Help! Need RV spots near Yellowstone, Tetons

[kdnash]

We also stayed at Longhorn RV Ranch in Dubois. It is right on the Wind River and is very nice. An easy scenic drive to the Tetons. We saw more wildlife on the drive from Dubois to Jackson then we saw in the park. Afterwards we relocated to Grizzly campground in West Yellowstone to visit Yellowstone NP. It is our favorite. My .02

[Triangle Drifter]

Way too early to be trying to make reservations.

We have done Gros Ventre a couple of times. One time it was over the July 4th weekend & it was full only one day.

Gros Ventre has some power sites but most are dry. Dry sites are easy to come by. Small sites suitable for a TC easier still.

[D Gardiner]

Our 2020 June Yellowstone trip got cancelled (our reservations deposits were automatically refunded).
We rebooked our 2021 trip starting in July, and ran into reservation date problems for both Yellowstone and the Grand Teton Lodge company. Not only that, we had issues getting a site in South Lake Tahoe, CA, and Salt Lake City KOA.
When we booked the Virginian in Jackson, the poor reservation lady had the phone ringing off the hook while I was on the phone with her. If you can secure a reservation, my recommendation is to do it sooner rather than later.

[Ivylog]

I’m not sure what I’m doing next week, much less next June...the luxury (or curse) of being self employed. Unlike some we did not cancel our “planned” trip West... me to the DW in March, “you want to go to the Rockies this summer?... Sure. That was the total amount of planning until July 4 when our daughter said she wanted to take her boys West. 10 days later we were in CO and a month later in MT...dry camping 90% of the time in no reservations CGs with 2 big rigs.

Gros Vertre was supposedly full every day we were there BUT there were several of the electric handicap sites unused every day. For a big rig, the overflow area is a good option as several MHs just camped in it...only lacking a table and fire ring.

[twogypsies]

Originally Posted by Ivylog

..... July 4 when our daughter said she wanted to take her boys West. 10 days later we were in CO and a month later in MT...dry camping 90% of the time in no reservations CGs with 2 big rigs.

It sounds like you travel the way we love to do it.... no reservations unless you really need to be at a specific place at a specific time. If you're flexible there are always places to stay; especially if you don't need hookups.

[Ivylog]

Based on the stares we get in many Public CGs, I’m one of the few big rigs that doesn’t go from one 50A FHU CG to the next. The beauty of a big rig is how easy/nice you can dry camp for a week or more without cutting back on anything.

When I need to dump/resupply I’ll make a reservation a couple days before for Sunday or Monday...don’t bother asking for Friday or Saturday in popular areas. Couple summers ago we went into S Lake Tahoe without a reservation on Labor Day...got into the city CG (our 1st choice) but it was on Monday when the working folks have to go home.

[Gladie]

Originally Posted by Ivylog

I’m not sure what I’m doing next week, much less next June...the luxury (or curse) of being self employed. Unlike some we did not cancel our “planned” trip West... me to the DW in March, “you want to go to the Rockies this summer?... Sure. That was the total amount of planning until July 4 when our daughter said she wanted to take her boys West. 10 days later we were in CO and a month later in MT...dry camping 90% of the time in no reservations CGs with 2 big rigs.

Gros Vertre was supposedly full every day we were there BUT there were several of the electric handicap sites unused every day. For a big rig, the overflow area is a good option as several MHs just camped in it...only lacking a table and fire ring.

This post made me laugh. Reminded of the night 3 yrs ago in May, I was sitting on the couch and husband said “Wanna go to Alaska”. My response was “what are you crazy, we live in RI”. 10 days later we left and came home in September. Only reserved in Denali a week or so ahead. Thanks for the memories.

[ScopesNC]

Call the Grand Tetons for Colter Bay reservations. The person who answers the phone can tell you if they are taking reservations now and if not when. That is how I did it. Looked booked on line all the time until I called and asked.

[twogypsies]

Originally Posted by Gladie

This post made me laugh. Reminded of the night 3 yrs ago in May, I was sitting on the couch and husband said “Wanna go to Alaska”. My response was “what are you crazy, we live in RI”. 10 days later we left and came home in September. Only reserved in Denali a week or so ahead. Thanks for the memories.

Absolutely LOVE IT!!!

[ernest917]

Gros Ventre CG in the Tetons is wonderful.... We’ve stayed there 10 times....

BUT....

This past summer we were able to stay there for 8 nights and we observed a first - they were totally full!!!!

Up at check-in they told me that so far they’d had a totally full CG for 23 consecutive nights with no sign of it letting up - keep in mind this was in the middle of this pandemic (which I believe contributed to the influx of so many RV’s...)

In order to land a site I’d suggest you show up early - really early!!! The start booking sites around 8 so I’d get there 6:30/7:00 AM.... if not, you can count on spending time in their “overflow parking lot”

[ScopesNC]

Originally Posted by ernest917

Gros Ventre CG in the Tetons is wonderful.... We’ve stayed there 10 times....

BUT....

This past summer we were able to stay there for 8 nights and we observed a first - they were totally full!!!!

Up at check-in they told me that so far they’d had a totally full CG for 23 consecutive nights with no sign of it letting up - keep in mind this was in the middle of this pandemic (which I believe contributed to the influx of so many RV’s...)

In order to land a site I’d suggest you show up early - really early!!! The start booking sites around 8 so I’d get there 6:30/7:00 AM.... if not, you can count on spending time in their “overflow parking lot”

Yes Gros Ventre stayed full all summer just as Colter Bay did as well. There were many reasons. Yellowstone kept a lot of things closed till almost mid summer if they opened at all. We worked in Colter Bay for the season. The campground had lines all the way to the main road almost every day with folks trying to get a site. The RV campground stayed full also. People were coming in from Yellowstone and swamped the place for showers and laundry mat services too. I don't think it would have been so bad had Yellowstone been completely open. Towards the middle they did open up a little more , but not to their full capabilities. I went through the Colter Bay RV campground 2 times a day 3 trips around each time. I can tell you I did see a lot of new campers in there. However most were well seasoned campers and they packed the place. My wife worked in the laundry mat ,which offered showers. It was slammed most the time due to people coming in from Yellowstone daily. Didn't help to have Yellowstone limited so much I can tell you. Also didn't help that they had a lot of the North West section of Yellowstone shut down for renovations either.

Yes it was all full , but it wasn't due to just new RV campers. Anyone and everyone who had a camper wanted someplace to go and these parks were some of the few places they had. There are a lot of folks who already had campers and they all went at once for the summer and that did not help things. Then again people had so few choices and camping was one of the best things they could do.

Just my an observation and 0.2 cents worth.

[Jkwilson1989]

Be persistent in checking.

Having been to Yellowstone several times, one thing that is certain is there will be cancellations. We got a site in West Yellowstone 5 weeks before our June trip a couple of years ago. We just stayed after it, knew where we wanted to be and were open for dates.