Parking a Truck Camper at a Tent Only space in Yellowstone

[jimh406]

Can I park a Truck Camper at a Tent Only space in Yellowstone? There are some spaces marked as Large Tent Only but with 2 vehicles, for instance.

As far as Yellowstone is concerned is my Truck with Camper a vehicle? 🙂 Has anyone used one these Tent Only spaces in Yellowstone with their Truck with Camper?

[dave17352]

I bet the answer is yes and no, just depends.

[jimh406]

In case you are wondering, I got RV spaces at 3 different campgrounds in Yellowstone campgrounds: Bridge Bay, Grants, and Fishing Bridge.

I could have saved a spot for a 40 ft RV, but oh, well.

[Executive45]

From Websters:

on·ly
??nl?/
adverb
adverb: only

1. and no one or nothing more besides; solely or exclusively.

I don't see any exceptions in that definition....:S.....Dennis

[Jfresh]

jimh425 wrote:
Can I park a Truck Camper at a Tent Only space in Yellowstone? There are some spaces marked as Large Tent Only but with 2 vehicles, for instance.

As far as Yellowstone is concerned is my Truck with Camper a vehicle? 🙂 Has anyone used one these Tent Only spaces in Yellowstone with their Truck with Camper?

This is the exact reason you have a TC and not a RV. If there is a parking spot you have a camp site. As far as I am concerned a TC is the exact same as sleeping in the back of your pick up. If you fit in the parking spot you are good to go. If you treated a TC like a RV you would be limiting the places you could stay and the experiences you could have.

[HMS_Beagle]

JaredWPhillips wrote:
Seems to me, if you could park your vehicle at a tent site, and setup your tent, you would be allowed to go sleep in your vehicle should a heavy rain come. A Truck Camper should be no different. Park it, setup a "tent" and then sleep in your vehicle.

Trouble is, the same argument could be used for a 45' class A bus. Set up a little pup tent, and you're good?

By the way, these days, just because they are in a tent doesn't mean they don't have and run a generator at all hours. I've seen that a lot recently. Including TVs set on the camp table blaring away.

[rexlion]

You might still get a site in Yellowstone. Just keep checking the reservation system every couple of days. That's how I got 2 nights in a row (in different sites) in Yosemite Valley, just 1-2 weeks before leaving home.

[RickW]

I was at a national park last month, scoping out campsites on my bicycle, then asked about availability of sites. Some were for tents only. I specifically asked the ranger at the gate about parking a truck with TC at a tent only site. (He did not see my rig-I was on a bicycle!)

He produced a laminated card illustrating all kinds of vehicle configurations. From my memory, cars ok, cars with trailers, no. Regular SUVs and vans, ok, Class B looking vans, no. Trucks with shells, ok, Trucks with anything past the tailgate or over the cab, no. RVs, 5ers, trailers, no.

The only wiggle room I can think of might be an old, non-cabover Alaskan TC popup with the tailgate raised so it looks like a shell.

Just one mans observation at one campground at one NP.

FYI I believe there were no more sites of any kind available for the rest of the year. :E

[Kayteg1]

Life is always full of variations and gentle questions in slow season will always go long way.
I've been parking my 40' motorhome at campground having "32 max" rule.
Don't try that Friday afternoon, but I arrived on Tuesday.

[Ductape]

^ This. I've seen lots of tent campers sleep in their cars for one reason or another and it never bothered me. Nor anyone else AFAIK.

Just don't crank the genny and watch TV until 10:00 and who knows or cares?

[JaredWPhillips]

Seems to me, if you could park your vehicle at a tent site, and setup your tent, you would be allowed to go sleep in your vehicle should a heavy rain come. A Truck Camper should be no different. Park it, setup a "tent" and then sleep in your vehicle.

[toedtoes]

I agree. But there are a lot of campgrounds that try to offer that "traditional tent camping" experience and RVs just don't quite fit that image.

[jimh406]

Annoyances aren't unique to rvs. I've been disturbed by tent campers as well. 😉

[toedtoes]

jimh425 wrote:
I didn't have the Yellowstone park number which was different than the reservation number.

I just called. After navigating the prompts. We got to a person. They said, no.

This is usually the case. There are a few reasons most parks have "tent only" sections:

1. Because they have a parking area and campers have to walk to the actual sites - this means no RVs in the tent area;

2. Because they are providing an enjoyable place for tent campers to be - this means not having large RVs blocking the views, no generators, no scare lights, etc. - this means no RVs in the tent area;

3. Because most RVs are too big to maneuver/park in those campsites - this means they might let you if you're small enough.

[JoeChiOhki]

To be truthfully honest, unless you made reservations at Yellowstone when the reservation window first became open for this year, you're going to be hard pressed to get a spot for an RV inside of yellowstone.

I went there in late September, long after the kids were back in school, and there still wasn't any RV spaces open at any of the campgrounds inside yellowstone, and ended up just staying at the West yellowstone KOA (for a pretty penny).

[fjrjohnny]

Since you are asking.....if it truly says "tents only," then there is your answer. Pretty straight forward in my mind.