Lamar Buffalo Ranch

Originally built between 1927 and 1930 at Fishing Bridge near the north end of Yellowstone Lake, these visitor cabins became unsuitable for visitor use by 1981 due to lack of insulation and proper upkeep. Several were burned down, some were moved to different locations for storage, and the ones in best condition were moved to Lamar Valley Institute for visitor use.

All cabins located at Lamar Buffalo Ranch were renovated between 1993 and 1999 with better insulation and propane heaters. Cabins #4 were renovated even more recently to add a better insulative material. This allows us to compare the energy use between the renovated and un-renovated cabins, showing us the direct benefit of this additional insulation. The upgraded cabins use about 5,000 less BTUs of propane compared to the others which use about 15,000 BTUs of propane per year – a significant improvement for a simple upgrade.