RV Park near Yellowstone

[CantCampEnuf]

Looking for an RV Park near Yellowstone for this summer.... we plan to hit Black Hills, then Yellowstone. Looking for an RV Park, campground, close to Yellowstone, with activities. Thanks!

[2gypsies1]

This map might help you with where these campgrounds are located:

Yellowstone campground map

To get to Cody you'd be taking the East Entrance. Here's another map:

Yellowstone Roads and Opening Dates

This one will give you campground information:

Campgrounds in Yellowstone

Finally, don't miss Grand Teton National Park. It's completely different from Yellowstone:

Grand Teton Nat'l Park Campgrounds

[svcheerio]

Thanks Again, Katleman! Good suggestions for the NFS fallback. We will head to Cody after we leave Yellowstone I think that's the Chief Joseph you mentioned? Hope to make time to do Beartooth highway in the car at some point during our time up there.
Thanks again for your help!

[katleman]

svcheerio wrote:
Would you recommend a third campground that might enhance the visit? Or will we have it pretty well covered with just the two? I know that it is slow going through the park and that regardless of where we stay we will have a significant amount of driving to do.

Two is fine, if you want to add a third, it would be either Pebble or Slough in the NE. Both are small and first come sites, so you would have to get there very early. My fall back when I shoot for those two is to head out of the NE entrance to national forest campgrounds if I miss.

Depends on where you are headed after Yellowstone. Chief Joseph is a very nice drive, almost as scenic as Beartooth. Speaking of Beartooth, I wouldn't suggest the entire drive to Red Lodge in your rig, but very do able just to the summit of Beartooth and back down.

[svcheerio]

Katleman...THANKS! Would you recommend a third campground that might enhance the visit? Or will we have it pretty well covered with just the two? I know that it is slow going through the park and that regardless of where we stay we will have a significant amount of driving to do.

[katleman]

svcheerio wrote:
Coming in to Yellowstone after visiting Grand Teton and entering from the south next summer (2015).....is it worth a stop at Grant Village or just go on up to Madison and then to Canyon campgrounds?

Madison and Canyon is a good split of Yellowstone. In my opinion, adding Grant to the mix won't enhance your visit.

I'm partial to Madison, have camped there on three visits, the kids loved playing down at the river in the evenings.

What ever you decide on, make the in park reservations as soon as they let you for next year.

[svcheerio]

Thanks Bigdogger! Yes, we would never try to do this without reservations. I just wanted to know if the grant Village stop is a good one or not and if the larger over 40' sites are available for reservation over the phone for our son. I think that's how I read the Xantera website. It just didn't seem real clear and I wondered if anyone with a 40+' set up has been able to make a reservation online as it doesn't seem to be an available option. I guess I will just have to call them and ask them the question....although it's too early to make the reservation for next year and they seem to stumble over that and don't often have the answers I am looking for as it is "too early"! But I am a planner and am trying to get some preliminary info. We often go places without reservations and much of this trip will be like that ( this is a small portion of an 11 week trip)....but not at a place as popular as Yellowstone. We aren't that much of a gambler although I know many people do it successfully.
Thanks for your input!

[bigdogger]

svcheerio wrote:
Thanks for responding Jim Shoe....I have already been over and over all of the info that is available online including this one. What I am really looking for is first hand info from other RV-ers. I really just wonder if the Grant Village stop is necessary as it seems that most sites are nearly as close to Madison (example: Old Faithful) as to Grant. Obviously there would be some hikes and, of course the lake at Grants that you wouldn't get at Madison. But we aren't there to fish or boat so i just wonder if it is worth the stop. But maybe everything is "worth the stop" in Yellowstone. There's nothing like hearing from people who have actually been there.

Another question that I have that you may be able to answer......it seems we will be able to make our reservations online as we are just at 40' with our motorhome and toad. But our son will be over that length. I think I understand that there are some of those sites available but not online? Is that your understanding? I'm pretty sure that's how I read it.
Again, thanks for responding. Any other first hand info you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

In my opinion, traveling to Yellowstone with multiple rigs that are very large without having concrete reservations is asking for trouble. Hoping that there are sites available that are not online is standing at the craps table and putting all your money on the "12" It might just happen and you will be rewarded, but you are most likely going to head out of the casino broke. People who have not traveled extensively in the Yellowstone area cannot appreciate the vast distances one might need to travel should places be sold out. More than once have I been in the office at the park we stay in each spring and fall and watched the park's staff call other RV parks looking for space for travelers who just happened by. Often times the nearest availability will be 80 or more miles further away from Yellowstone. Backtracking that far after you just made a 1500 mile trip to get to Yellowstone is not the way to start a vacation. Inside the park, if you don't have a reservation, you will need to be at the first come, first served parks very early in the morning to line up and wait for people to leave. Sometimes you get right in and sometimes you wait for 4 hours and then get told everyone who is leaving has left and you are out of luck. As for oversized rigs, sometimes the rangers and campground staff are co-operative and helpful and sometimes they just tell you to move on down the road. And sometimes you just can't put a 45 foot peg in a 35 foot hole. At Yellowstone the distances are just too far and the risk vs reward of traveling without reservations is just not worth it to me.

[svcheerio]

Thanks for responding Jim Shoe....I have already been over and over all of the info that is available online including this one. What I am really looking for is first hand info from other RV-ers. I really just wonder if the Grant Village stop is necessary as it seems that most sites are nearly as close to Madison (example: Old Faithful) as to Grant. Obviously there would be some hikes and, of course the lake at Grants that you wouldn't get at Madison. But we aren't there to fish or boat so i just wonder if it is worth the stop. But maybe everything is "worth the stop" in Yellowstone. There's nothing like hearing from people who have actually been there.

Another question that I have that you may be able to answer......it seems we will be able to make our reservations online as we are just at 40' with our motorhome and toad. But our son will be over that length. I think I understand that there are some of those sites available but not online? Is that your understanding? I'm pretty sure that's how I read it.
Again, thanks for responding. Any other first hand info you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

[Jim_Shoe]

Here's the scoop on all the CGs inside the park. There are 12 of them scattered along the grand loop road.

[svcheerio]

Coming in to Yellowstone after visiting Grand Teton and entering from the south next summer (2015).....is it worth a stop at Grant Village or just go on up to Madison and then to Canyon campgrounds? We have plenty of time to spend but don't want to spend it in a spot that doesn't make sense. We are not boaters but we do like to hike. We can stay as long or as short a time as we need. I just am trying to get some ideas. Can anyone help me out?

[kedanie]

Taking someone to Yellowstone for their first visit is something special. Watching them walking around with their mouth hanging open in awe. I've had that opportunity to do that several times.

Keith

[Veebyes]

We are heading back to Teton again this year, taking a couple who have never seen either Teton or Yellowstone this time. Trying to decide between Colter Bay or Gros Ventre. Did Gros Ventre for 5 days over the July 4th period last year. Nice CG. A variety of well separated sites. Close to the Mormon barn but cannot see the Tetons from CG. Thinking Colter Bay for a change of view.

[grampscamper]

padredw wrote:
Sounds like a great plan.

Colter Bay remains one of our favorite campgrounds in the USA.

I would agree. Great location. Very well stocked store. Amazing scenery in the area. We saw a grizzly just south of the campground.

[bigdogger]

kedanie wrote:
There must be a reason so many stay inside Yellowstone. While mileages will vary from where you start, generally attractions are closer if you stay inside. There are also many more campsites inside which are mostly full every day of the summer season.

Here is a little data on that.
Miles from West Yellowstone/ Miles from Fishing Bridge

Old Faithful Geyser .......... 31.3 miles/39.4 miles
Grand Canyon of Yellowstone............ 39.6 miles/15.7 miles
Hayden Valley............. 47.1 / 8.4 miles
Mammoth Hot Springs............ 48.7 miles/48.6 miles
Yellowstone Lake (nearest approach) ............ 48.6 miles/ .3 miles
Norris Geyser Basin............ 28.2 miles/27.7 miles
Lamar Valley...... 65.2 miles/41.9 miles
Tower Fall....... 55.4/31.8 miles
West Thumb Geyser Basin...... 48.3 miles/20.5 miles

So I guess West Yellowstone is actually more centrally located to ONE of the parks main attractions, it is 8 miles closer to Old Faithful.

Number of campsites in campgrounds total 2164 sites

In order of opening Dates* Nightly Fee/** Sites Elev (ft) Features RV Sites
Mammoth
All year $20 85 6,200 A,F,G Most are pull-through
Madison ??
5/2-10/19 $21 278 6,800 A,F,NS,DS,G Call for availability & reservations
Fishing Bridge RV??‡
5/9-9/21 $45 >325 7,800 F,S/L,DS,G, hookups Call for availability & reservations
Norris
5/16-9/29 $20 >100 7,500 A,F,G 2 @ 50' (signed); 5 @30'
Tower Fall
5/23-9/29 $15 31 6,600 V All @ 30' or less; has hairpin curve
Bridge Bay ??
5/23-9/1 $21 432 7,800 A,F,NS,DS,G Call for availability & reservations
Canyon ??
5/30-9/14 $25.50 273 7,900 A,F,S/L,DS,G call for availability & reservations
Indian Creek
6/13-9/8 $15 75 7,300 A, V 10@ 35'; 35@30'-pull-through
Pebble
Creek
6/15-9/29 $15 27 6,900 V Some long pull-throughs
Slough
Creek
6/15-10/7 $15 23 6,250 V 14 @ 30', walk through first to assess sites
Lewis Lake
6/15-11/2 $15 85 7,800 V All @ 25' or less
Grant Village ??
6/21-9/21 $25.50 430 7,800 A,F,S/L,2S,DS,G Call for availability & reservations

Keith

And the Parks in Gardiner are closer to Lamar Valley, Tower Falls, Mammoth and Norris than Fishing Bridge. Plus Gardiner and West Yellowstone have multiple restaurants, grocery stores, shopping and cellular service. The full service parks have wifi and cable tv. They also allow unlimited usage of the showers as compared to limited usage at FB. For many people, the access to the park is through those two entrances, so they can park their rigs without traveling the park roads with large vehicles. There are different benefits to each location.