yellowstone campgrounds?

[clnhse]

I am planning a summer trip to Yellowstone. I was going to stay South of the park but the campground choices look slim for a 43 foot RV. Then I looked at entering from the East side but the roads look scary. What would the experienced RV'rs suggest? I feel the parks inside the park will not work because of my length.

[creeper]

Grizzly or Mammoth would be good choices. Coming in from the east is not a problem. That's the way we came in at 55 total length. No issues. There are some I believe some rural state side of the road campgrounds as you get close to Yellowstone on the east side that had some big rigs in them. We ended up squeezing and I mean squeezing into Fishing Bridge. It was awful, we'd never stay there again.

[Murphsmom]

If you are trying to stay at the south entrance, there are a couple of choices near Teton ?National Park. I came up with http://yellowstonerv.com/rv-camping-site/ on a Google search. Never stayed there, but it looks like it fits your criteria.

[kknowlton]

The farthest-south CG in YNP that can accommodate RVs is Grant Village (no hookups); otherwise for the "south end" you would need to camp outside the park at Flagg Ranch (since renamed - not sure of the name of it now) or (better, IMO) Colter Bay RV Park in Grand Teton National Park. That makes for a long drive each day into the park. East entrance has a similar problem - a long drive into the heart of YNP from anywhere you can stay outside of it; the farthest-east CG inside YNP is Fishing Bridge (not "flying bridge"), which is an RV park, FHUs but very tight. Great for convenience but not for ambience, IMO.

The park is enormous - you'll spend an entire day just hitting the briefest of highlights for each of the two parts of the Grand Loop road in the park. Plan to spend several days in the park and base-camp in one or two spots. It will take you several hours to get between CGs because of traffic and wildlife (i.e. buffalo in the road, etc.), so plan accordingly. You could consider a base camp on the west or south sides (Colter Bay, Grant Village or Grizzly are good choices) for a few days and then on the north side (Mammoth - no hookups - or a private CG such as Rocky Mt RV Park in Gardiner, just outside the north entrance) for a few days, spending 1-3 days exploring each part of the Grand Loop. Another possibility is Fishing Bridge for your entire stay, since it's pretty centrally located - but again, no ambience, very tight sites. And should a car rental be needed, there are no rentals within the park - just in West Yellowstone, Gardiner, Jackson or Cody.

All entrances into the park except the northeast are RV-friendly, but some are more challenging than others. West entrance is by far the least mountainous driving, but all (N, S, E & W) are do-able. Just take it easy, and the driver may need to forego sightseeing in order to improve concentration on the road. 🙂 People do drive through the park in big rigs with toads or trailers, but I don't recommend that except as a way to get to whatever CG you're planning to stay in. Otherwise, use your toad, tow vehicle or a rental car for the sightseeing.

[clnhse]

I am coming from Louisiana so I would like to stay out of the park in a nice campground with full hookups. So, there are no great campgrounds on the South side? Then do I skirt the park and go to the West side or drive into the park to get to the West side? Is the East side ok if I stay out of the park but drive my toad in. I read the roads into the park from the East are steep?

[jsmart]

just stayed in the koa west of yellowstone, thought it was a good place. KOA also has another site just west of the one we stayed in, toward Molus pass.

[Ivylog]

Flagg Ranch at the south entrance is a OK CG but only 20A power. It's enough as it's cool enough that you do not need AC. If you are into boondocking, PM me.

[enblethen]

US 191 does not come off I-80 that I am aware of. It comes off I-90 at Belgrade, MT and ends at Junction with US 26 and US 189 at Moran Junction, WY.

[Two_Jayhawks]

kalynzoo wrote:
I was extremely happy with West Yellowstone KOA. Grizzly was nice, we've stayed there before, it is right at the entrance in town, but it lacks amenities. The KOA has very large spots, our premier spot had a large concrete patio, concrete lovely table and bench, and an adult double wooden swing. Indoor pool, gym, and away from town quiet location all added to our stay.Six miles from the front gate. I will put in a plug for Big Sky Rentals, they have a service mechanic on site, located across from the West Yellowstone fire station. Our rig had an engine a/c problem, and these guys saved our vacation at a very fare price. We also rented a van from them so that the group from both rigs could travel the park together. If you make it to Jackson, don't miss the Bar-J Chuckwagon dinner and show. Happy Trails.

That is great to hear. We thought Grizzly hung the moon we will try the KOA next year.

[zman-az]

clnhse wrote:
Is 191 a good road to drive from I 80 into the park to the West end? Driving in the park with a 43 foot and toad is ok?

Just did it last week with 37' and toad. Great scenic road, you will have no problems.

[enblethen]

Yes, US 191 is a good road from I-90, not I-80.

[clnhse]

Is 191 a good road to drive from I 80 into the park to the West end? Driving in the park with a 43 foot and toad is ok?

[Bill_Satellite]

Flying Bridge inside Yellowstone only has a few sites that will accomadate the larger rigs so you would need to call and make a reservation (as soon as possible!). The drive in from the East entrance is a piece of cake. I was in a 40' bus conversion towing a full size extended Chevy van. The roads are excellent and wide. Take all the time you need if you have any concerns.
The Grizzly recommendation is an excellent one as well as the Mammoth campground if you want to stay outside the park. It just adds to the drive time involved but it just means you have to break your visit up into sections and only visit one (maybe 2) or the major attractions on each visit.
Have a great trip. Go early in the year (May/June) or late (Sept/Oct) for the best experience, the most animals and the least number or humans!

[Executive45]

We stayed at Buffalo Bill State Park, west of Cody, then came in the East entrance and exited the West, staying at Grizzly RV Park. The only issue we had was two buffaloes that decided to walk down the middle of the road. They sure do walk slow and didn't really care that we were there. Grizzly was close to the West entrance, within walking distance to town, restaurants and the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center. Excellent choice, especially if you have children. Our grandkids spent every night playing with others in the open field area there. Site have grass and the place is immaculate. The clubhouse has lots of stuff for kids to do. Enjoy Yellowstone....Dennis


West Yellowstone

[johnsonbert]

We went out the east entrance and it was a good trip. Looked like it might be a challenge in a few places going into the park that way. We stayed in West Yellowstone while we were there. Came in from the north and left tow the east.
Happy trails Bert

[sch911]

Rocky Mountain RV Park in Gardiner (North Enterance) worked for us in our 43 footer.