Community Forums

Kwasson · 02-10-2013, 11:30 PM

Hi!

We purchased our 1st travel trailer (eclipse evolution) in the past year and we would love to head to Yellowstone this summer and we are looking for tips/ suggestions - especially on where to stay. We have a 26ft trailer and we are coming from CA. Any tips are welcomed!! If not Yellowstone, we also want to check out Zion, Glacier National Park, Yosemite and any other great parks in the US!

Arch Hoagland · 02-10-2013, 11:48 PM

If you are going to camping on the 4th of July you need to make reservations, especially if going to Yellowstone.

Oscar Mike · 02-11-2013, 06:19 AM

You need to make reservations just about anywhere in the Western USA during the summer months, and especially Yellowstone, and the places you've mentioned. I made our reservations for Yellowstone early in January, we're staying at the Grizzly RV Park in West Yellowstone, MT for a week in mid-August, then we've reserved a site at Grand Tetons National Park for the following week (fishing time).

twogypsies · 02-11-2013, 03:29 PM

With your size RV you will not have any problems getting into Yellowstone - even without reservations. We never make them. The secret is getting to those campgrounds early morning. There are seven campgrounds that don't make reservations but you will not have any hookups, if that's important to you. There is also one campground with full hookups called Fishing Bridge. There are also four other campgrounds that accept reservations. Here's a link to all the campgrounds:

Campgrounds in Yellowstone - Yellowstone National Park

Right next door to Yellowstone is Grand Teton Nat'l Park and it's a MUST as long as you're there so close. It's altogether different than Yellowstone. You could call it 'Little Alps' - it's beautiful. There is one full hookup campground called Colter Bay RV Park that takes reservations. There are others that don't take reservations and two are very large - 300 sites. They are called Colter Bay Campground and Gros Ventre Campground. Both are very nice.

Have fun with your new RV and you can't go wrong by visiting the above parks!

Bondad · 02-11-2013, 04:36 PM

We went to Yellowstone in our 27' Class C Minnie Winnie and Honda Odyssey Toad last June and had a blast.

A word of caution - Fishing Bridge does not allow campfires so if you're into the evening campfire (as we are) you will need to camp elsewhere.

Now "elsewhere" has it's own issues because there are no hookups and you can only run the generator from 8am to 8pm (if memory serves me) so you need to conserve power and/or have a large battery bank and/or use a solar setup.

We stayed 3 nights at Bridge Bay which is a very short drive from Fishing Bridge and then spent 2 more nights at Madison. Both have a dump station. We decided it was better to stay in the park rather than have to drive 30+ miles to get to one of the loops or Old Faithful every day.

Be sure to bring a hand saw and you can scavange the woods for firewood for your campfires. There's PLENTY available for free. No need to pay $6.00+ for a bundle from the stores.

We also went through the Tetons and spent 2 nights at Colter Bay RV Park. There's not much of anything going on in Colter Bay but it's just a few miles from Jackson which is a cool cowboy town.

MAKE RESERVATIONS NOW for anyplace you plan to visit. You don't want to be driving around trying to find a campground with a space available. You could waste half a day trying to find something. Nothing is "close" in this part of the world.

A T · 02-18-2013, 08:21 AM

It depends on what type of camping you like to do. We were pretty disappointed in the actual campgrounds at Yellowstone, mostly due to my lack of research. The sites were very close together, I couldn't put out the awning. The showers were all pay showers, with considerable lines. No bicycles were allowed, the kids were very disappointed. Our other issue was that it was cold! The trailer next to ours lost his water hose when it froze and split. We went in early June, and didn't expect those temperatures! We ended up moving to the Snake River KOA, and then driving back to Yellowstone and Tetons. That was a little more our style, the kids made friends, had an indoor pool and game room. Definitely more commercialized and less getting away from it all, but better for us!

twogypsies · 02-18-2013, 12:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by A T

The sites were very close together, I couldn't put out the awning. The showers were all pay showers, with considerable lines. No bicycles were allowed, the kids were very disappointed. ! We ended up moving to the Snake River KOA, and then driving back to Yellowstone and Tetons. That was a little more our style, the kids made friends, had an indoor

Are you sure you were staying in Yellowstone? Here's a link about bicycles in Yellowstone. They even rent them!!! So yes, bikes ARE ALLOWED.

Bicycling in Yellowstone - Yellowstone National Park

As far as sites being close together. Campgrounds in national parks have WAY MORE room than any public park. If you were at the concessionier's RV park - Fishing Bridge, yes, they are close together and the reason being is because they are full hookup. If you don't need hookups - and all RVs are self-contained so they don't need hookups - then you can wonderful spacious campsites in any of the other campgrounds. Going to the KOA and driving huge distances to tour both the Tetons and Yellowstone is ridiculous. Of course, that's our opinion.

Zoafan · 02-18-2013, 12:30 PM

Been a long time since I've been to Yellowstone but we frequent Zion yearly and it's a great place to go. Just make sure you don't go in the summer as it gets very hot on some of those hikes.

dstinch · 02-18-2013, 12:43 PM

Grizzly in west yellowstone for us. Great little town to walk to. Great places to eat and shop. It's only a short drive in to the park.

A T · 02-18-2013, 03:45 PM

We were there in June of 2011, and while you could ride a bicycle in the designated areas, they were not allowed in the campground.

rfonte649 · 02-18-2013, 06:49 PM

Don't pass up Rocky Mtn National Park.

lmsteck · 02-24-2013, 06:06 PM

We went to Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons June 2012. Stayed at Fishing Bridge in Yellowstone because we wanted FHU's and wanted to be in the park. I would suggest going to the Tetons since you'll be in the area. We stayed at Colter Bay RV Park, FHU, we loved it there.

Kwasson · 06-06-2013, 03:56 PM

Thank you all for your responses, I think we're going to hit up fishing bridge for a week in August and make our way up to glacier national park after that!

ernest917 · 06-06-2013, 06:02 PM

We were there a couple of years ago in a 29' MH and had no problem finding a spot to camp... Did make reservations at Fishing Bridge for two nights and its ok if you like camping in a parking lot.... Enjoyed the other CG's in the park so much better (they felt like we were actually close to nature). In all of these, bikes were ok because I rode one myself... (U can't take them on the hiking trails)

We really liked camping at Flagg Ranch (just outside the South gate of Yellowstone) and we liked Colter Bay. Both have full hook-ups. We found a lot to do there - I guess it all depends on your expectations...

We are headed back this July by way of Rocky Mt NP then to Mt. Rushmore on the 4th then Grizzly CG in West Yellowstone... (Have a new 40' MH with a toad and not that many spaces available inside the park for that total length). I was able to reserve two nights at Bay Bridge CG inside the park. We then go to Flagg Ranch for two night followed by two at Colter Bay... Then one night at Gros Ventre CG just north of Jackson, WY... From there, it's two weeks all over Colorado...

This will be our sixth trip to the parks so obviously we love them both....