When/how to book Yellowstone

[Mickeyfan0805]

We are in the early stages of considering a trip to Yellowstone during the summer of 2017. Does anyone know when the reservation systems open for the next year? I have a sense these fill up pretty quick, so I want to be ready to book when the time comes.

Thanks!

[2gypsies1]

If you're retired, don't go to Yellowstone in the summer. You'll enjoy it more in June or from the last two weeks of August thru Sept. Same for Grand Teton Nat'l Park. Fall is a beautiful time to be there. In June you'll see some baby critters.

Yellowstone has many parks and quite a few are not even reservable. Stay outside the park the previous night and drive to a campground around 9-10am when folks are leaving and you won't need reservations. We didn't with our 40' motorhome. Even at the campgrounds that accept reservations, there are always cancellations first thing in the morning.

Here is Yellowstone's site. Every national park has an excellent site so check them out for things to do, campgrounds, road issues, etc.

Yellowstone

For Grand Teton there are two campgrounds (dry camping but water fill, dump station and showers) that don't accept reservations. Each one has 300 sites and rarely fill - even in summer. We like Gros Ventre campground. The other is Colter Bay campground. There's also Colter Bay RV with hookups which is right next to the campground.

[bbaker2001]

thanks


depends on a lot.

do you need/want hookups?
do not need them, but would be nice


you don't have your RV in your sig line, so will it fit in smaller campsites?
need to find out how to do that. we have a 28 cardinal 5th wheel

what do you want to see in Yellowstone?
never been, so I guess everything


how much time will you have there?
as long as needed. have just retired so no time constraints

thanks again

[DeanRIowa]

cubmaster252 wrote:
We stayed at Fishing Bridge back in 2015 for a week. It was a great location, in the middle of the 'figure 8 loop' which saved on making the long drives in each day from the RV parks outside of Yellowstone. We did book 8 months in advance. The spots are tight but you don't spend a lot of time in the RV when you are in Yellowstone.

I agree a 100 percent about Fishing Bridge Campground, that it was nice to have full hookups and we basically slept, had breakfast and a late dinner at campsite only, so the spacing between the sites for us was not an issue.

We reserved for Fishing Bridge 7 months ahead and a week later no more spots were available.

That reservation window is also the same if you are going to the Grand Tetons and planning at staying at Colter Bay Campground. I snoozed and didn't get a spot there and ended up staying at Headwaters Lodge at Flagg Ranch, which wasn't as nice, because it was dirty and run down(restrooms), and further from the action.

Dean

[Dick_B]

For even more posts you could search this Forum in the RV Parks section for `Yellowstone'. Before you go read the book `Tracking the spirit of Yellowstone' by a former Ranger.

[bikendan]

bbaker2001 wrote:
can someone tell me what are some of the best parks to book

depends on a lot.

do you need/want hookups?
you don't have your RV in your sig line, so will it fit in smaller campsites?
what do you want to see in Yellowstone?
how much time will you have there?

[GeoBoy]

Stay at Grizzly RV Park, call Mark, manager, and enjoy your stay.

[TexasShadow]

we reserved our site for mid august at the end of last year. Also reserved our site in Custer State Park for the buffalo roundup at the same time. These places are tough to get, especially in Yellowstone if you have a 40ft rig with toad.

[kalynzoo]

Options: We really enjoyed our recent stay at KOA West Yellowstone. Grizzly RV in West Yellowstone is also lovely, we've stayed there before, but I prefer access to the indoor pool and spa and the larger sites at the KOA.

[cubmaster252]

We stayed at Fishing Bridge back in 2015 for a week. It was a great location, in the middle of the 'figure 8 loop' which saved on making the long drives in each day from the RV parks outside of Yellowstone. We did book 8 months in advance. The spots are tight but you don't spend a lot of time in the RV when you are in Yellowstone.

[BB_TX]

Fishing Bridge is the only RV park inside Yellowstone that has full hookups. On their web site you can book sites by length, 30' or less, 35' or less, and 40' or less. The 40 footers are first to go. For example except for a few scattered days they are booked for this year. The 30 and 35 footers still have quite a few available days from mid August into Sept.

[bbaker2001]

can someone tell me what are some of the best parks to book

[michigansandzil]

dodge guy wrote:
I believe 2017 reservations start on May 1st 2016. That's when I'm calling and booking!

Wow, that's only a month away! I never even thought about it. Good to know. I put the booking date on my calendar. I'd like to go in 2017 as well. Hopefully we'll all get there!

[dodge_guy]

I believe 2017 reservations start on May 1st 2016. That's when I'm calling and booking!

[westernrvparkow]

RGar974417 wrote:
We're going in May. I booked last fall. Only 2 campgrounds open at that time but had no problem getting a site Wednesday through Sunday in Madison. My experience is if you go in on a Sunday or Monday though Thursday,it's easier getting a site than on a weekend.

Weekends make no difference in Yellowstone or Glacier. There is no population center anywhere near those two parks, all the visitors come from a long way away. They are not weekend getaways, they are destinations for vacations. If anything, there are less visitors Saturday and Sunday, since those are travel days for people coming and going home from distant cities.