Community Forums

datrbone8 · 09-13-2012, 09:42 AM

We are making plans to see Yellowstone next summer. Our first trip using the $ 10 lifetime "old people" pass. We're in a 38 ft motor home with our 2 dogs towing an AWD Honda Element for day tripping.

Can anyone who has been there make some suggestions as to which campgrounds might be best for us ? We'd prefer not to be awning-to-awning with others. Is Fishing Bridge very close in terms of sites ?

Any suggestions based on your experiences would be greatly appreciated.

Steve Ownby · 09-13-2012, 09:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by datrbone8

We are making plans to see Yellowstone next summer. Our first trip using the $ 10 lifetime "old people" pass. We're in a 38 ft motor home with our 2 dogs towing an AWD Honda Element for day tripping.

Can anyone who has been there make some suggestions as to which campgrounds might be best for us ? We'd prefer not to be awning-to-awning with others. Is Fishing Bridge very close in terms of sites ?

Any suggestions based on your experiences would be greatly appreciated.

There are a couple of campgrounds in the park depending on your requirements and expectations. Fishing Bridge has been up graded over the last couple of years and is the only one in the park with hook ups. It fills early. Bridge Bay is just a few miles from Fishing Bridge and will also accommodate you but without hookups. I believe their generator hours are 6-6.

West Yellowstone, outside the park has a number of commercial campgrounds with Grizzly being the favorite. There is a new campground close to the IMAX theater which may be another good choice.

Yellowstone is a huge park so if you can deal with the national park campgrounds you will save your self a lot of driving.

dstinch · 09-13-2012, 10:07 AM

Hi. We stayed at grizzly in west yellowstone. Very nice park. A 38 footer inside the park in summer! No way. There old campgrounds and the people are packed in there. It's a short drive from the rv parks outside.

Don

diepenj · 09-13-2012, 10:34 AM

I was in Yellowstone and Teton NP last week. The "geezer" card is great. The gate attendant simply swiped the card and away we went with no entry cost. We stayed in two camp grounds.

Our first campground was Mammoth in the NW part of the part of YS. It's first come availability. There are no hook-ups so you have to be ready to boondock for a few days. If you don't have a shower in your rig, you can pay ($3.50) for a shower at the hotel which is about a half mile away. A Class A was parked next to us - it was a couple who worked at Yellowstone for the summer and liked the view at Mammoth so decided to spend a few days there before heading to their home in California. There is a good chance to see Elk roaming through Mammoth.

We also stayed at Grant Campground in southern Yellowstone. It is run by Xanterra so you can make reservations. While there are no full hookups, there are dump facilities and fresh water available. There is also a shower/laundry building at the campground entrance for those who cannot or choose not to boondock.

We have a class B and found both campgrounds fit our needs. Generators could be used from 8am to 8pm in either location.

Either campground can handle anything from tent camping to class A DP's. Have fun!

twogypsies · 09-13-2012, 11:08 AM

With our 40' motorhome we have stayed at Mammoth, our favorite, Bridge Bay and Madison. Mammoth doesn't take reservations and you need to be there in the morning but we've always gotten in. There is no dump station but you can use the one in Madison free, as you're leaving. For Madison, which is centrally located, it's best to call for reservations rather than doing it online. You can explain better what you want and space needed. Bridge Bay was o.k., too and takes reservations. When we go to national parks we like to stay in them to get the best experiences and less driving.

Definitely put Grand Teton Nat'l Park on your "to do" list - it's right next door to Yellowstone. However, don't try to do both parks from one location. Distances are too great. For the Tetons we like Gros Ventre campground - no reservations but they rarely fill. This is the closest one to the town of Jackson. They have a dump station and water fill. Again, best to get there in the morning. If you'd rather stay near Jackson Lake, we stay at Colter Bay campground. Neither Gros Ventre or Colter Bay have hookups. Both have approx. 300 sites. If you need electric in Teton N.P., Colter Bay RV park is the one. You'll need reservations - and early. It's right next door to the park's Colter Bay campground. Don't stay at Flagg Ranch. It's a dump with poor electric.

Have a great time and fun planning!

datrbone8 · 09-13-2012, 01:00 PM

Thanks for the great suggestions. I went on the web site for the company that manages reservations for the areas that take them and found the time period (mid-late July) we were interested in was already booking up. We decided to book at Bridge Bay for 10 days. Wound up calling the phone reservation number to make sure the site would accomodate the MH and towed vehicle. As we were speaking one of teh days we wanted became unavailable ! We may try to get to Mammoth once we're there but given the distance we're travelling it seemed prudent to have reservations in place.

We will be stopping at Grand Teton either on the way there or back. The trip will also include stops at Zion and the north rim of the Grand Canyon.

Marshmellows · 09-13-2012, 02:16 PM

I made reservations for Yellowstone way back in April for the week of the 4th of July. I was able to get one day at Fishing bridge, nothing for the 5th, and then the rest of the time at Grant Village. These camp grounds are run by the same company which is Xanterra. Just a couple of days before the 4th, I called again and got an opening at Fishing for the 5th. When I showed up at Fishing on the 4th of July, there were more cancelations and I was able to get my entire stay at Fishing for the week and they took care of transferring the reservations. The people running the place said that Grant was not that nice. I really have no idea since I did not make it down there. Fishing is a bit tight, I was 36' with a bike rack and I took most of the room. There is a seperate spot right next to your site for your toad. No fire pits allowed, but you can roast your marshmallows over grill coals. No cell phone. High water pressure and you will need a regulator. I liked staying there, couple of days we just hung out under the awning and read a book as everyone was out wandering around the park. Nice place to walk around, fuel was close, and the store and tons of stuff from food to trinkets. Liked walking over the bridge. Hard side only at Fishing. The only place with full hook ups. Pet friendly as most are.

Be mellow, move slow, soak it in.