Camping in Yellowstone - No reservations?

aigel · aigel's Garage

All,

I know there are some hardcore campers on the board, so here is a question about Yellowstone. I'd like to go there this summer with the family and our truck camper. It is a 1/2 ton truck with a light weight slide in pop up camper, so only a small step up from a tent. The kids will be in a tent, most likely.

I went online and it looks like all park owned sites are "first come firs serve". How the hell is that going to work? I will drive there a thousand miles and then hope to get a spot during the busiest season of the year? Sounds like recipe for stress and hunting for a campsite instead of enjoying the park!?

Who has experience with this? Can you give me some tips? Maybe I misunderstand? Are any of the private campgrounds good? Those seem reservable. Also, the rig is self-contained, and I can stay in the woods without improvements - are the surrounding national forests legal for unimproved camping (like they are in CA)?

Big thanks in advance!

George

look 171 · 03-03-2017, 10:38 PM

Sorry I couldn't help you on that one. One thing I can tell you is the place is a zoo during peak season. WE were there when the park opened a couple of years ago and it was great but when we went the previous year during the summer the summer months, it was hell just driving through the park. Forget about finding a camp site. You might be able to find someplace 30-45 min away from the outskirt of town.

aigel · aigel's Garage

Oh man, Jeff, sounds like Yosemite. Not much flexibility with the kids on going off season. Spring break would be too early, no? Maybe it is just back into the Sierra to some not so famous place. The family enjoys the campfire, some hikes and a good lake to play in. Can get that 4 hours away easy.

G

look 171 · 03-04-2017, 12:12 AM

I spent lot-o-time in the Sierra, mostly the eastern part. I go the Sierra over Yellowstone all day long. To me, Yellowstone is just one giant rolling hill that go on forever. Whereas the Sierra, its got some pretty dang cool scenery (Not that Yellowstone doesn't). Yellowstone has all the wild life and that's hard to beat. Driving through that part of the country is always fun unlike driving through the Sierra (been there done that) for me.

I hear ya about the kids. I am in the same situation. We did get to spend a week in Yosemite last winter break. The place was covered in white with few people around. There's plenty of parking spaces in the Village which I have never seen before. We did ski Badger Pass with few people in line on the lift. Too bad we didn't camp (wife wasn't having any of that crap in that cold) but stayed at the Tenaya Lodge. I can't believe the amount of tour buses going in and out of Yosemite in the summer. That's not the Yosemite I remember as a kid.

motion · 03-04-2017, 03:15 AM

You will never be able to score a campsite in Yellowstone without a reservation. Now, the Tetons *might* be possible, but that's a long shot. Try Grassy Road, the road to Grassy Lake in the Rockefeller Parkway. Tons of nice, unimproved spots and no reservations needed.

nota · 03-04-2017, 04:34 AM

trick is to get to the ranger office when they open in the morning
we were able to to get a site that way in early july in 2014

our first day there we tryed in the afternoon and all the sites were taken
so got a cabin in gardener by the north entrance
and next morning got a site

it can get very cold there even in july
we had 20 deg and frost the first day at the site

ckelly78z · 06:23 AM

Most State parks take reservations 6 months in advance of arriving, but you have to be on the phone the morning of Feb 4th to have any hope of getting a site for July 4th.

National Parks don't take reservations, but like it has been said already, weekends are a CF, and even weekdays in season, are super busy. You have a whole group of travelers just wanting to be in the park for the day for a picnic, and tour buses full of blue haired peepers, which makes it virtually gridlock for everyone else.

I would try to find something far less traveled for a relaxing week (end).

LakeCleElum · 03-04-2017, 06:53 AM

Even if you get a camp site, it's gridlock around the popular sites all summer long. It would be worth taking the kids out of school and do some weekdays in September. Yellowstone (and many other parks) are over loved.

Been there many times (5 times on snowmobile). 3 of us on motorcycles spent the night in Jackson last June. We going to spend the whole next day seeing the Tetons and Yellowstone. Got so fed up with the crowds, the West Gate was in our mirror by noon.

glewis80SC · glewis80SC's Garage

We go once a year and stay at the KOA in West Yellowstone...pop-up trailer that fits the whole family, its about 10 minutes outside town. The West gate into Yellowstone is right next to town..2 minute drive. The drive from the West gate to Madison Junction inside the park is stunning, finding a site inside the park will be tough. In between Yellowstone and the Tetons we have stayed at Headwater Lodge at Flagg Ranch...nice campground.
Just remember Yellowstone is huge so getting from one place to another takes time.

look 171 · 03-04-2017, 10:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by glewis80SC

We go once a year and stay at the KOA in West Yellowstone...pop-up trailer that fits the whole family, its about 10 minutes outside town. The West gate into Yellowstone is right next to town..2 minute drive. The drive from the West gate to Madison Junction inside the park is stunning, finding a site inside the park will be tough. In between Yellowstone and the Tetons we have stayed at Headwater Lodge at Flagg Ranch...nice campground.
Just remember Yellowstone is huge so getting from one place to another takes time.

Oh in the summer, it will take time for sure due to the crazy traffic along with people stopping in the middle or the road when see a bison.

Tobra · Tobra's Garage

If you are going to drive all that way, go to Glacier Park to do your camping, and just drive through Yellowstone. I remember Yellowstone more as driving from place to place in the park and checking out old faithful, the hot springs and what not. We stayed in a hotel though, I am the one in the family that liked camping, only one really.

Sierra camping is great, lot of little lakes that are stocked with fish. There are some excellent day hikes from the trailhead at Emerald Bay at Tahoe. You can see as good a sunrise as you are liable to see in your life from DL Bliss, which would be perfect for your truck rig, as would a number of state campsites, but there is nothing like Yosemite. You want to plan your travel around that park too. For example, don't go drive around in the valley later in the day, just don't, go early or evening, if you must. Bike would be a good way to get around Yosemite Valley in the summer

Tioga Rd is really something, but I bet that pass will open late this year. The waterfalls will really be cranked up when all that snow melts fast next August, ought to be a good show. Take rain gear if you plan to hike up Bridal Veil, which you should do because it is really something to see.

Consider a winter trip, depending on the age of the kids. A lot of the roads are closed, but there is nobody there. Rent some cross country skis