Camping in Yellowstone/Grand Tetons

Can't help about the campfire situation. This is only to say that Colter Bay Marina and RV Park is one of our favorites in the Grand Teton National Park. Maybe someone else can help in regard to campfire regulations.

sounds like you're looking at private parks.
we camped at Yellowstone and Grand Teton and had campfires, but they were non-hookup sites.

we stay away from private parks because they often have no campfire policies.

Hi Again--just spoke with someone from Colter Bay RV Village and he indicated that although fires are not permitted in the campground there are fire-rings located near the lakeshore (about a 5 min. walk) that can be used. Anyone out there familiar with these? Sounds like it might be an alternative but wondering how this arrangement works.:)

What about those portable pits that can have a fire within rather than laying on the ground.

We have one of those but they aren't allowed either.

Why do your friends need 50a? Why do they need shorepower at all? Don't they have a genny, a decent battery bank & a sizable inverter in a rig that size?

We did Gros Ventre in Grand Teton last summer. It is dry camping but there was space for a converted tag axel bus in there.

By September the nights will be cool so there is no need for A/C. Even if their fridge is AC only food does not instantly go bad when the power is shut off. In the cool of the overnight it will be just fine.

there are fire-rings located near the lakeshore

We walked down to the lakeshore several times while we were there--magnificent views, especially sunrise and sunset, and relatively easy walk.

Depending on the direction you'll be coming - West Yellowstone is well worth the entry point. 2 miles north of West Yellowstone is Baker's Hole FS CG - big rig friendly and with 50amp hookups, water at the entrance and throughout to stop and fill from as long as you have a "water thief" connection. Then travel through the park to Grand Tetons and stay at Colter Bay - again the RV park is big rig friendly and well worth a stay. Gros Ventre is well worth it too. At that time of year Moose frequent this CG so much you do have to be careful when venturing out - look around before you go out. There's water at the entrance and although no hookups, it's well worth the stay for the setting and wildlife.

I can't speak for the RV park at Colter Bay because we don't camp there. We camp in the regular campground and all the spaces have fire rings and they sell wood at the general store. They also have one loop that has electric hookup, 30 amps I believe, set up for disabled folks, but part-way through the day they open them up for regular folks. Colter Bay is a wonderful campground as is Gros Ventre, but we have never stayed there because we fish Jackson Lake most of the time we are there and Gros Ventre is quite a ways from the lake whereas Colter Bay is just that, a bay on the lake so it's five minutes to get the boat put in the lake. However, September may not be the best time to spend time there, if you like the water. Usually there is a call on the lake to take the water down by 15-30 feet to go downstream to Idaho so the lake is not as high as earlier in the summer. However, there are lots of other things to do in Grand Teton, Jenny Lake and Hidden Falls with Inspiration Point, go to Slide Lake over in the Gros Ventre, and spend a bunch of time hiking, if that's your thing, in some of the prettiest area in the world, at least in my opinion. Then, either early in the morning or late in the evening, before dark, driving around looking for wildlife usually pays dividends. As noted above, if your friends need 50 amp for AC, then it's not necessary. We have found, over over 48 years of going to Grand Teton, and Yellowstone, that the evenings cool off and AC is not necessary.

For the Grand Tetons, we prefer Gros Ventre campground with water and dump station. You can find sites big enough for your needs. As stated, you won't need a/c and you can run your genny after 8a.m. and before 7 or 8 p.m. fires are allowed.
For Yellowstone, if you want a place that allows campfires, try Henry's Lake State Park. It is about 15 miles south of West Yellowstone which is right on the National Park boundary, so you aren't too far away to day trip in Yellowstone.
If the state park doesn't suit you, there's a pretty decent RV park right across the highway from the entrance to the park. has a good laundry and tidy looking sites.