Tetons/Yellowstone/Glacier

Week of 7/4?? You had better have reservations somewhere. Between the July 4 US holiday and the July 1 Canadian holiday pretty much all cgs will be full! Good luck. And please do your homework (i.e.look at some maps) first!!

We had reservations for the FHU side of Colter Bay last year. I've read and witnessed in person folks showing up at check out and not having problems getting a site as people are leaving the campground. If you have time, wing it without reservation. If you need to be there to maintain a schedule, get a reservation.

Colter Bay and GTNP in general was much less busy than Yellowstone.

Some great info guys.

As far as Colter Bay or Gro Ventre...I see they're first come, first served. Anybody have trouble getting a site? With a pretty big rig I'm worried about getting all the way up there and finding nothing. I've only boondocked with it, so a formal campground will be a first for us....and we're planning to be up there the week of 7/4.

As far as crossing into Canada...I'm totally open to suggestions. I haven't even looked at a map yet so have no idea. Sounds like the suggestions for east Glacier would be good and just drive from there (without the trailer).

And yeah...I don't plan to spend lots of time in the campgrounds...just need a place for the rig.

If the place mentioned with full hookups is Teton Range Resort, they want 99 per night! Why bring the rig for that price?

Here's a couple old posts, maybe something will help in your plans:
Yellowstone and the Wyoming Area ...... and ...... Ditto

For the Tetons: We stayed at Colter Bay Campground, the one without hook-ups in mid-June 2010, it was a nice place for such a large campground and close to showers. Our daughter & her hubby needed them, not having showers in their A-Liner. I have heard good things about Gros Ventre Campground...get more animals walking by or close by, etc. Nice views.

If there again, I believe I'd try Gros Ventre.

The Colter Bay Visitor Center and Indian ArtsMuseum by the Colter Bay Campground is really a neat one.

Likewise, If you make it to Cody, try to see the Buffalo Bill Historical Center with Five Museums Under One Roof. http://www.bbhc.org/

These 4 were really great:
Buffalo Bill Museum
Whitney Gallery of Western Art
Plains Indian Museum
Cody Firearms Museum

The Cody Chamber of Commerce has a nice Visitor Center (full of information) & with a really nice art gallery.
http://codychamber.org/visitorcenter.html

More Yellowstone/Tetons & a Little Glacier with some Canada.

There is some disbursed camping with a fee located between Yellowstone and the Tetons national parks (John D Rockefeller Parkway). Not as rustic as I PREFER for disbursed camping but about as close as you'll come in that location. There are some rustic CAMPGROUNDS operated by the NFS just North of the town of West Yellowstone and that's a pretty good place to tour MOST of yellowstone park from. There are other NFS campgrounds south and west of Glacier National Park, along the east side of Flathead Lake. I don't give out the EXACT location of my favorite boondocking sites but with a little effort you can find them in those areas. For what it's worth, we're 34 feet long (56 when hitched) and have used all of those sites with our trailer.
Good luck / Skip

I second KOA in East Glacier it has amazing views, Any campground in Yellowstone is great but fishing bridge has hook-ups and very tight between rigs.

There are many primative campgrounds, but very little, if any, true boondocking. Your rig size may become an issue at many of the more remote campgrounds. There is plenty of reference sources available listing the individual campground's ability to serve your size rig. Don't get hung up on the campgrounds, you are not there for them, you are there for the National parks. You shouldn't be spending to much time at the campground.

We prefer campgrounds with hookups. Colter Bay RV Campground in Teton National Park, Fishing Bridge RV Campground in Yellowstone, and the KOA in West Glacier. Have a great trip.

Depending on where you plan to cross Cypress Hills interprovincial park is popular south of Maple Creek SK. Highways from the south not very good best crossing would be Wild Horse Montana Waterton National Park is north of Glacier Park might be more help if I knew where you plan to cross

No boondocking allowed in any of those national parks. We always stay at Gros Ventre campground when in the Tetons. Dry camping but they have water at the dump station. There are a number of sites that would fit your rig. Another possibility is Colter Bay campground further north. Again dry camping with dump and water available. There is a FHU RV park adjacent that is reservable.

For Yellowstone we prefer Madison campground as it is pretty much centrally located. They have limited sites for large RVs but sites can be reserved. There are a number of private campgrounds in and near West Yellowstone as well as Henrys Lake State Park. I have seen posts about Bakers Hole Forest Service campground just north of West Yellowstone, but we have never been there.

For Glacier, we have only stayed at Apgar campground, which has some sites large enough for your rig.