Yellowstone National Park RV Camping

Visitor counts in Yellowstone National Park start to pick up in May and peak from June through September before tapering off toward the last few months of the year. The park is busiest from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Arriving in the early hours of the day or staying until sunset increases your chances of seeing different types of wildlife and exploring popular attractions without the crowds. For example, bison can be seen on most mornings from May through August if you enter via Cooke City, Montana, or from Madison Campground during the early summer months. Around the first of October, Grand Loop Road, Lewis Falls, the Grand Prismatic Spring, and Lamar Valley all offer spectacular views of Yellowstone's fall colors. Fewer people visit Yellowstone in the winter, but park rangers often restrict access or close routes completely based on conditions.

• Yellowstone National Park has five entrance stations located at each cardinal direction, including two entrances up north. The majority of visitors take U.S. Route 20 through Island Park, Idaho, to the park's west entrance.
• Timed-entry reservations aren't required, but you must pay the park entrance fee to explore Yellowstone. Reservations are required for all campgrounds, except for Mammoth Campground, which offers first-come, first-served RV camping from the middle of October through April.
• From the South Entrance to Old Faithful, you cross the Continental Divide three times. Thus, many of Yellowstone's hiking trails are more than 7,000 feet above sea level.
• Hikers often encounter bears along the 1,100 miles of trail inside Yellowstone National Park. Keep bear spray with you at all times, and never get out of your vehicle or approach a bear, no matter what.
• Several roads close during the winter (November through April), but the road between the north and northeast entrances stays open year-round. Although the park doesn't offer public transportation, several companies offer shuttle services.
• No pets are allowed in thermal areas. Pets must remain in campgrounds or on park roads and be leashed at all times. Leashes up to six feet are allowed.
• With Grand Teton National Park about an hour's drive from Yellowstone, it's worth adding a few extra days to your trip to visit both parks. Stay at one or more Harvest Hosts locations along the way to experience local lesser-known attractions you might otherwise miss.
• Old Faithful is but one of more than 10,000 hydrothermal features found in Yellowstone National Park, including more than half the world's active geysers. The water shooting upwards from Old Faithful can exceed 200 degrees Fahrenheit, but you're more likely to be scalded by 350-degrees Fahrenheit steam.

Yellowstone National Park covers around 3,500 square miles in Wyoming's northwest corner, about 50 miles north of Jackson, Wyoming, and west of Cody, Wyoming. Half a dozen national forests surround the park. If you prefer a higher viewpoint to take in the natural scenery, Granite Peak, north of Cooke City, Montana, soars above 12,000 feet in elevation. Among the 28 mountains located in Beartooth Range, it's one of the tallest in the outcropping of seven mountain peaks located in the area.

Inside the park. Although Grant Village Campground is one of the largest campgrounds in Yellowstone National Park, Fishing Bridge RV Park ranks as one of the most popular among RVers because it's the only campground in the park to offer electrical, sewer, and water hookups across more than 300 RV camping sites. Lewis Lake Campground offers prime RV camping for those who want to be close to the boat ramp, while smaller RVs typically occupy Slough Creek. In Mammoth Campground, RV length restrictions go from 40 feet at most sites (a limited number accommodate up to 75 feet) to 30 feet from mid-October through April; part of the campground is also closed during this period.

Tips on reserving a campsite. Make camping reservations as soon as possible to secure your RV campsite. So many people missing Yellowstone book another trip to revisit their favorite sites or explore new areas, because it's impossible to take it all in within a single trip. Reserve a spot in Indian Creek Campground if you prefer a more secluded RV camping site. If you're inexperienced in maneuvering tight curves with your RV, avoid Tower Fall Campground.

Camping outside the park with Harvest Hosts. Finding RV camping in Yellowstone National Park can prove difficult, especially during the summer. Even if you're able to reserve a few nights, they may not be consecutive or enough to fill the time you want to spend at the park. However, alternative RV camping near Yellowstone National Park in and around prominent gateway cities helps fill in those gaps. For example, vetted Harvest Hosts offer free camping on private property, with the agreement that RV campers patronize their attractions, working farms, breweries, and distilleries.