How often do you get to go camping inside an active volcano? Well, when you take a Yellowstone RV Camping trip you will get to live inside a volcano and much more. This extremely popular National Park hosts over 3 million visitors annually and is one of the jewels in the US National Park system. So that you do not set yourself up for disappointment when you arrive, there are three important factors to consider and we will cover those in this article.
When To Go Although Yellowstone is open all year, camping is limited to a few months each year with one notable exception. Mammoth Campground located near the North Entrance has campsites available year-round and the road between the campground and Gardiner, Montana is kept plowed during the winter.
The peak camping season in Yellowstone spans the months of July and August. Less crowded campgrounds are available between early May and after Labor day until most of the campgrounds have closed at the end of October.
Where To Stay There are over 2,000 campsites available in Yellowstone with some sites being reservable in advance and others are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Granted, there are a lot of campsites, but during the peak season available sites may be extremely difficult to find since most of the reserved sites will be booked in advance and there are long early morning waiting lines at the first-come, first-serve facilities.
Campgrounds, where you may reserve a campsite, include Fishing Bridge, Canyon Campground, Grant Village, Madison, and Bridge Bay Campground. The campsites that are first-come, first-serve are Indian Creek, Lewis Lake, Mammoth, Norris, Pebble Creek, Slough Creek, and Tower Falls. To make reservations you can call 1-866-439-7375 or make a reservation online at the Xanterra Parks & Resorts website.
Campground Amenities The only RV camping facility that provides water, sewer, and electrical hookups is the Fishing Bridge Campground at Yellowstone Lake. Only hard-sided RV units are allowed at Fishing Bridge due to the presence of bears in the area.
The other campgrounds are dry camping only, meaning that depending on the campsite you will have access to vault toilets, potable water from hand pumps, dump stations at a few locations, and flush toilets at a few locations. The only campgrounds that do not allow the use of generators are Indian Creek, Lewis Lake, Pebble Creek, Slough Creek, and Tower Fall. Generators may be run between 8 am and 8 pm daily.
There are a limited number of sites that will accommodate large RV rigs, so it is advisable to visit the National Park Service website to get information about specific size limits. Most of the camping sites are suitable for smaller RV units and tents.
Other factors to consider before you hook up your RV and head to Yellowstone are the fees you need to plan for and how long you will be staying. There is a 7-day park pass you will have to buy to enter the National Park and if you plan on staying longer you may want to purchase an annual pass. During the peak season of July 1st until Labor Day, most campgrounds have a 14-day occupancy limit with the exception of Fishing Bridge RV Park. Before and after the peak season there is a 30-day occupancy limit.
For more detailed information about the campgrounds click on this Yellowstone National Park RV Camping link and take a little time to learn about the full-time RV Camping lifestyle at our website. Now all you have to do is decide what attractions you want to visit at Yellowstone.
