Clicky

The 12 Best Yellowstone RV Campgrounds

Kurt Norris
Last Updated: February 24th, 2023

Sprawling its way across three states, Yellowstone National Park was the first of its kind to receive national preservation status in 1872 and set the precedent for the entire National Park System we know today.

While the majority of the park spans across the northwestern corner of Wyoming, Yellowstone does overflow the border and offers access directly from Idaho and Montana.

The West Entrance of the park, which can only be reached via the Treasure State, is the most popular gateway and provides the most accessible route to the region’s geyser country and one of Yellowstone’s most famous attractions— Old Faithful.

While Yellowstone National Park offers several fantastic day trips into its backcountry, it is impossible to explore everything the park offers in a single day. As a result, camping is absolutely essential to explore all of the region’s hidden corners, and the best way to base yourself in the preservation is within the comforts of a serviced recreational vehicle.

Luckily, several campgrounds within Yellowstone provide the comfort and convenience of campsites with RV parking. However, not all of these campgrounds offer the same quality of services to their patrons. Therefore, it is critical to compare these sites to choose the best quality services before visiting and ensure your site has RV hookups.

Whether exploring the alluring geysers of Yellowstone’s National Park’s West Entrance or venturing deeper into the park to the region’s tucked away corners, these are the twelve best Yellowstone RV campgrounds for hosting your trip.

The Top 12 Yellowstone RV Campgrounds

  1. Madison Campground
  2. Norris Campground
  3. Mammoth Campground
  4. Indian Creek Campground
  5. Bridge Bay Campground
  6. Canyon Campground
  7. Fishing Bridge RV Village
  8. Grant Village Campground
  9. Lewis Lake Campground
  10. Pebble Creek Campground
  11. Slough Creek
  12. Tower Fall
madison campground
Image: Yellowstone National Park

1. Madison Campground

Situated about 14 miles from Yellowstone’s West Entrance, the Madison Campground is considered one of the park’s best sites for RV camping, thanks to its central location offering access to all of the different regions of the park.

Beyond its convenient location within the park, the Madison Campground is also one of the region’s best facilities for campers seeking to disconnect from the outside world while enjoying the comforts of a serviced complex.

The grounds feature over 270 non-electric campsites capable of accommodating everything from tents and trailers to full-sized RVs. Within the grounds, campers have access to well-maintained public washrooms with flush toilets, dump sites, and plenty of nearby attractions for fun camping activities.

While Madison Campground is situated in a region of the park with no cell service and no internet connection, it is also one of only three campgrounds to feature group sites and is the ideal option for hosting family excursions and group trips.

Madison Campground is one of the longest-operating campgrounds in Yellowstone throughout the year and remains open from May to October, closing only for the cold winter months. As One of the most popular campgrounds in Yellowstone, campers are encouraged to reserve their sites in advance.

2. Norris Campground

norris camp
Image: Yellowstone National Park

Another fantastic campground with a central location in the heart of all Yellowstone’s most popular attractions, the Norris Campground is nestled along the northern banks where the Gibbon River meets the Solfatara Creek.

Additionally, the Museum of the Park Ranger is located directly next to the campground and offers visitors an insight into the careers of the local ranger service and the history of the park’s protection. Other attractions in the area that are easily accessible from the grounds are the Norris Geyser Basin and its museum.

The facilities at the Norris Campground are also some of the bests in the park. Nestled within a lodgepole pine forest, the campground gives way to a nearby open meadow frequented by local populations of native bison who occasionally venture through the campgrounds.

However, while there are 111 campsites available within the campgrounds, only seven can accommodate RVers, with two 50-foot sites and five 30-foot sites. Additionally, the grounds lack any utility hookups or dump stations, making Norris Campgrounds fantastic for RV camping only for those staying for brief periods.

Still, the campground’s unique location and exceptional services that include campfire programs organized by the park rangers make it one of the best Yellowstone RV Campgrounds for short-stay visitors.

With limited RV sites available, booking your accommodation in advance from the National Park Service is essential.

3. Mammoth Campground

mammoth campground
Image: Yellowstone National Park

Entering Yellowstone from the park’s North Entrance near Gardiner, MT, visitors need only venture 5-miles before reaching the Mammoth Campground. Located on the outskirts of the town, the Mammoth Campground is one of the best serviced in the park and is the only campground in Yellowstone to be open year-round.

Visitors staying at the campground are within walking distance of the Mammoth General Store and have access to a wide variety of amenities while being within accessible distance of popular attractions, including fishing, hiking spots, and access to the Mammoth Hot Springs.

The campground itself features 85 non-electric campsites with flushing toilets and potable water. Several big game wildlife frequent the area around Mammoth, and populations of elk and bison are commonly spotted passing through the grounds.

The National Park Service accepts reservations during the region’s peak season from April to October. Throughout the rest of the year, all sites at the Mammoth Campground operate on a first-come, first-serve basis.

4. Indian Creek Campground

indian creek campground
Image: Yellowstone National Park

Located about 8-miles down the road from Mammoth, the Indian Creek Campground occupies a beautifully preserved corner of the park at the intersection of the Gardiner River and Obsidian Creek near the base of the breathtaking Gallatin Mountains.

Situated away from the main road, Indian Creek Campground is one of the best Yellowstone RV Campgrounds for visitors looking for a quieter site in a more remote corner of the park.

Featuring breathtaking views of the surrounding landscape, including some of the most awe-inspiring glimpses of Electric Mountain, the campground offers plenty of fishing and hiking opportunities both in and around its facilities.

The campground offers 70 sites and permits RV camping for all vehicles under 34 feet. However, as a tucked-away campground in Yellowstone’s remote countryside, RV services are limited. The campground does not feature any utility hookups or dump stations but remains a fantastic campground for short-term stays.

Sites at Indian Creek Campground are reservable through the National Park Service.

5. Bridge Bay Campground

bridge bay campground
Image: Yellowstone National Park

Nestled on the majestic Yellowstone Lake shores, the Bridge Bay campground overlooks the perfectly idyllic bay and the beautiful Absaroka Mountain Range that dot its eastern horizons.

At an elevation of 7,800 feet, Yellowstone Lake is one of North America’s largest, high-elevation, fresh-water lakes and provides campers with plenty of hiking, fishing, and water exploration opportunities throughout their stay.

With 432 campsites, Bridge Bay Campground is the largest and most open campground in Yellowstone National Park and is one of the best sites in the park for RV camping.

In addition, the campground is one of the few in the park to receive cellular reception and features food storage lockers, a trash/recycling collection, a camp store, and a dump station for RV campers.

If you are looking for one of the best-serviced campsites in one of the most beautiful regions of Yellowstone National Park, then Bridge Bay Campground is the perfect destination for hosting your trip.

6. Canyon Campground

Canyon Campground
Image: Yellowstone National Park

One of the few Yellowstone RV Campgrounds situated alongside a flourishing community, the Canyon Campground provides convenient access to Yellowstone River’s Grand Canyon while remaining within walking distance of all of Canyon Village’s restaurants, stores, and lodging services.

The campground is perfect for those that enjoy the comforts of civilization while providing guests the opportunity to explore some of Yellowstone National Park’s best hiking trails that lead to the nearby Cascade Lake, Mount Washburn, and the Canyon Rim.

Canyon Creek Campground features 273 campgrounds and can accommodate RVs up to 40 feet. The sites are nestled within Canyon Villages surrounding lodgepole pine forests and offer visitors a complete immersion into the park’s wondrous natural environment.

The campground is serviced with food storage lockers, trash collection, laundry services, a dump station, and cellular reception, which is often scarce in other regions of the park. Also available on-site are flush toilets and hot showers.

7. Fishing Bridge RV Village

Fishing Bridge RV Village
Image: Yellowstone National Park

Located only four miles from the Bridge Bay Campground along the north shores of Yellowstone Lake. Newly remodeled, Fishing Bridge RV Village offers the most significant space for RV campers in Yellowstone and has enough room to accommodate up to 95 feet in select sites.

The Fishing Bridge RV Village is also the only campground in Yellowstone to offer water, sewers, and electrical hookups, providing visitors with the most comfortable and accommodating stay.

Along with its 310 sites with electrical hookups, the campground also includes cell reception, trash collection, on-site camp stores, dump stations for RVs, laundry services, and flush toilets.

It is by far the most fully serviced and accommodating grounds in the park. As such, Fishing Bridge RV Village is a very in-demand campground, and visitors should book their sites with the National Park Services in advance.

8. Grant Village Campground

grant village campground
Image: Yellowstone National Park

Nestled along the southern edge of the West Thumb portion of Yellowstone Lake, the Grant Village Campground is the park’s only facility that offers group campsites with additional public showers and laundry services.

Additionally, the campground is located just outside Grant Village, putting visitors within walking distance of the community’s restaurants, stores, and other services.

Like many of the campgrounds in Yellowstone National Park, the nearby Grant Village is surrounded by a beautiful lodgepole pine forest and is frequented by local populations of Elk and other wild animals, which will often pass right through the facilities.

Beyond wildlife spotting, visitors staying at the campground are conveniently located to partake in all the park’s many natural attractions. In the lake, visitors will fish, boat, and swim their way through the calm waters, while on land, intrepid explorers will venture through the natural environment along one of the park’s many hiking trails.

Situated near Yellowstone’s South Entrance, Grant Village Campground is popular amongst visitors during the peak season, and guests should reserve their sites in advance.

9. Lewis Lake Campground

lewis lake campground
Image: Yellowstone National Park

Located near the southern borders of Yellowstone National Park near the South Entrance, the Lewis Lake Campground occupies a remote corner of the park along the shores of Lewis Lake.

Offering access to the lake, visitors to the campground have several opportunities to explore the region’s waterways via canoe, kayak, or motorboat.

As the park’s most southern campground, the Lewis Lake Campground occupies a region less visited by tourists and frequently offers many open sites. The grounds feature a total of 85 campsites, but a few are pull-through and suitable for RV camping as the facilities do not include an electrical plug-in.

Still, the Lewis Lake Campground remains one of the best Yellowstone RV Campgrounds for visitors seeking an isolated stay away from the park’s more popular touristed corners.

Sites are reservable with the National Park Service, but several empty areas are typically open to walk-in campers.

10. Pebble Creek Campground

pebble creek campground
Image: Yellowstone National Park

Another quiet campground in one of Yellowstone’s more isolated corners, the Pebble Creek Campground is only a short drive from the park’s Northeast Entrance and provides a unique camping experience framed by the Absaroka Mountains.

While a much smaller campground than others found within the park, the Pebble Creek Campground offers visitors the opportunity to reconnect with the area’s picturesque natural environment while engaging in outdoor adventures that include fishing and hiking some of the region’s most fantastic trails.

The campgrounds contain only 27 sites with basic comfort amenities such as vault toilets, trash collection, and food storage lockers. In addition, RV-accessible amenities are limited to a few pull-through sites, but no electrical plug-ins or dump stations are available within the grounds.

Still, the Pebble Creek Campground is fantastic for RV campers looking for a sense of seclusion in the park. The grounds feature a shortened operation schedule and are only open from June to September.

Reservations are available up to six months in advance of your visit.

11. Slough Creek Campground

slough creek campground
Image: Yellowstone National Park

With only 16 non-electric campsites isolated in the Northeastern corner of the park, the Slough Creek Campground offers one of the most undisturbed overnight experiences in Yellowstone National Park.

Limited human presence in the area has made the campgrounds a favorite destination among wildlife enthusiasts, with many native species being commonly spotted in the area. In fact, the region surrounding the campgrounds is home to one of the park’s most abundant wolf populations, which can frequently be heard howling into the night.

Furthermore, the Slough Creek Campground is tucked far away from the main road and any nearby city, allowing for near zero light pollution at night and awards one of the most breathtaking views of the star-riddled night sky.

The campsites themselves are serviced with only the base amenities. This means no on-site store, no electrical plug-ins, no dumping stations, and no cell phone reception. Luckily, the grounds do offer some comfort services, such as trash collection, potable water, and vault toilets.

12. Tower Fall Campground

tower fall campground
Image: Yellowstone National Park

Another small and secluded campground in Yellowstone’s northeastern corner, the Tower Fall Campground, offers an idyllic location on top of a scenic hill and provides plenty of beautiful views of the surrounding landscapes.

The campground’s convenient location makes it a great launching ground for exploring the region’s attractions, including Lamar Valley and the Black Canyon of the Yellowstone, which is both only a short hike from the grounds.

The campground features only 31 sites within its facility, including select pull-through sites. However, electrical plug-ins and dumping stations are not available at the location.

For added convenience, the nearby Tower General Store offers additional services and amenities and is located only a short walk from the campground.

Related Articles

About The Author

Kurt Norris

A Canada-based freelance writer, Kurt acquired his bachelor’s degree in English Language and Literature from the University of Windsor. Upon graduating, Kurt left the courtside media desk behind and began venturing the globe. Throughout his journeys, Kurt enjoys partaking in slow travel and loves to explore the histories and cultures of each destination, which he shares with others through his writing.

Leave a Comment