Yellowstone’s Oldest Hotel Damaged in Windstorm

MAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS, WY - On Monday, July 3, 2023 in the early evening, a major windstorm and rain event impacted the southern portion of Yellowstone National Park, primarily in the Lake Village area. Park officials say no fatalities nor severe injuries have been reported, and there have been no substantial disruptions to visitor services.

“Monday night’s storm event hit the Lake area very hard,” said Superintendent Cam Sholly. “The National Park Service team and our partners quickly stabilized the situation and got recovery efforts started immediately.”

The storm's strong winds made a mess of the Lake Village area. In a press release, Superintendent Cam Sholly detailed the damage:

• During the storm, several hundred trees were blown down throughout the area including around the Lake Hotel, Lake Lodge, Lake Medical Clinic, Lake General Store, Lake employee housing areas and Bridge Bay Campground and marina.
• Multiple buildings and vehicles were struck by trees including a building that is adjacent to the Lake Hotel. This building and three cabins were evacuated and remain closed for cleanup and repairs.
• The hotel and clinic lost commercial power for approximately 24 hours. Power was restored to the area the following evening.

Built in 1891, the Lake Hotel is the oldest operating hotel in the park. It has undergone several expansions and renovations in its 132-year history. Seven falling lodgepole pines damaged the roof of an addition built in 1903.  Rick Hoeninghausen, a spokesman for Xanterra the concessionaire that operates the Lake Hotel the entire roof on that addition will need to be replaced, but he expected the addition would be open to guests before the weekend.

Meanwhile, Park spokeswoman Carol Quinn told KXLH-TV that cleanup will probably take a few weeks, but on the upside, logs from the downed trees can be used by preservation crews making repairs on Old Faithful Inn, as well as projects at Lake Lodge and other buildings in the park