Ashton · Eastern: Ashton
Rankin Motel
A 1920s auto court the Rankin family developed for Yellowstone motorists, listed as the Rankin Auto Court in 2022; book a cabin, not a motel room.
- Built
- 1920–24The Rankin family began developing the auto court in 1920, and it opened in 1924. Motel units came after 1967.
- Type
- Inn
- Area
- Eastern: Ashton
- Credentials
- Listed on the National Register of Historic Places
The story
The Rankin family developed the auto court on part of their farm along the Yellowstone Highway, starting in 1920, to serve motorists bound for Yellowstone National Park. It opened in 1924 with cabins on a U-shaped drive. A daughter of the family and her husband bought it in 1967 and expanded it with motel units. Their daughters still own and run it, and the State Historic Preservation Office called it a significant local example of the early motel building type when it joined the National Register in 2022 as the Rankin Auto Court.
Good to know
- Address: 120 S Yellowstone Hwy 20, Ashton, ID
Sources (5)
Last verified October 2026. Details change; confirm with the inn before you book.