Yellowstone Old West Dinner Cookout: A Must Do!
Live like a cowboy for a day at the Yellowstone Old West Dinner Cookout!
This incredible experience takes visitors into a beautiful area of Yellowstone National Park to a private outdoor kitchen and dining area.
Here, you’ll be able to eat under a forest of lodge pole pines while a fiddler plays tunes and coffee steams over an open fire.
Guests will also be treated to many corny jokes from the cowboys and stagecoach drivers to complete this lighthearted, one-of-a-kind Wyoming experience.
Below, you’ll get our complete review of the Yellowstone Old West Dinner Cookout, along with tips on how you can make this experience a cornerstone of your national park visit.
The horses waiting in their corral for the trail riders to finish dinner
Yellowstone Old West Dinner Cookout: An Overview
The cookout, trail ride, and stagecoach ride was one of the things that my family was most looking forward to during our stay in Yellowstone National Park.
I am happy to report that it exceeded expectations to the point that I think no visit to Yellowstone is complete without it!
As noted in my complete Yellowstone family vacation guide, this activity is great for kids and adults alike.
My parents, my 2 kids, and I went on this experience, and we all agreed that it was a high point of our entire Wyoming and Montana trip.
If you’re visiting from the north or northeastern entrances, you could easily add this to a shorter itinerary. A longer, 10 day Yellowstone itinerary absolutely has time for this in it, too!
What is the Old West Dinner Cookout?
Overview of outdoor kitchen and stagecoaches
The Old West Dinner Cookout is a dinner experience like none other.
Guests make their way from Roosevelt Corral on horseback or in the bright yellow stagecoaches to an outdoor dining area.
Cooks will be hard at work when you arrive, serving up all-you-can-eat plates of hearty home cooking (for menu items and dinner photos, see below).
Live fiddle music accompanies your meal for a true Wild West experience: you’ll almost think you’ve been riding the range all day thanks to the immersive atmosphere.
Those visitors riding the stagecoach are also treated to a sing-a-long at the end of the evening.
(The guests on horseback leave as the sing-a-long begins in order to get back to the stables before the faster stagecoaches.)
How much does it cost?
PIN ME!
For the 2023 summer season, the cost for this experience began at $80 per adult and $62 per child.
The price does rise each year, but the 2024 cookout dates and prices haven’t been announced yet. You can check through the official Yellowstone Resorts site for updates for next season.
For the stagecoach ride and dinner, the cost was $80/adult, and $62/ child.
For the 1-hour trail ride and dinner, the cost was $110/adult, and $95/child.
For the 2-hour trail ride and dinner, the cost was $135/adult, and $120/child.
My family did both the 1-hour trail ride and the stagecoach ride.
Children must be at least 8 years old to participate in the trail rides, so my younger child (6 at the time of the trip) wasn’t able to do that.
My mom rode with him in the stagecoach since she wasn’t interested in the trail ride, either.
My dad, my 10-year-old daughter, and I all participated in the 1-hour trail ride.
Each of us ended up loving our individual experiences, and we appreciated that there were a couple of options for transportation to the dinner.
Getting to the Old West Dinner Cookout
It wouldn’t be an authentic Old West cookout if you just drove into a parking lot!
NOTE: you don’t want to be late for this experience. Once the horses and stagecoaches leave, you won’t be able to join.
I recommend staying at the authentic, historic Roosevelt Lodge and Cabins next door, which is within a 5-minute walk of the Corral.
>> Read my full Roosevelt Cabins at Yellowstone review here! <<
Where the trail rides and stagecoaches for the Old West Dinner Cookout leave from
Trail Ride
As I mentioned before, there are 2 options for a trail ride to the cookout.
The 2-hour trail ride carries guests from the Roosevelt Corral around Lost Canyon and past the Petrified Tree before they descend into Pleasant Valley for the cookout.
The 1-hour trail ride cuts across Pleasant Valley, where guests might be able to spot moose, elk, coyotes, bison, and bears.
(My daughter, me, and my dad on our horses for the 1-hour trail ride)
On both, there will be 3 cowboys with the group to guide, help, and protect.
The cowboys (and cowgirls) assigned to each trail ride will work with you before you leave the corral, sharing safety tips, and introducing you to your horse.
On the ride, the cowboys ride at the front, middle, and back of the group to ensure every rider and every horse is comfortable and having fun.
From time to time, the middle wrangler will also do a “hill check” to ensure that the group doesn’t accidentally surprise any wildlife as they make their way up, down, and across Pleasant Valley.
And, you’ll get plenty of corny cowboy jokes along the way, which the wranglers tell with great abandon!
A sample of what to expect: why do we call that peak over there Poison Cliffs? Because one drop will kill you.
Get it? (Haha.)
You can’t take much of anything with you on the trail ride—including a phone!—so you’ll have to either leave your bags and hats with a family member riding on the stagecoach or pack it in the community box that rides on the back of stagecoach 7.
Stagecoaches
My mom and my son with the horses and stagecoaches
If you don’t want to ride a horse—or if you are traveling with children too small for the trail rides—there’s another way to the cookout: the stagecoaches!
These bright yellow and black coaches are pulled by sets of massive Clydesdales, who can easily get the 50 or so people in each coach across Pleasant Valley from the corral.
Along the way, you’ll get about 20 minutes of history (sprinkled with the occasional bad joke) to help pass the time.
If you choose to do the trail ride but still want to meet the Clydesdales, there is a photo opportunity at the cookout site after dinner is over.
Fun fact: the trail used by the stagecoaches to get to the cookout location has been in use by coaches since 1883!
It’s easy to see why it’s called Pleasant Valley!
Old West Dinner Menu and Review
The 1-hour trail riders are the first to arrive, which allows them the pick of the seating areas and the opportunity to be the first to use the vault restrooms.
There are several picnic tables near the outdoor kitchen and campfire.
Try to grab one of these as you’re closer to the kitchen when they ring the dinner bell.
You’re probably wondering what you’ll get served up at an Old West dinner out in the middle of a Wyoming valley.
I’m here to tell you that it is delicious! You’ll feast on:
So much yummy food, so little time
Steaks,
watermelon,
Roosevelt baked beans,
potato salad,
cole slaw,
southwest corn,
corn muffins,
apple cobbler,
lemonade,
tea,
soft drinks, and
coffee.
So delicious, and so, so filling!
The steaks are cooked to a variety of levels of doneness, so if you prefer it a specific way, the cooks can ensure you get that.
Everything but the steaks are placed along 2 serving lines, allowing each guest to help him or herself.
Even my picky kid loved the dinner!
The steaks are handed out at the end of each line, allowing you to make any specific temperature/doneness requests.
The Roosevelt baked beans were unlike any bean dish I’d had before: the baked beans were in a sweet tomato based sauce along with slices of sausage, ham, and onions.
Even the potato salad—which I’m usually very picky about—caused me to go back for seconds!
There are unlimited soft drinks available in big metal buckets near the mouth of the outdoor kitchen, and huge containers of tea and lemonade near where the stagecoaches park.
Vegetarian options are available, though you’ll need to note this request when you book.
Final Thoughts on Yellowstone’s Old West Dinner Cookout and Trail Ride
In short: don’t miss out on this amazing experience.
The food is delicious, you’ll be treated to an unusual method of transportation regardless of which option you choose, and you’re likely to meet some new people along the way!
(Many people shared picnic tables as encouraged by the cowboys for a true community feel.)
While the dinner might be pricier than any other meal you eat in the park, it was by far one of the most delicious meals we had on the trip.
When you consider how memorable the entire experience was, I feel that the price was reasonable.
If I’ve convinced you to add the Old West Dinner Cookout to your next Yellowstone vacation, you’ll want to book several months out.
This experience sells out nearly every night of the season, so don’t wait around to secure your spot.
If you’re wondering which Wyoming national park to visit, I’m breaking down all of the pros and cons over in my Grand Tetons vs. Yellowstone post!
Yellowstone Old West Dinner Cookout FAQs
Where is the Old West Dinner Cookout?
This kid-friendly adventure starts in the Tower-Roosevelt area of Yellowstone National Park, which is roughly halfway between Mammoth Hot Springs and the park’s northeast entrance near Cooke City.
The cookout itself is a 20-minute ride by stagecoach or a 30-minute ride by horse from the Roosevelt Corral.
How long does the Old West Dinner Cookout last?
Plan for around 3 hours for the entire experience.
You’ll want to arrive about 30 minutes before your assigned meeting time, so you can sign waivers, listen to the cowboy safety talk, and meet your horse for the evening.
Does the Cookout use real cowboys?
Yes! The leaders of the trail ride and the drivers of the stagecoaches are real live cowboys and horse wranglers. Most of the cowboys and cowgirls that we met on this outing return to Yellowstone year after year during the summer season to participate in this cookout.
During the off season (September to May), many of the cowboys and cowgirls head south to work as wranglers in Colorado, Texas, and Arizona.
Do the horses used in this experience live at Yellowstone National Park?
The horse herd used for the Old West Dinner Cookout trail ride belongs to one large ranch in Colorado, and this particular vendor works out an agreement with the park for a specific number of horses each season.
During the off-season, the horses go back to their ranch in Colorado, and many of them return year after year.
What should I wear on the Yellowstone trail ride?
If you’re planning to go on the trail ride to and from the cookout, you’ll want to wear something comfortable, preferably with long pants to prevent chaffing.
We chose to layer t-shirts with long sleeved button down shirts. This allowed us to feel comfortable for the warmer ride to the outdoor kitchen, and then to add that extra layer for the ride back when the evening began to cool down.
Everyone in my family that rode the horses also wore jeans, which were thick enough to protect us on the ride.
My daughter and I both worse cowboy boots to help us keep our feet in the stirrups. My dad wore tennis shoes and felt comfortable with those.
Do I need a helmet to go on the trail ride?
Helmets are required for children, and there are a variety of sizes provided by the stable.
Adults are encouraged to wear helmets, but they don’t have to.
If you choose not to wear a helmet as an adult, you still can’t wear your cowboy hat that you’ve hauled across the country in your carry on.
There is a firm rule at the stable that says you can wear a hat (of any kind), but the helmet must fit on top.
Can I do the trail ride if I've never ridden a horse?
Absolutely! I have a terrible track record with horse riding, and, of the 4 horses I’ve ridden in my life, I’ve fallen off of 3 of them. Thankfully, that 4th experience was here at Yellowstone, and I firmly stayed on my horse, Box Boy, for the duration of the trail.
If I can do this trail ride, I know that you can, too.
My 10-year-old had never ridden a horse before this experience, and she had no issues.
The wranglers walk you through the basics of directing your horse before you leave the corral. Plus, the wranglers are within feet of you for the entire trail ride if you need help.
