"Elephant Head" rock formation overlooking Elephant Head Lodge

The Elephant Head Lodge gets its name from a rock formation overlooking it. The Lodge, Restaurant, and the "Trapper" cabin were all built in 1910 by Buffalo Bill Cody's niece, Josephine Thurston, and her husband Harry W. Thurston. Harry chose the site for its water. He was one of the first Rangers in the Shoshone Forest and knew about the spring that still serves the Lodge today. It was a dependable source of good water for early travelers to Yellowstone – and for trappers and Indians before them.

The Elephant Head Lodge is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The lodge is now owned and operated by Kevin & Debbie Millard, who are Wyoming natives with fourth generation ranch family backgrounds.