How to Find the Best Camping in Yellowstone National Park

 

Thinking about a road trip and camping in Yellowstone National Park?  If so you’ll be rewarded with:

• Early access to wildlife- bison, black bears, elk, grizzly bears, marmots, moose!
• Quieter hours without traffic jams
• Easier access to all the natural wonders within the park- Old Faithful, the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, and Mammoth Hot Springs, just to name a few!

 

Yellowstone is filled with lots of great campgrounds, hotels, and lodges.  But you really have to know which part of the park you want to stay in.  In addition, Yellowstone is HUGE!  3,472 square miles. That’s bigger than some U.S. states and many small countries!  And, due to the park’s location, unexpected summer rain and snowstorms can cause road closures at any time.

Therefore, if you drive in each day, you could be faced with long wait times at the entrances, traffic jams in the park, and crowds at the places like Hayden Valley (the best place to spot wildlife) and the Upper Geyser Basin (where you’ll find Old Faithful).

So we’ve packed this blog with lots of information about lodging and camping in Yellowstone National Park, how to find some of the hidden gems, the best places to spot bison, black bears, grizzly bears, and how to keep them out of your campsite!

 

 

Getting There: Summer Road trips through Wyoming to Yellowstone National Park

 

Yellowstone National Park is located in the northwest corner of Wyoming.  And the park borders stretch into both Montana and Idaho.  Therefore, you may not be able to see every section of the park, so we’ve included the highlights below to help you prep for your road trip.

Haven’t packed up for a road trip lately?  Pull up our road trip checklist to make sure you’ve got everything you need!

 

ROAD TRIP CHECKLIST

 

Driving through Wyoming to Yellowstone

 

Never been to Wyoming or driven through the state?  Well, it’s very sparsely populated.  Less than 600,000 people live in Wyoming, making it one of the least populated states in the country! 

The landscape in Wyoming is what really makes it special.  Here you’ll find rugged mountains, large treeless basins, and dozens of ranches.  And many of those ranches are thousands of acres wide!

Therefore, if you are road-tripping to Yellowstone, plan on hours of driving without a gas station or restaurant in sight.  If you’ll be camping along the way, check out Sēkr.  It’s a free app that lets you search for day-use parking spots and campgrounds (free + paid) with things like hookups, water, and wifi.

With Sēkr you can also plan your route, read reviews on campsites, and connect with a community of van-life peeps!

 

 

Best Time of Year for Camping in Yellowstone National Park

 

The best time of year for camping in Yellowstone National Park is between Memorial Day and Labor Day.  All campgrounds open by the end of May and begin to close by mid-September.  The only exception is Mammoth Hot Springs, which is open year-round.

The reason for the short season is that Yellowstone National Park is at about 8,000ft. of elevation, and winters bring in heavy storms and snowfall that make it difficult to keep some roads open.

This being said, wintertime camping or staying at one of the winter lodges will reward you with quieter views of Old Faithful, plus all the bison, wolves (winter is the best time to spot them), elk, and bald eagles you can handle!

 

How to Book a Campsite

 

Lodging and campsites in Yellowstone National Park are not all reserved through Recreation.gov as with other national parks campgrounds. 

Instead, you’ll need to determine which campground or lodge you want to stay in first. Then booking is either through Recreation.gov or the Xanterra Yellowstone National Park Lodges.  Before you log on to either, below are the lodges and campgrounds available, and which activities are nearby!

In addition, almost all campgrounds are located near a lodge or hotel with dining options, a convenience store, laundry, wifi, and more depending on the campground.  We’ll share more in a moment on wifi, cell service, and what apps to download to access interactive maps and daily geyser predictions!

Keep in mind, you are only allowed to camp within a designated campsite, there is no dispersed camping.  Therefore, camping in a pullout, along the side of the road, or in a parking lot is illegal in Yellowstone National Park.

 

 

 

Campgrounds in Yellowstone National Park

 

These campgrounds below are booked through the Xanterra Yellowstone National Park Lodges website:

 

1. Bridge Bay

• Bridge Bay Campground is centrally located near Lake Village (lots of services), Fishing Bridge, a boat launch, and Hayden Valley (one of the best places to spot wildlife!)

 

2. Canyon

• The Canyon Campground is adjacent to Canyon Village (services), Mount Washburn, and the Grand Cayon of Yellowstone.  It’s also very close to Hayden Valley and South Rim Drive- a great place to spot bears!  And probably the campground we’d most recommend!

 

3. Fishing Bridge RV Park

• The Fishing Bridge RV Park is for hard-sided campers or trailers only. It’s adjacent to Lake Village (services), boat launch, and closest to Hayden Valley and the East Entrance.  The need for a hard-sided vehicle might give you a clue as to the types of wildlife that are found in this area.

 

4. Grant Village

• The Grant Village Campground is closest to the South Entrance and Grant Village (services), an easy walk to Yellowstone Lake, there’s a boat launch, and it’s close to the West Thumb Geyser Basin. Old Faithful is a 25-min drive away!

 

5. Madison

• Madison Campground is closest to the West Entrance and located on the Madison River.  Not as many services are nearby, but it’s the closest campground to the Upper and Lower Geyser Basins, where you’ll find Old Faithful!

 

 

The following Yellowstone campgrounds are booked through Recreation.gov and tend to be on the smaller side, and without as many services.  Except for Mammoth Hot Springs, which is also the only campground open year-round!

 

6. Indian Creek

• Indian Creek Campground is a small campground on the Northwest side of the park, just south of Mammoth Hot Springs

 

7. Lewis Lake

• Lewis Lake Campground is a small campground just inside the South entrance to Yellowstone. The closest services are in Grant Village.

 

8. Mammoth

• The campground at Mammoth Hot Springs is just inside the North Entrance to Yellowstone. Here you’ll find lots of services and easy access to hiking through the Hot Springs- no swimming though!

 

9. Norris

• The Norris Campground is a small campground near the Norris Geyser Basin, Museums, and the West Entrance. The closest services are in Mammoth Hot Springs or Canyon Village.

 

10. Pebble Creek

• The Pebble Creek Campground is just inside the northeast entrance to Yellowstone. It’s very close to Lamar Valley, the best place to spot Yellowstone’s wolves!  The closest services are at the Roosevelt Lodge.

 

11. Slough Creek

• The Slough Creek Campground is a small, remote campground just past Pebble Creek near the northeast entrance to Yellowstone. It’s also close to Lamar Valley, where you can spot 4 of Yellowstone’s 8 wolfpacks!  The closest services are at the Roosevelt Lodge.

 

12. Tower Fall

• The Tower Fall Campground is adjacent to Roosevelt Lodge (services) and on the edge of the Lamar Valley.

 

Campgrounds Near Yellowstone National Park

 

We know how hard it is to find campgrounds inside the park, and a friend recommended a place called Campfire Lodge.  Located right on the Madison River about 30 minutes, west of the West Yellowstone Entrance, below Hebgen Lake Dam Campfire Lodge is a really peaceful and convenient spot!  

Another great camping option would be to camp in Grand Teton National Park!  Located just south of Yellowstone, there are several campgrounds throughout the Tetons that make it easy to either day trip into Yellowstone, or jsut spend the night if you’re driving up from Jackson, WY.

 

 

Lodging in Yellowstone National Park

 

The lodges and hotels in Yellowstone National Park are the most beautiful manmade structures within the park.  These are booked through the Xanterra Yellowstone National Park Lodges website.

Lodging and hotel prices in Yellowstone can be quite high, especially compared to a campsite.  However, if you want a few days of luxury, there are nine options for hotels and lodging- over 2,000 rooms available in the park!  And if you want to see Old Faithful go off from your window, the lodges and cabins nearby can provide the perfect uninterrupted view.

In addition, the Yellowstone lodges often have great restaurants and plenty of places to lounge by the fire and catch up on emails!  Yes, the lodges and visitor centers are some of the only areas within the park where you’ll be able to access wifi and cell service!

 

1. Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel & Cabins – open summer & winter
2. Canyon Lodge & Cabins– summer only
3. Old Faithful Snow Lodge & Cabins – open summer & winter
4. Old Faithful Inn– summer only
5. Lake Lodge Cabins– summer only
6. Lake Yellowstone Hotel and Cabins– summer only and by far the prettiest in yellow & white!
7. Roosevelt Lodge & Cabins– summer only
8. Grant Village- Fox Lodge– summer only

 

 

Bears in Yellowstone National Park

 

You can spot both grizzlies and black bears throughout Yellowstone National Park.  So an encounter with a black bear or grizzly bear can happen at any time.  Anywhere.

Bears may appear docile, minding their own business, but can move quickly and can be aggressive.  In addition, black bears and grizzlies can run at speeds of up to 35mph!

A good rule is to stay 100 yards or 300 feet away from black bears, grizzly bears, or wolves.  Sightings are rare, however, ‘a fed bear is a dead bear.’  So if you think you can control your urge to feed or approach a bear in Yellowstone, Hayden Valley is one of the best places to see black bears and grizzly bears.  Especially the backside of Hayden Valley near South Rim Drive, Uncle Tom’s Trail, Artist’s Point, and Clear Lake.

Also, keep an eye out for Yellowstone’s black and grizzly bears near the Fishing Bridge, Tower-Roosevelt area, Lamar Valley, and the East Entrance.

 

 

Tips on keeping a bear-free campsite and staying bear-aware:

 

• Use the bear box!  Put all items with a scent in the bear box.  This includes soaps, lotions, sunscreen, and even water bottles.
• Do not leave cooking utensils, dishes, or stoves on your picnic table at your Yellowstone campsite.  It will guarantee unwanted visitors.  And not just a large black bear or grizzly bear.  Squirrels, chipmunks, marmots, wolves, and deer will raid your campsite for any items that look and smell like a treat!
• Carry bear spray at all times.  Especially when hiking or biking.  And, read the NPS Guidelines on how to use bear spray effectively.
• Keep a safe distance from bears if you spot one.  Especially if it’s a mother and her cubs.  300ft. is what’s recommended.  Resist the urge to approach for a better photo.

 

If are you reading this and you’re already in the park and forgot to buy bear spray, not to worry.  You can buy bear spray at most convenience stores within the park.

 

 

Last Thoughts on Camping in Yellowstone National Park

 

If you’ve never been camping in Yellowstone National Park, add it to your adventure list!  And if you’ve been before, I hope this guide gave you some new ideas for camping and planning your road trip.

 

Want to Fly, Then Drive?

 

If you plan to fly first, then drive, look for flights into Bozeman, Idaho Falls, or Jackson, Wyoming.  If you’re driving from Utah or Idaho, you have two options to enter the park:

• Drive to Jackson, WY, (Or Jackson Hole as it is often called) and travel through Grand Teton National Park to the South Entrance.  Grand Teton National Park is one of our favorite parks, and also a great place to spot bison, moose, elk, grizzly bears, and black bears so you will not be disappointed!
• Drive to West Yellowstone, a small town just outside the park, and enter at the West Entrance.

 

If you’re camping in Yellowstone National Park and driving in from Montana, South Dakota, or other points North or East, you can enter at the following places:

• North Entrance at Mammoth Hot Springs and Gardiner, MT
• Northeast Entrance near Cooke, MT.  The road between the Northeast and North Entrance is open year-round.
• East Entrance

 

Cell Service, Wifi, and Apps to Download for Camping in Yellowstone

 

Do not expect to have cell service while in the park.  So if you have a hot spot or cell booster, bring it!  We managed 1-2 bars of 3G-like service with a cell booster in a few open spaces, and at higher elevations throughout the park.

Wifi is available in Yellowstone at most lodges and visitor centers.  But do not expect fast wifi speeds for video calls or streaming.  However, you will be able to check your email, post to social media, and make phone calls.

Therefore, to get the park news, weather, and tips on when Old Faithful and other geysers will go off, use the National Parks Service App!  Features also include interactive maps, self-guided tours (with lots of history and park info), daily park events, and real-time geyser eruption predictions!

More apps we love: Sēkr for camping options and campground reviews, OnX Backcountry for hiking, and Gaia GPS.  Just be sure to download and set up all apps BEFORE you head into the park!

 

Want more adventure tips and travel destinations?  Check out some of our other travel blogs here:

• Cuba Libre: Travel Tips for Outdoor Adventurers
• Backpacking in the Wind River Range, Wyoming
• San Diego: America’s Finest City

 

To learn more about what we do on the regular, follow Top Rope Media’s adventures on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter.

 

Until next time, happy camping!

– Meredith McConvill, Top Rope Media