Best Campgrounds in Yellowstone National Park
There are twelve designated campgrounds within Yellowstone National Park and many other campgrounds nearby. Once you add in all the backcountry camping areas inside the park, you will have too many options to count. While the backcountry options will only allow you to camp in a tent, all the designated campgrounds will have you camping in your Airstream or other RV, a tent, or even in the back of your car (or the top of your car if you have a roof-top tent).
While five of the twelve campgrounds within this park take reservations, the other campgrounds are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Therefore, you will want to choose a campground wisely.
Best Campgrounds in Yellowstone National Park
Bridge Bay Campground
This campground inside Yellowstone National Park is near Yellowstone Lake. It is best to enter the park through the East Entrance. This will allow you to drive thirty miles through the park to reach your campsite. You must make a reservation for one of the four hundred thirty-two campsites at this campground. While most of the sites are for a couple people, there are a few group sites available.
The Bridge Bay Marina is quite close to the Bridge Bay Campground, as is one of the stores within the park. There are no utility hookups at this campground. However, there are flush toilets, pay showers, coin laundry, and a dump station. You must be aware that the dump station is only open when the temperatures are above freezing.
Canyon Campground
If you are looking to spend a good amount of your time within the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, you should stay at the Canyon Campground. This is another camping area within the park that you must make reservations prior to your arrival. There are only two hundred seventy-three campsites and none of them offer utility hookups so you’ll be dry camping.
There are flush toilets and pay showers for you to use though. This campground is also located near many stores and restaurants, as well as a gas station.
Fishing Bridge Campground
While you can camp in an RV at many of the campgrounds within Yellowstone National Park, Fishing Bridge Campground is one of the more popular options. You must make a reservation for one of the three hundred twenty-five RV sites well in advance. The reason for this is this campground offers full hookups for RVs and it books up quickly. Your RV must not be longer than forty feet to fit in these spaces. All the campsites are back-in only, so this is not an area you will want to consider if you want to pull your RV through. No tents are allowed at this campground, so you will want to plan your visit accordingly.
Grant Village Campground
Tents and RVs are welcome at the Grant Village Campground, but you must make a reservation for one of the four hundred thirty campsites. There are no utility hookups, but there are toilets and pay showers. You will find this campground approximately twenty-two miles to the north of the South Entrance. This campground is only a half-mile from Grant Village, which is convenient if you want to be close to stores and restaurants.
Madison Campground
Most people love staying at the Madison Campground, because it is only sixteen miles from Old Faithful. Plus, the close proximity to the Madison, Firehole, and Gibbon Rivers means lots of elk and bison sightings. There are two hundred seventy-eight campsites for RVs and tents, but there are no hookups available. The only amenity you will find is flush toilets.
Indian Creek Campground
You will find this campground in the northwest section of the park. This is one of the first-come, first-served campgrounds. There are seventy campsites and while they are best for tents, you can take an RV. Your RV must not be longer than thirty or thirty-five feet, depending on which site you choose when you arrive. There are no hookups, but you will have access to the vault toilets. This area of the park is known to have numerous bears wandering around. Therefore, you must check in to the ranger station to find out the rules during your stay.
Lewis Lake Campground
There are eighty-five campsites at the Lewis Lake Campground and many of them are quite close to Lewis Lake. You can bring an RV to this campground, but it cannot be longer than twenty-five feet. There are no amenities and you cannot use a generator during your stay. The only amenity you will find is vault toilets.
Mammoth Campground
Mammoth Campground is the one campground within Yellowstone National Park that you can stay at during any time of the year. You will find this campground near Mammoth Hot Springs Village. Most of the eighty-five campsites are pull through and fit RVs up to seventy-five feet in length. There are toilets available for use, but there is no dump station for you to use during your stay.
Pebble Creek Campground
Pebble Creek Campground is quite small and primitive, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t check it out as a possibility for your visit. There are only twenty-seven campsites located at this campground and you cannot make reservations for any of them. Most of the sites are perfect for tents and smaller RVs, but there are a couple campsites that offer long pull throughs. There are no hookups and no dump stations. You also cannot use your generator during your visit. There are vault toilets though, so you won’t be completely roughing it while you enjoy hiking and fishing adventures.
Tower Fall Campground
This campground might not have a lot, but its location across from the General Store makes up for the limited amenities. There are thirty-one campsites and you will want to make sure you arrive early if you want one for a night or two. The campsites will fit RVs up to thirty feet in length, but you will want to check them all out before committing to one. It is also important to note that the loop has a hairpin curve that can be tricky to maneuver with an RV.
These are some of the best campgrounds in Yellowstone National Park, but there are many others in the area you can choose from. Each one of these offers something unique, whether it is the location, amenities, or things to see in that part of the park. You may want to choose the campground that is perfect for you according to the fact that you can reserve a site in advance or simply choosing one that is close to the section of the park you will be spending most of your time in. There is no right or wrong place to stay in Yellowstone National Park, so do not worry that you will make a wrong decision prior to your arrival.
