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Every spring, as a child, I would love to see yellow daffodils rise up along side the brick farmhouse, now long gone. The flowers would pop against a smidgeon of snow still lining the perimeter of the house. The old farmhouse was a fascination to me, abandoned, yet it once resonated with love from a hard working family of five siblings, a sturdy farmer, and a strong mamma. Love was spoken over the farm and the family stayed connected to the land, the vista and each other. The Rankin Motel was built on this love as an extension of a busy family.

The 100th Anniversary of the Rankin Motel is welcoming us all into 2024! Tulips and daffodils are pushing through the remaining snow drifts and are ready to welcome you on your journey! Come Celebrate with us.

Travel Safely!

Grover Hospitality LLC

This last year, the Rankin Motel was listed in the National Register of Historic Places. We are ordering the plaques now! The historic significance of the Rankin is in its architecture. It is representative of the early architectural development of the motel building type, exemplifying the cabin camp, cottage court, and motor court phases of early roadside hostelry architecture. It is a testimony to the entrepreneurial spirit capitalizing on the industrial development of the automobile and West Yellowstone National Park.

The period of significance for the Rankin Auto Court is 1920-1973, beginning with its opening and ending with the construction of its most recent buildings.

These photos represent Ashton’s appeal to the fisherman, hunter, and traveler. Right off of Hwy 20, The Rankin Auto Court was a favorite stop. We look forward to your visit and hope you will make it a favorite memory as well.

We are excited about our upcoming 2022 season! We look forward to seeing you on your journey. Thank you for making us a stop on your path. The beauty of this country is breathtaking and the mountains beckon us to visit. Growing up in this area afforded my family many opportunities to fish, picnic, and look for huckleberries.

Here, Dave Rankin, brother to Betty, and Betty enjoy a picnic at Big Springs.  Big Springs, located in Island Park, is the headwater of the Snake River. Be sure to visit Johnny Sacks cabin when you arrive. It is a wonderful cabin filled with a rich history of the area.

Mom (Betty) loved to fly fish on the Fall River and she hiked with her friends every afternoon. She took many pictures of the mountains and wildlife on her treks. She loved  to  take  photos  of  the  landscape  against  a mountainous  background.

 

Don’t miss out on simple ventures, picnics and mountains. Have a huckleberry ice cream cone and be ready to relax.

The 2020 Season for the Rankin Motel is off to a very interesting start. We are deeply concerned for our travelers and guests. We are watching the current pandemic closely. Your heath and safety are most important to us.

We have reflected on what is best for the Rankin and you. As we wait and watch, we will plan on opening on May 17th, 2020. While we are optimistic about this date, we will follow the guidelines as proposed by the CDC and our local authorities.

Please continue to watch for updates on our rankinmotel.com website. You can also check the reservation system for openings. Know that when you arrive as our guest, you can find rest. Every measure will be taken to ensure a clean room and warm welcome. We look forward to seeing you this summer. Many blessings and Safe travels!

Old Faithful got its name appropriately. This geyser erupts faithfully every 35 to 120 minutes for any where between 1.5 to 5 minutes. Throughout the summer people gather to watch this magnificent geyser shoot to heights from 90 to 184 feet. I remember, as a child, sitting on the benches and waiting expectantly for the geyser to launch.

Early spring in the Park is beautiful with new life and baby buffalos.  The water is high with run off from the mountains. Geysers and paint pots of vivid colors emit steam into the cool spring days.

This year the West Entrance to West Yellowstone National Park will open April 27^th.  Be sure to check West Yellowstone National Park’s opening and operations website for more details to many of the Park’s campgrounds and scenic areas. Click here for opening and operations info.

You’ll pass right by us on the way to the West Entrance via Hwy 20. Old Faithful is waiting for you.

 

Do you have a memory of Bob you want to share? Click here.

We have so many wonderful memories of our time with Robert at Rankin Motel. Each winter Jenny and he would plan ways to improve the motel and make it a place of restoration for their guests. As Spring approached each year, so did their excitement about meeting and hosting new guests and friends from all over the world, who would come to stay with them. The Rankin is like a little slice of Heaven, and Bob so enjoyed sharing its beauty and wonder with his guests.

As Bob and Jenny have said to so many of their guests, “Enjoy, the Journey,” it has become their life quote. Robert lived well knowing you on his life journey’s path. We are sad he isn’t with us to share more, but we are thankful for the wonderful memories of him that we will always share with each other and you.

Please join us and write your memories in the “Leave A Reply” box.

 

Right click on the picture and left click on “Save Link As…” to download to your computer. Once downloaded, you can open it and print our traveler’s prayer Betty Grover placed in all the rooms and cabins called “To Our Guests”.

Our Renting SeasonMay – October
Time to Fish, Hike & Bike!

Closed November- April
Gone Skiing!