Yellowstone

We were in Yellowstone for much of July. We got a 4-night reservation at Grant Village and a 3-night reservation at Bridge Bay only a few days ahead. Then we moved to Mammoth (first come only) for 10 nights. At the end of July Mammoth was filling in the mid/late afternoon.

All the visitors centers have the time the campgrounds filled the day before. We almost always use the internet when booking reservations. However, the Xanterra phone operators have more up-to-date info than is on the web. They can sometimes find a site when the web shows no vacancies.

All I can say is that we've been in Yellowstone in September without reservations - Mammoth, Madison and Bridge Bay.

monkey44 wrote:
We're in S Dakota and plan to hit Yellowstone first week Sept - been quite a while since I've been there.

Fishing bridge is only CG with HU as I recall - is that accurate?

Some CG allow generators - and some do not?

Also, does anyone know if it is difficult to get first-come sites in the park during week-one September. I seem to remember it's pretty easy after August.

We're spending a week or so, maybe longer, we don't care about hook-ups, and do not like listening to generators. We're good for about 3-4 days on battery, and thinking we can maybe get the FHU site one night in the middle of our week, just to get a good re-charge.

Anyone think this plan works - we'd like to drop the TC and drive only the truck, but we have no generator and will need FHU for at least once during the week if we do that, otherwise, we'll need to drive with the TC on and charge during the day.

Have you thought of a potable solar panel. I've got one the has a stand attached, it keeps the batteries tuned up during the day.

We've never had the batteries go dead on us when we're boondocking.

Of course were not using anything but 12V, don't need anything besides the reading lights and the ipod kickin' out the blues.

You will probably be better off in Gardner or West Yellowstone unless you just MUST stay inside the park.

I know I planned on using the FHU campground in the park. But I found out the when I go near the park the it closed early for the winter. I ended up going to Grizzly RV Park. Enjoyed the RV park and the drive was not that bad.

September is my favorite time of year to go to Yellowstone.

Long, long ago, when I first started going up there, you could count on empty parking lots, empty roads and plenty of campsites after Labor Day. Not any more.

The number of visitors in the fall has skyrocketed, but the park service has not really adjusted the campground fall closing times to take this in account. The result has been more campers chasing after few campsites.

Last year I arrived at Pebble Creek campground on a Wednesday of the third week in September, just in time to get the last available campsite - at 10:30 a.m. On that same trip I also stayed at Norris campground and Tower campground. Both were completely filled by the early afternoon.

ClaireOKC wrote:
Oh yeah, and I think that time of year would be fairly easy to get into a park (make reservations at the full service ones though). Mammoth I know would be easy, but get there early in the day.

We are at the a park at the North Entrance right now. We stay every fall and spring. Don't know where you get that Mammoth will be easy. It was sold out by 10AM today. It generally sells out every day, even into late September. In September you get lots of people wanting to see the Elk in rut. Also, many of the campgrounds are closing so there are less sites to choose from. Finally, late in the season people gravitate towards the north entrance because it is the lowest elevation in Yellowstone, hence the weather stays good longer. No campground is a give me for availability in the fall.

Yeah - I always look at the maps and pages, but there's nothing like asking a question and getting an answer ... like full in the AM.

We plan on hopping CG's, that's why I was wondering if the CG's get full or not in Sept - we never make reservations, mostly because we never know if we'll like it, or if it suits our needs. Read many, many websites that tell you a story that bends the truth - altho, not as often in the NPs.

We'd plan on moving first thing, getting a site for a day or two, or three, then moving again, instead of one CG and long miles each day. WE're not on a time limit, but figure at least a week, and can stay two if we decide it... Want to get to the Cascades before the end of September - and take the coast south from Olympia.

I've been to Yellowstone and Teton numerous times, and this whole area - but have not been exactly in Yellowstone for about seven or eight years. Great place, just wanted to update my camping thoughts so we get good stops. I know plenty of outside NF sites too, but distance and fuel is more of an issue now than it was in the past.

The link above didn't work for me...and perhaps not you, but here is the official Yellowstone Nat'l Park site with all their campground information:

Yellowstone Nat'l Park Campsites

We've never made reservations for Yellowstone but you need to be at the campground early morning and yes, Mammoth is our favorite. However, with your small rig you'll have many more wonderful choices. You might even considering moving to 2-3 different campgrounds within Yellowstone for varied experiences and perhaps different critters. Have fun!

You’re correct that Fishing Bridge is the only cg with hookups and also that some cg’s allow generators and some don’t. I’ve been to Yellowstone many times with a PU and a 16’ TT and only twice have I not gotten a site. Once I boondocked outside the park and got a site in the morning. The other time I got a spot in Fishing Bridge. That was a bummer, I felt like I was in an RV storage lot. And I found another site early the next morning. And almost all my trips were in peak season, so I don’t think you’ll have any trouble at all getting a spot with a TC in September.

I dry camp, too, and what I usually do is take my battery out and have it charged at a local station. I’m gone all day sightseeing anyway so that’s never been a problem. In another park I might move to a cg with hookups, but I won’t do that in Yellowstone.

If you’re in Yellowstone I’d also go to Grand Teton NP. My description is Yellowstone is beautiful, the Tetons are spectacular. The glitch is that a week isn’t really enough for both, you can easily spend that much time in Yellowstone. It’s huge and I put 400 miles on inside the park on my last trip. If you go to the Tetons check out Lizard Creek CG. Small sites, some on the lake, and they have a no generator loop. Enjoy your trip.