Grant Village, Lodging complex in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, US
Grant Village is a lodging and visitor complex situated on the southwestern shore of Yellowstone Lake at roughly 7,825 feet elevation. The site includes accommodations, a campground, visitor center, restaurants, a general store, and a gas station spread across the lakeshore area.
Grant Village was first proposed in 1955 by Park Service director Conrad L. Wirth, then named "Thumb Bay", to move development off the West Thumb thermal basin and serve 2,500 visitors. Its first phase, named after President Ulysses S. Grant, was finished in June 1963 with a campground, picnic area and boat ramp; a marina followed by 1965. Motel-style lodging and restaurants were built into the 1980s, and in 1981 Interior Secretary James G. Watt cut the project's scope under pressure from West Yellowstone, Montana.
The name Grant Village honors President Ulysses S. Grant, who signed the 1872 law creating Yellowstone as the world's first national park. The site was first called Thumb Bay, a name tied to nearby West Thumb Geyser Basin on Yellowstone Lake.
Grant Village lies on the southwest shore of Yellowstone Lake, about 2 miles (3.2 km) south of West Thumb Geyser Basin. The first phase, finished in June 1963, included a campground, picnic area and boat ramp; a marina followed by 1965. Services are concentrated in this compact developed area, so most facilities are within walking distance of the campground and lodging.
Grant Village was first proposed in 1955 under the name "Thumb Bay" by Park Service director Conrad L. Wirth, planned for 2,500 visitors with restaurants, gas stations, concessions and a marina. The name changed to honor President Ulysses S. Grant. The built village stayed smaller than that plan: in 1981 Interior Secretary James G. Watt cut its scope after pressure from West Yellowstone, Montana.
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