West Yellowstone or Gardiner?

Cup fan wrote:
We are making our first ever trip to Yellowstone this summer. I've been doing a lot of research on camping options both on this forum and through web searches. I will need full hookups and Fishing Bridge is booked. So it looks like we're staying outside the park. We want to take at least one day and do some exploring up into Montana. The problem is, we can't decide where in Montana we want to go. So i'd like some ideas as to some cool places to explore in Montana. Up towards Ennis and some of the ghost towns in the area sounds like fun. If we did that, then we would probably want to base out of West Yellowstone. I don't know what there is to see north out of Gardiner, but if we was to go there, then we would want to base camp in Gardiner. There seems to be more camping options in West Yellowstone than in Gardiner plus there seems to be mixed reviews on the Gardiner campgrounds. So I need Montana sightseeing ideas and good campground options. Next question: if you only had three days to spend in Yellowstone, what are the the best "do not miss" areas of the park?

Virginia City/Bannock are interesting. They are restored "ghost" towns. Other ghost towns are pretty much a collection of a few falling down shacks. You can see that close to your home, there are plenty places like that in the Ozarks. If you feel there is more to see and do in West Yellowstone and your research indicates the parks are better, that is probably where you should stay. West Yellowstone is a great base to visit the geyser basins, not so good if your tastes lean towards animal watching, fly fishing or if your plans include a trip over the Beartooth Highway. Do you plan on taking in Glacier National Park and/or Grand Teton Park? That should also weigh on your decision.