Serving Visitors Since the Beginning

Named for fur trapper Johnson Gardner, Gardiner developed a rough-and-tumble history. The town took shape after James C. McCartney, one of Yellowstone’s earliest entrepreneurs, was invited by the park superintendent to leave the park in 1879 and officially evicted in 1881. He moved north to the mouth of the Gardner River and started a ranch. By 1880, a post office had been established, and Gardiner was supplying the needs of visitors to Yellowstone. Over more than 130 years, the town was visited by at least four sitting U.S. presidents, survived fires, hosted an influx of seasonal "dudes," and remained a vibrant town with a personality all its own.

Gardiner, Montana · United States