Rushmore to Fishing Bridge - Yellowstone

Here's a video of Fishing Bridge. It's not a parking lot.... it has trees. :) If you need hookups it's the most convenient place to stay. If you don't need hookups there are many other campgrounds in the park. We've stayed at Mammoth, Madison and Bridge Bay.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbGUvE1N0EQ&t=65s

Thanks All --- certainly a lot to think about.

Seriously folks! The OP is looking for route assistance to Fishing Bridge. Apparently they already have reservations. Turning this into a debate over what campground is ridiculous!

Get back on topic!!!

Keith

Years ago I visited Yellowstone on the way back from the west Coast (to Chicago) with a small sail boat in tow (behind a small SUV). Mid afternoon all camp grounds were full, but there was a boat-in site available.

So we (3 of us) motored out slowly (7000' alt. saps the power of 2 hp outboard), and ended up spending two nights there - with a little beach and peninsula all to ourselves.

We returned to the boat launch, and spent the rest of the day touring the hot springs, finally leaving by way of the the north entrance and I90.

Bumpyroad wrote:

creeper wrote:
I would detour to West Yellowstone. Fishing Bridge is and overcrowded dump. Funky electric, bad plumbing, crammed in like sardines.

You'll hear an argument that it's in the park and closer to everything. Well it's not. It's only closer to the things close to Fishing bridge.

Mammoth is a much better campground if you want to be in the park. Just lacks electric. Generators okay.

no electricity at Mammoth? it sounds like a spartan dump to me. listen to generators running all day? what about W/S? had no issues when I stayed at FB. yes it is crowded. No, I did not go to Yellowstone for the camping experience, I went there to see/enjoy Yellowstone.
bumpy

Mammoth is very nice. Not crowded, big sites and far from a dump. Not hoards of kids playing in the roads like FB. You don't have to park your toad under one of your slides to fit on your site, parked about a foot to people behind you. . If it's not about the camping then why do you need electric. Why would you hear generators if your'e out seeing Yellowstone. FB is a rip off $50-$60. Top dollar for that mess and the reviews reflect it.

I went from Custer SP to Fishing Bridge last summer. 16 is the best/easiest route. As long as you have more truck than you do trailer the climb through the Bighorns is easy.... and by that I mean if you are one of those people pulling a 37ft tow behind with an F150 you might have some problems. Once you get to Cody it's an hour or so to the East Entrance, and once you hit the entrance it's another hour to Fishing Bridge. Fishing Bridge is tight, but you aren't there to sit out front and "camp". You are there to see the coolest thermal features in the Country. If you want to camp go to West Yellowstone.... just keep in mind that whole hour in/ hour out thing every day. Fishing Bridge is 2 minutes to the loop. It's very convenient. Oh and the hookups are fine... looked brand new.

The straight route from Devils Tower is US16 all the way. US16 is the easiest way OVER the Big Horn Mtns. Cody to the West Entrance is a long steady climb, but no difficult curves. There's a modest drop from there to Fishing Bridge.

If you go through one of the other entrances you still have to climb to the Fishing Bridge level. It's just more spread out. For example Mammoth Hot Springs is substantially lower.

evanrem wrote:
We went from Spearfish to Redlodge and camped in a national forest off the beartooth highway right before the switchbacks and spent two nights exploring the area. Backtracked out an came in on the west entrance which was very easy. There is a website that explains all the ways to get to Yellowstone with a rv which is pretty detailed.

This is one of several websites that describes the various entrances to Yellowstone and the routes to access them. From Red Lodge it is not necessary to go all the way to the South entrance. MT-308 and MT-72/WY-120 will take you South to Cody without crossing any major mountain passes. From Cody to the East Entrance and Fishing Bridge does go over a pass, but it is nothing like the Beartooth and in my recollection no more difficult than some of the other passes in the park.

We went from Spearfish to Redlodge and camped in a national forest off the beartooth highway right before the switchbacks and spent two nights exploring the area. Backtracked out an came in on the west entrance which was very easy. There is a website that explains all the ways to get to Yellowstone with a rv which is pretty detailed.

how about 14 from ranchester through the national forest and Cody. Only a little longer than 16 and maybe more scenic.