Yellowstones Fishing Bridge Camp Ground

[JKQ]

On our planned cross country trip planned for this summer we have reservations at Fishing Bridge in Yellowstone Park. If anyone has stayed there I would appreciate some feedback as to what to expect regarding accommodations. Are the sites, paved, level, is there places to buy diesel, firewood & other provisions in that area. Any insights would be appreciated!

[NWnative]

We just booked out 2014 summer trip to Yellowstone. We have always stayed at Grizzly and traveled by car into the park each day to see the sites. Let me tell you…it’s a lot of driving and very draining. This year we decided to do things differently now that we have the Class C. We have elected to stay in the non-hookup campgrounds inside the park. These four locations accept reservations and only run $25-$29 a night; tax included. I was able to secure 40ft sites for our Class C. We will travel in to the park via West Yellowstone and then spend a night at Grant Village, Bridge Bay, Canyon Village, and Madison in that order. Although there are no hookups, they all have dump stations and fresh water available. There are also showers near all of these (except Madison and Bridge Bay) that we can use to conserve resources. We figured we would drive a little, see the sites, then spend the afternoon in our campground to let Yellowstone come to us rather than us go to Yellowstone. We have been there about 5 times in the last 10 years and don’t need to see every inch of the park. For this trip, we feel this will be very nice way to see the things. We will stay in Grizzly RV the day before we enter the park and the day we exit to stock up the rig, empty the tanks, etc.

[kedanie]

johnm1 wrote:
I'm confused ... when I called to make reservations, I was told that my entire rig (camper and truck) MUST fit on the specified parking pad. If not, the ranger would make you leave.

Was I given the wrong info?

At Fishing Bridge, there is a space next to where you park your RV for your tow vehicle.

Keith

[johnm1]

I'm confused ... when I called to make reservations, I was told that my entire rig (camper and truck) MUST fit on the specified parking pad. If not, the ranger would make you leave.

Was I given the wrong info?

[kedanie]

I guess to each his own.

Granted, Fishing Bridge isn't what one would call a resort RV Park. However, for those who go to YNP for extended stays, the full hookups are important and that is the only place inside the park it is available. I'll be darned if I'd drive in from outside the park on a daily basis.

Yellowstone is the attraction here, not the RV park. We tend to leave the RV park early in the morning and spent the majority of the day out seeing the sights. When we return, it is time for dinner and then back out for evening animal viewing or ranger presentations at the nightly campfire programs at the ranger stations. The majority of the time we spend in the RV park is sleeping and getting ready for the next day's adventure somewhere in the vast area's of Yellowstone.

If you don't care for it, then OK for you. Thanks for leaving a space for someone else who does.

Keith

[footslogger]

Itching2go wrote:
As for Fishing Bridge, it's expensive, tight, with no fire pits or picnic tables. Some sites have enough room outside your door to put up your own table and chairs, but on others, there are pine shrubs that have overgrown to the point that you cannot. Our neighbor, in fact, had to prune back some branches so he could get out of his rig. Advantage is FHU and proximity to the eastern areas of the park, and on the route to the east entrance. Disadvantages are site sizes and high cost. Everyone has their own preferences of course, but for us, it's not the type of camping experience we value.

I couldn't agree more. Fishing Bridge is the ugliest and most unpleasant CG in any national park we have visited. The only thing it has going for it is the hook-ups and the location. It is expensive, $46.50/night + tax with no discounts offered, vs $10-$13/night with Senior Pass for the other CGs in the park that will accommodate 40' rigs. We are currently at Mammoth CG in YNP (6 nights) and were previously at Gros Ventre CG in Grand Teton NP for 9 nights, Grant Village YNP for 4 nights and Bridge Bay YNP for 3 nights, all without hook-ups. All those CGs were beautiful and extremely pleasant. I can't understand why anyone with a self-contained RV and a generator would pay almost $50/night to stay at FB when he could stay at any one of the other great CGs in the park for 1/4 of the cost.

Obviously we all have different opinions and values.

[Itching2go]

Just left Yellowstone last Sunday after spending 3 nights at the Madison Campground followed by 2 nights a Fishing Bridge. While the locations worked great for seeing the park... Madison for the western sections of the Grand Loop and FB for the Easter sections, most notably the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, had we to do it over again, we would have stayed in Madison the whole time. Our rig is a 32 ft fiver, and there are a limited number of sites at Madison that will fit a rig of this size, so if going that way, make your reservations early and over the phone, not via the web.

As for Fishing Bridge, it's expensive, tight, with no fire pits or picnic tables. Some sites have enough room outside your door to put up your own table and chairs, but on others, there are pine shrubs that have overgrown to the point that you cannot. Our neighbor, in fact, had to prune back some branches so he could get out of his rig. Advantage is FHU and proximity to the eastern areas of the park, and on the route to the east entrance. Disadvantages are site sizes and high cost. Everyone has their own preferences of course, but for us, it's not the type of camping experience we value.

[johnm1]

When I made reservations for camping in YNP I was told the only place that my truck & camper would fit was in Fishing Bridge (I have a 4 door truck and 34" 5er). She said that the vehicle and camper MUST fit completely on the site and no off site vehicle parking. Also, the website says that "Rates for this campground include 2 showers per night." ... whoo Hoo! Good thing we use our camper shower!

[Cougarnewbie]

Rather than east to west we go from south to north. Not mentioned here and usually left out is the scenery and wildlife in the Tetons. Oxbow bend is rated as one of the 10 best viewing spots for wildlife in the U.S. In the afternoon there is a ranger with a spotting scope answering any questions. Teton Village R V is just a couple of miles outside the park. Pricey, but nice park. We than take a easy half day pull up through the park and set up just outside Gardner Mt. From the camp office you can see the arch. Lamar Valley has the wolves and Mammoth has the bull elk in town controlling their herds that we love to watch.

[CManley]

One approach to the park is break it up into 1/4's. Cover the West side of the park from Grizzly and the East side of the park from Fishing Bridge. I allowed 5 days at each location and then spent more or less time in the section that I liked the most. Both Grizzly and Fishing Bridge are good places for a home base.


Here is a video of Grizzly, very nice place;

Grizzly RV


Fishing Bridge is a good place to park your RV with water, sewer and power.

[2gypsies1]

Yes, I would think you'd use your own shower if you have a full hookup site. 🙂

[bsbeedub]

kedanie wrote:
So, what are you going to Yellowstone for, hang out in the campground or see and experience the park? If it's the first, then perhaps one of the commercial campgrounds outside the park will do. If it's the second, then staying inside the park should be seriously considered.

There are many campgrounds in the park and one that has full hook ups, Fishing Bridge. They are all more than acceptable as a home base for experiencing the park. You won't spend much time there as there is so much to do and see.

There are plenty of services inside the park. Fuel and limited groceries are there if it isn't convenient to make a run out of the park. Fishing Bridge has pay showers and laundry.

It's your choice, pay more and drive more while staying outside the park or get more of the national park experience staying inside. What you really miss staying outside are the evening ranger programs, wildlife viewing at sunset and on and on.

Keith

We won't be going to YNP for a few years but I have been reading up a bit on all the options. RE: Fishing Bridge, a few posters have mentioned that there are pay showers. Since it's a FHU park wouldn't you just use the one in your own trailer? Or am I missing something?

[soos]

There is also no cell phone coverage at Fishing Bridge.
We are 57 ft long and fit fine.
Driving in from outside the park every day is a LOT of driving, and there is usually a line to get in the gate, so to speak.
I think i have a picture of my site there, if you want, I'll try to post it.

[littlemo]

It all depends on what you go to Yellowstone for. If you go to see Yellowstone then Fishing Bridge is the most centrally located for "day drives". It has hookups and when I go there I leave early and get back late because there is soooo much to see in YNP. If you go to Yellowstone to "camp" and want to sit around camp and do the usual camping things (which I love to do)then FB is not for you. Most people don't realize how big the park is and how much driving is involved. Whatever you decide just take it all in.....I guarantee you'll want to come back many times! Have a great time!

[OldF__t]

JMO. I have stayed at both cgs. The only common point is full hookups. FB has location and Grizzly has ammenities. Grizzly is very nice and FB is a parking lot. Grizzly has wifi and cable but the wifi is not unlimited access for free and the cable only has 12 channels as I recall. That might have changed since last year. We used satellite and Verizon air card which worked well. The cg is only two blocks from the west entrance and from there it's only about 25 minutes to the grand loop road. No big deal as far as I'm concerned. FB has wildlife for sure which is nice as long as the bears don't try to eat you and it is closer to some areas than Grizzly but not all. I think that the distances and driving times to see everything might just average out between the two cgs but that's just my opinion. If you are really pushed for time then FB would probably be the best choice.