Community Forums

lrh111 · 12-14-2013, 11:06 AM

We are visiting Yellowstone/Teton area next summer for about 2-3 weeks in our 40 ft. motorhome w/slides. Rv camp sites are certainly expensive around there. Has anyone ever visited there and boondocked part of the time to hold down the camping costs? If so, what was your experience like? Are there any decent rv parks that you would recommend that are less expensive than the $40-$65 per night sites?

Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

J Birder · 12-14-2013, 12:14 PM

Bridge Bay, Canyon, and Grant campgrounds are centrally located in the park, and have sites large enough for your rig. Pebble Creek is less expensive and also has large enough sites. The sites in Tower tend to be small and not very level. I don't know much about the others.

There are also some very inexpensive National Forest camp grounds outside the NE entrance, along hwy. 212. One of them (Fox Creek) has electric hookups and is one of my favorite places to camp.

If you do camp along hwy. 212, take the drive to Red Lodge and back. At a shade under 11,000 ft., it is one of the most spectacular drives in the country. Also, the Cooke City Cafe has really great food and a beer list that is several pages.

Joel

BFlinn181 · 12-14-2013, 12:39 PM

The only full hook up campground in the park is Fishing Bridge and you need reservations probably now for next summer. All other CG within the park offer no utilities but have dump stations. Some can be reserved, some are first come first served, you park at the entrance in AM and wait for someone to leave. The park is surrounded by National Forests, stop in a Ranger Station or search NFS website for information. Each entrance to YNP and GTNP have private CG, but none free. In a large RV, avoid Teton Pass (Wilson WY/Victor ID) WY 22, and Beartooth HW (WY 296 +212) While great in an auto or pick-up, not fun to tackle in a 40 ft. RV.

TeresaOwen1 · 12-21-2013, 09:10 PM

If you get in the area of West Yellowstone, there is a Forest Service campground, the name of it is Baker's Hole. It has water and electricity and I think it is about $16 a night, we stay there in the September. There isn't a dump station in this park but there is one at Grizzly RV about 3 miles in the town of West Yellowstone. If you choose to go to this park or in this area, be sure to stock up on your groceries prior to arriving in the area. This town has a couple of small local grocery stores but they are expensive. We have seen Elk, Moose, Deer, Owls, Eagles & Bear in this campground. It borders on Yellowstone National Park and you can walk about 1/4 mile and be in Yellowstone.

TeresaOwen1 · 12-22-2013, 10:04 AM

Baker's Hole campground does have a tight turn when leaving the campground but there are sites that are fine for a 40' or larger. 2 campground hosts with large motorhomes are in the park. If I remember correctly they suggest using the entrance when leaving the park to avoid the tight turn. We have been able to use our Directv while in this campground also but you have to pick your site carefully because of the tree's. This campground is on the beautiful Madison River, which is a bonus!

We are looking to purchase about a 40' MH and we would still continue to camp at Baker's Hole.

You can fill your water tank in the park also if you want to dry camp. There are a lot of options for that as well as water and electric.

Foggy5 · 12-22-2013, 10:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BFlinn181

In a large RV, avoid Teton Pass (Wilson WY/Victor ID) WY 22, and Beartooth HW (WY 296 +212) While great in an auto or pick-up, not fun to tackle in a 40 ft. RV.

I agree, I would not drive the Bear Tooth Hwy in a Motor Home or dragging a trailer. We left our 5th in the campground and drove the Bear Tooth Hwy last summer in our Yukon. The drive is ok, but not the "most scenic" in the country. I think the drive from Cody into the East entrance of Yellowstone is prettier. Red Lodge is a cute little town. We spent two nights there...Alpine Lodge is the best place to stay in town.

Again, don't drive the big MH over the Bear Tooth Hwy...

J Birder · 12-22-2013, 12:47 PM

I am a flatlander from Illinois, and I routinely tow my (admittedly small) 27' 5er over the Beartooth without the slightest problem. It is high, but it is not terribly steep and the curves are not terribly tight.

Joel

twogypsies · 12-22-2013, 03:20 PM

X2 on Baker's Hole national forest campground. It's a very pleasant place to stay and yes, when you leave, just drive about 30' into the entrance lane rather than the turn from the exit lane. You can easily see if anyone is coming in. There are also a lot of other forest service campgrounds from each direction of Yellowstone that a 40' would fit. Also a couple state parks outside of West Yellowstone.

However, other than Baker's Hole, we stay IN the park for the greatest experience of touring the park. With our 40' MH we've stayed at Mammoth, Madison and Bridge Bay. Mammoth is our favorite but you need to stay nearby the previous night and drive to it early morning when folks are leaving. There are no reservations at that campground. The other two accept reservations.

Also, don't tour Yellowstone without an additional 3 nights or so at Grand Teton Nat'l Park right next door and south. There we stay at either Colter Bay campground (there's a full hookup park right next door called Colter Bay RV) or a little further south and closer to the town of Jackson at Gros Ventre campground. Both are dry camping.

Don't try to tour both parks from one campsite. The parks are huge and that's too much unnecessary driving. Have a great trip. We've been often and they are both awesome and completely different in looks.

inspector8 · 02-24-2014, 02:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by twogypsies

X2 on Baker's Hole national forest campground. It's a very pleasant place to stay and yes, when you leave, just drive about 30' into the entrance lane rather than the turn from the exit lane. You can easily see if anyone is coming in. There are also a lot of other forest service campgrounds from each direction of Yellowstone that a 40' would fit. Also a couple state parks outside of West Yellowstone.

However, other than Baker's Hole, we stay IN the park for the greatest experience of touring the park. With our 40' MH we've stayed at Mammoth, Madison and Bridge Bay. Mammoth is our favorite but you need to stay nearby the previous night and drive to it early morning when folks are leaving. There are no reservations at that campground. The other two accept reservations.

Also, don't tour Yellowstone without an additional 3 nights or so at Grand Teton Nat'l Park right next door and south. There we stay at either Colter Bay campground (there's a full hookup park right next door called Colter Bay RV) or a little further south and closer to the town of Jackson at Gros Ventre campground. Both are dry camping.

Don't try to tour both parks from one campsite. The parks are huge and that's too much unnecessary driving. Have a great trip. We've been often and they are both awesome and completely different in looks.

I was on the Fishing Bridge RV Park reservation site and I read they don't allow smoking or pets. Is there a park inside Yellowstone where I may camp with my 34 ft MH, that has a electric site, a smoking wife, and a dog?

BFlinn181 · 02-24-2014, 03:23 AM

No. Fishing Bridge is the only CG in the park with hook ups.
Campgrounds - Yellowstone National Park (U.S. National Park Service)

marcham · 02-24-2014, 08:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by inspector8

I was on the Fishing Bridge RV Park reservation site and I read they don't allow smoking or pets. Is there a park inside Yellowstone where I may camp with my 34 ft MH, that has a electric site, a smoking wife, and a dog?

Where does it say no pets at the campground? All I could find is no pets in the backcountry. I might have missed it though.

rclimber · 02-26-2014, 01:00 AM

I was just there in Sept/Oct 2013 they allow dogs I had a large 75+. No pets on parks trails in any national park usually only 300-500 ft in or in parking lots. I found out the hard way in 2007 on my first time out with out much research.

Doggy Daddy · 02-26-2014, 02:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by marcham

Where does it say no pets at the campground? All I could find is no pets in the backcountry. I might have missed it though.

When I was there years ago, I was riding around on my Harley with my dog on the back. Rangers warned me that bears and other animals may charge

after my dog and to keep an eye out.

inspector8 · 02-26-2014, 10:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by inspector8

I was on the Fishing Bridge RV Park reservation site and I read they don't allow smoking or pets. Is there a park inside Yellowstone where I may camp with my 34 ft MH, that has a electric site, a smoking wife, and a dog?

When I talked to a actual person at reservations he said dogs are allowed and as far as he knows smoking allowed to. That's where I'm heading then God willing!