Hello campers and adventurers,
Summer is fast approaching, which means it is time to start planning the best way to use those long, warm days. Due to our proximity to Yellowstone National Park, we field a lot of questions about the best places to camp in the park. Here are a few pointers and recommendations that we staffers have picked up along the way.
- Book campsites EARLY!! The park is extremely busy from July to September.
- 7 of the campgrounds are first-come, first-served. This list includes: Mammouth, Tower Fall, Indian Creek, Pebble Creek, Slough Creek and Lewis Lake.
- 5 reservation campgrounds are: Madison, Fishing Bridge RV Park, Bridge Bay, Canyon, and Grant Village. Call 307-344-7311 or 1-866-GEYSERLAND (439-7375) for future reservations.
- Fishing Bridge RV Park is hard-sided units ONLY. No tents allowed!
- Campsites are limited to 6 people per site.
- Make sure your tent fits in the site you reserve. This should include your rain fly.
- Small tent only sites: one small tent 8’ x 8’ and two cars.
- Large tent only sites: One large tent, 12’ x 12’ (or smaller) and two cars, OR two small tents, each 8’ x 8’ (or smaller) and two cars.
- Bear spray is highly recommended during your visit. It is always better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.
- Be smart with your food storage options. Most campgrounds have bear-proof storage boxes available for use. Other options include:
- Yeti Coolers with locks
- Food inside a cooler in your vehicle with the windows up and doors locked.
- Be careful with fires. Always ask the park rangers or information offices if there are restrictions on campfires.
- Bring a warm layer of clothes for the evenings. Once the sun goes down, the temperature drops significantly. An extra layer can be a major bonus if it rains or snows!
- Don’t touch, or feed the animals. They are wild and should remain that way.
We hope these are helpful tools to make your stay in Yellowstone National Park a great experience. For a more complete list of overall information on the park, visit the link below. The following information has been provided by the Xanterra Parks and Resorts website. Happy camping!!
MAMMOUTH
| Dates: All year |
| Nightly Fee: $20 |
| Sites: 85 |
| Elevation: 6,200 ft (1,889 m) |
| Accessible Sites |
| Flush Toilets |
| Generators: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. |
| RV Sites: Most are pull-through |
- RV Pull-through sites can accommodate up to 75′ total length. Mammoth Campground has drinking water and flush toilets. Each campsite has a picnic table and fire pit with grate. Food storage boxes measuring 48 x 22 x 22 are available for shared use. There are no hookups. Generators may be used between the hours of 8 AM and 8 PM. This campground does not have an RV dump station.
MADISON
| Sites: 278 |
| Elevation: 6,800 ft (2,073 m) |
| Accessible Sites: Yes |
| Flush Toilets: Yes |
| Dump Station: (Dump stations may close if temperatures are below freezing.) |
| Generators: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. |
| RV Sites: Call for availability and reservations |
| Reservable sites: Yes |
- Each campsite has a picnic table and fire pit with grate. Restroom facilities are equipped with flush toilets and sinks with running water. Drinking water is available from faucets around the campground. There are no utility hookups but the campground has an RV dump station. Generators may be used between the hours of 8 AM and 8 PM. Food storage boxes measuring 48 x 22 x 22 in. are available for shared use.
FISHING BRIDGE RV PARK
| Sites: >325 |
| Elevation: 7,800 ft (2,377m) |
| Accessible Sites: Yes |
| Flush Toilets: Yes |
| Pay showers/laundry onsite: Yes (Two showers included each night) |
| Dump station: Yes (Dump stations may close if temperatures are below freezing.) |
| Generators: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. |
| RV Sites: Call for availability and reservations |
| Reservations: Yes |
- This is the only campground in Yellowstone to offer water, sewer, and electrical hookups for RVs. It is a large campground with more than 325 sites and because grizzly bears frequent the area, it is for completely hard-sided units only—no tents or tent campers are allowed.
BRIDGE BAY
| Sites: 432 |
| Elevation: 7,800 ft |
| Accessible Sites: Yes |
| Flush Toilets: Yes |
| Generators: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. |
| Dumpstation (Dump stations may close if temperatures are below freezing.) |
- Each campsite has a picnic table and fire pit with grate. Restroom facilities are equipped with flush toilets and sinks with running water. Drinking water is available from faucets around the campground. There are no utility hookups but the campground has a dump station. Generator use is allowed from 8 am to 8 pm. Food storage boxes measuring 48 x 22 x 22 in. are available for shared use.
CANYON
| Sites: 273 |
| Elevation: 7,900 ft (2,408 m) |
| Accessible Sites: Yes |
| Flush Toilets: Yes |
| Pay Showers/Laundry onsite (2 showers included each night) |
| Dump Station: Yes |
| Generators: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (60db limit) |
- Each campsite has a picnic table and fire pit with grate. Restroom facilities are equipped with flush toilets and sinks with running water. Drinking water is available from faucets around the campground. This campground can accommodate tents and RV campers, although there are no utility hookups The campground has a dump station. Generator use is allowed from 8 AM to 8 PM. Food storage boxes measuring 48 x 22 x 22 in. are available for shared use.
GRANT VILLAGE
| Sites: 430 |
| Elevation: 7,800 ft (2,377m) |
| Accessible Sites: Yes |
| Flush Toilets: Yes |
| Pay showers/laundry onsite (2 showers included each night) |
| Dump station: Yes (Dump stations may close if temperatures are below freezing.) |
| Generators: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. |
| RVs: Call for availability &reservations |
- Each campsite has a picnic table and fire pit with grate. Restroom facilities are equipped with flush toilets and sinks with running water. Drinking water is available from faucets around the campground. Food storage boxes measuring 48 x 22 x 22 in. are available for shared use. There are no utility hookups but the campground has a dump station. Generators may be used between the hours of 8 AM and 8 PM. Boat permits and an aquatic invasive species inspection performed by park staff are required for boating in the park. Grant Campground is open June 21 through the 3rd week in September.
NORRIS
| Sites: 100 |
| Elevation: 7,500 ft (2,286 m) |
| Accessible Sites: Yes |
| Flush Toilets: Yes |
| Generators: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. |
| RV Sites: 2 @ 50′ (signed); 5 @ 30′ |
- There are wheelchair accessible sites, drinking water is available, and restroom facilities include flush toilets. Each campsite has a picnic table and fire pit with grate. Food storage boxes measuring 48 x 22 x 22 in. are available for shared use. Generator use is allowed between the hours of 8 AM and 8 PM. Sites are first come first served.
TOWER FALL
| Sites: 31 |
| Elevation: 6,600 ft (2,012m) |
| Accessible Sites: No |
| Flush Toilets: No; Vault Toilets: Yes |
| Generators: No |
| RV Sites: All at 30′ ft or less; has hairpin curve |
- This small campground has 31 sites and is generator-free. Some of the sites are shaded. Drinking water and vault toilets are available. Each campsite has a picnic table and fire pit with grate. Food storage boxes measuring 48 x 22 x 22 in. are available for shared use. Tower Fall Campground has a total length limit of 30 feet for RVs or vehicle/trailer combinations. Tower Fall Campground is open Memorial weekend through September. Sites are first come first served.
INDIAN CREEK
| Sites: 70 |
| Elevation: 7,300 ft (2,225m) |
| Accessible Sites: Yes |
| Vault Toilets: Yes |
- The campground is open from mid-June to mid-September. This generator-free campground is one of the more primitive and smaller campgrounds in the park. Its 70 sites fill quickly in the summer on a first-come, first-served basis. RV spaces: 10@ 35′; 35@30′
PEBBLE CREEK
| Sites: 27 |
| Elevation: 6,900 ft (2,103 m) |
| Vault Toilets |
| RVs: some long pull throughs |
- Pebble Creek is open mid-June through September and can accommodate a few RVs, including longer RVs or vehicle/trailer combinations in pull-through sites. Pebble Creek Campground is generator-free. Drinking water and vault toilets are available. Each campsite has a picnic table and fire pit with grate. Food storage boxes measuring 48 x 22 x 22 are available for shared use. Its 27 sites fill quickly in the summer on a first, come first served basis.
SLOUGH CREEK
| Sites: 23 |
| Elevation: 6,250 ft (1,905m) |
| Vault Toilets: Yes |
| Generators: No |
| RVs: 14 @ 30′, walk through first to assess sites |
- Slough Creek Campground, elevation 6,250 ft (1,905m), is open mid-June through early October. Slough Creek Campground is generator free with drinking water and vault toilets, and is best suited for tents and small RVs. Each campsite has a picnic table and fire pit with grate. Food storage boxes measuring 48 x 22 x 22 in. are available for shared use. Campsites are on a first-come, first-served basis. One of the most popular campgrounds in the park, Slough Creek is often full by 8 AM from its opening day through mid-September.
LEWIS LAKE
| Sites: 85 |
| Elevation: 7,800 ft (2,378m) |
| Accessible Sites: Yes |
| Vault Toilets: Yes |
| Generators: No |
| RVs: All @ 25′ or less |
- Lewis Lake Campground, is one of the smaller campgrounds in the park with just 85 sites. It is generator free, and traditionally is one of the last campgrounds in the park to fill daily. Drinking water and vault toilets are available. Each campsite has a picnic table and fire pit with grate. Food storage boxes measuring 48 x 22 x 22 in. are available for shared use. Lewis Lake Campground has a 25′ total length limit. RVs and vehicle/trailer combinations longer than 25′ are prohibited. Due to freezing temperatures, drinking water may not be available in Lewis Lake Campground beginning early to mid-October. Fall campers should plan to bring their own water. If used, lake water must be treated or boiled before consumption. Lewis Lake Campground opens mid-June and closes early November and is first-come first served.
