New Visitor Center Proposed Near East Entrance

A new visitor’s center near the East Entrance to Yellowstone could be open this summer, thanks to a group of lodge owners between Cody and Yellowstone.

The East Yellowstone Chamber of Commerce is an affiliation of several lodges between Cody and the East Entrance to the Park. At last week’s Park County Travel Council meeting, Mike Christiansen with the Chamber presented a proposal to open and staff a visitor’s center at the Sleeping Giant Zipline Lodge, which will inform tourists coming from Yellowstone as to recreation, lodging and dining options as they head east.

Christiansen said that they do have approval from the Yellowstone Recreation Foundation board of directors to rent space in the Zipline lodge. They propose staffing the visitor’s center 5 days a week, providing brochures and publications about local interests, and staff will provide referrals to area attractions, lodging and dining, as well as assistance with bookings.

After extensive discussion, as well as offering suggestions to modification of the Chamber’s original plan, the Travel Council voted to fund the project in the amount of $9,400 for communications, staffing, and miscellaneous expenses.