek is great for kids as well as the dogs and cat that come to visit. Don’t hesitate to book if you want a quiet yet fun place near Yellowstone!
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2021

10/10 Excellent

Lezlie C.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Tranquility

We had twelve people staying at this property. Six children ages 6-12 loved playing outside and petting the horses, dogs, and cat. The adults loved sitting on the front porch enjoying the beautiful scenery and the peace. The house provided everything we needed and the beds were super comfy. We had a leak under the sink that was taken care of immediately. The house had plenty of room for all of us. My sister wants her husband to buy this property! We would definitely return if in the area again!
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2021

10/10 Excellent

Roxana R.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Amazing views! The cabin was adorable .

The property was amazing. The cabin has everything needed and more . Everyone has a great time!
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2021

About the host

Hosted by Shai McDonald

Host profile image
5th Generation family on the McDonald ranch.
Our kids go to Gardiner School and we work here on ranch.
Summers we travel Montana with the kids and horses rodeoing and working with our animals.

We like to share the beauty of our place, it is private, quiet and very special for all kinds of reasons.

Why they chose this property

Our place was homesteaded by great grandparents and cabins they built by hand, we restored for our guests to stay in. We have horses, some cows, cats and dogs that like to visit with everyone.

What makes this property unique

All cabins are nicely restored that show the detailed work our homestead family put into building them. Unique hand hewn logs inside and out, old family photos, unique antique decor with all the ammenities. Surrounded by beautiful scenery and animals with big yards and decks give everyone enough room to move about and enjoy nature right on the porch.
Fire pit for smores, creek flowing by, barbecue grill, indoor/outdoor furniture for everyone's comfort. The horses and dogs love attention and treats.

Languages:

English

Premier Host

They consistently provide great experiences for their guests
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