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Camping in Yellowstone National Park

If you are looking for a holiday destination where wildlife roams free and you can relax in the peaceful environment, then the Yellowstone National Park is the perfect location. You can choose between a winter or summer lodge, a luxury hotel, or a camping resort.

Camping is one of the most economical choices when it comes to vacationing, and you can save a great deal of money for other vacation expenses. Camping in Yellowstone National Park is even more fulfilling because you can get more in touch with nature.

Campgrounds
There are a total of 12 campgrounds located in the Yellowstone National Park. Seven of the campgrounds are operated by the National Park Service at Indian Creek, Mammoth Norris, Slough Creek, Pebble Creek, Lewis Lake, and Tower Fall. The sites at all of these campgrounds are available on a limited basis; therefore, first-come, first-serve is the basic rule.

Other campgrounds include:

Fishing Bridge RV Park

The Fishing Bridge campground is located near the Yellowstone Lake, with full RV hook-ups and other camping amenities. It is designed for hard-sided campers only, with various length restrictions. There are coin laundry facilities, electricity, water, a camp store, pay showers, sewer hook-ups, and a sanitary dump station. There are also sightseeing tours available for all guests.

Madison Campground

Located 14 miles east of the Western entrance of Yellowstone National Park, the Madison Campground is perfect for camping in Yellowstone National Park. It is only 16 miles north of the Old Faithful geyser, if you are looking for sight seeing attractions. The facility offers sanitary dump stations, but there are no utility hookups or showers. This is a good camping spot if you are not looking for many amenities, but are only wanting to be in the wilderness.

Canyon Campground

The Canyon Campground is close to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone Park, which is near the center of the park. There is a campground store, a restaurant, pay showers, coin laundry facilities, and a sanitary dump station. However, there are no utility hook-ups on site.

Camping Regulations

It is not permitted to camp in a vehicle overnight, in picnic areas, picnic grounds, or any other area that is not considered a campground. There are also no overflow camping areas, so you need to plan in advance. However, there are campgrounds available in communities outside of the park.

In addition, camping is limited to 14 days per group, between June 15th and September 15th. During the rest of the year, 30 days is the maximum limit. On the other hand, there are no stay restrictions at the Fishing Bridge RV Park. The required check-out time for all campgrounds within the park is 10:00AM.

To have the ability to camp in Yellowstone is a wonderful experience. Each visitor in the park needs to have the opportunity to hear the wildlife and the flowing waters. Therefore, there are specific quiet hours set into place from 8:00PM until 8:00AM. At the Fishing Bridge RV Park the quiet hours are between 10:00PM and 7:00AM. During the quiet hours, generators and other noise disturbances are not allowed. Generators are only allowed in six campgrounds, including the Fishing Bridge RV Park.

Group Camping

Sites that are available for group camping are Grant, Bridge Bay, and Madison campgrounds. It is only allowed from late May until the end of the peak season for all large organized groups, as long as they have a designated leader if it is a youth group. The fees for group camping vary from $35 to $60 per night, depending on the campground and the size of the group.

When camping in Yellowstone National Park, you will have a wonderful experience being more in touch with the natural surroundings.  Remember that food and other odors attract bears, such as utensils, coolers, toiletries, and trash bags.  They need to be in tent trailers or tents if they are not being used.