Northern Yellowstone

[Padlin]

Can anyone tell me which first come first serve CG's in the northern parts of the park are NOT accessible in my small 5th wheel? we're 35' overall, TV and 5th. I have reservations mid Sept for 1 night in Canyon, then they close, and another 3 nights in Madison but wouldn't mind being further north. I then have 4 nights in Grant.

Options are Mammoth, Norris, Tower Fall, Pebble Creek,and Slough Creek. Indian Creek will be closed by then.

[newk]

Padlin wrote:
Do the Yellowstone campgrounds get more crowded on weekends or are all days the same? Off season most of our state parks get crowded on weekends but are deserted during the week. If I were to try for a site at Norris on a Saturday in mid Sept, how early do I need to be there? I'm at Canyon the night before. And if I try to get in Mammoth?

I can't swear what Norris is like, but many of the larger campgrounds in Yellowstone start closing off sections in September. If I were you I'd check at the station in Canyon as you leave and ask if there's space at Norris. Chances are there will be, but it's easier to check ahead. If Norris is full, you can be directed to others with space.

[Eurocamper]

Padlin wrote:
Do the Yellowstone campgrounds get more crowded on weekends or are all days the same?

Yellowstone is a vacation destination more than a place for weekend getaways. As such it is crowded throughout the week.

That being said, I notice that the crowd thins out a bit on Sundays as one crop of vacationers leave, and builds up again through the weekdays as others arrive.

[Padlin]

Do the Yellowstone campgrounds get more crowded on weekends or are all days the same? Off season most of our state parks get crowded on weekends but are deserted during the week. If I were to try for a site at Norris on a Saturday in mid Sept, how early do I need to be there? I'm at Canyon the night before. And if I try to get in Mammoth?

[bcsslc]

TenOC wrote:
I like Baker Hole a NFS LARGE campground outside the park about 3 miles north of West Yellowstone. Lots of room. There are some Full Hookup (I think). I think it is $10.00 with discount.

GPS N44 42.355 W111 05.984

X2
Power only on about 20 of the sites. Way better than being crammed in the park. Also the fishing should be picking up then as well.

[2gypsies1]

Here's the official Yellowstone campground site:

Yellowstone Campgrounds

If you're already in the park you might consider checking at your reserved campground the day before you leave and again in the morning. Many times there are cancellations and you could then just stay where you are.

We love Mammoth and our 40' MH fits just fine. The views along the ridge are gorgeous and you'll usually have elk walking down the street. This is a handy campground if you want to explore more of the north area and for even taking a day tour north.

We've also pulled into Madison and Bridge Bay early morning and easily secured a site without reservations. Give it a try and have a good trip!

[Padlin]

rfryer wrote:
I thought the 18SB was a hybrid, not a FW. But no matter, it’s still small. Going from memory, which can be dangerous for me, if you use a generator they’re not allowed in Tower, Slough, Pebble Creek, Lewis Lake and Indian Creek campgrounds. Slough is a couple of miles from the pavement, has about 30 sites, and I seem to remember is mostly tents. But a good place to see wildlife. If you want 1st party info you can always check their website or even call the park. A great place to visit, have a nice trip.

I do have a hybrid, the Escape FW is to be delivered in July. Pretty much same size though.

[bobsallyh]

We like Bakers Hole also. Most sites have power, some dry. Dispersed water thru CG and no dump. 16 day maximum stay.

[TenOC]

I like Baker Hole a NFS LARGE campground outside the park about 3 miles north of West Yellowstone. Lots of room. There are some Full Hookup (I think). I think it is $10.00 with discount.

GPS N44 42.355 W111 05.984

[rfryer]

I thought the 18SB was a hybrid, not a FW. But no matter, it’s still small. Going from memory, which can be dangerous for me, if you use a generator they’re not allowed in Tower, Slough, Pebble Creek, Lewis Lake and Indian Creek campgrounds. Slough is a couple of miles from the pavement, has about 30 sites, and I seem to remember is mostly tents. But a good place to see wildlife. If you want 1st party info you can always check their website or even call the park. A great place to visit, have a nice trip.

[CloudDriver]

As already mentioned, you should have no problem with Mammoth Campground. There are some longer pull thru sites at Pebble Creek, if you can find one open. No generators allowed at Pebble Creek and IIRC the water is from a hand pumped well.

The Lamar Valley is worth the time to get there as in our experience the largest Bison herd is there. While somewhat a matter of luck and timing, we have on several occasions seen wolves and bears there. A few miles beyond Pebble Creek toward the Northeast Entrance is Baronnette Peak, with Mountain Goats high up on the cliffs usually visible with binoculars. We have also seen Mountain Goats on the mountain side across from the Pebble Creek Campground.

[Eurocamper]

You shouldn't have a problem with Mammoth. I'm not fond of this one, sites are exposed and it's not as handy a location as the others.

Norris is a large campground and has probably 6 to 8 spots that will fit you. It is a good option. Pebble Creek and Slough have very few sites for rigs of your size (maybe a couple each) and competition for them is stiff.

Tower campground is very tight and I wouldn't even take your trailer into it.

[Padlin]

Great, thanks folks.

[footslogger]

Of the CGs you mentioned I can only speak for Mammoth. You won't have any problem there. They have a large number of long pull-through sites. Also Mammoth tends to fill later in the day than other non-reservable sites. The chart at the bottom of this link lists the CGs in the parks and notes those with smaller sites.

We visited Yellowstone last summer. This link shows some of my favorite wildlife photos.

[pugslyyy]

We were in Yellowstone last September - it was a great trip and for us a great time of year to be there.

We camped at both Madison and Grant with no issues and would visit both again.

When we went further north we actually stayed just outside the park in Gardiner - plenty of options there. We stayed at one of the campgrounds in the Gallatin National Forest