Yellowstone camping

Yellowstone camping has 11 developed campgrounds for tents and vehicles, plus separate backcountry campsites. Published 2026 standard campsite rates are $20–$45 per night, with tax where listed. Fishing Bridge is the hard-sided RV exception: no tents or pop-ups. Reserve the right site type for your ground tent, vehicle or group, usually months ahead.

Add as a preferred source on Google

See our sources and methodology.

National Sites Guide

Share this page

Cite this page

Copy a citation
Tents, a picnic table and a covered camp setup among pine trees at Madison Campground on a rainy day.
Madison CampgroundNPS / Diane Renkin
Lower Falls drops into the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone below forested cliffs.
Lower FallsNick Major · CC BY 4.0 · National Sites Guide

Conditions

Last checked:

Check before you go

Choose your camping setup

Choose the sleeping setup first, then the campground. Check the individual site’s occupancy and equipment rules; organized groups use separate sites.

Ground tents

Book a tent-only or combination site. Match its tent allowance to your tent’s footprint and number of tents. An RV-only site excludes ground tents.

Check tent sizes

Lodges tent-only categories. These describe the operator’s categories, not every campsite in the park.

Small · 8 × 8 ft
One ground tent.
Large · 12 × 12 ft
One tent, or two tents up to 8 × 8 ft each.
Extra-large · 18 × 18 ft
One tent, or two tents up to 8 × 8 ft each. Listed at Bridge Bay, Grant and Madison.

Small and large categories are listed at Bridge Bay, Canyon, Grant and Madison. Tent-only categories have parking for one car up to 20 ft; sleeping in that car is not allowed.

Check site categories and dimensions

Cars, vans & rooftop tents

Sleeping in the vehicle needs a vehicle site. At Lodges campgrounds, tent-only reservations exclude vehicle sleeping. At NPS campgrounds, match the Recreation.gov site type.

Vehicle camping rules

Pop-ups, trailers & RVs

Book a compatible vehicle site. Measure the trailer fully open and include the tow vehicle. Arrive with the equipment you reserved. Fishing Bridge accepts hard-sided RVs only, with no tents or pop-ups.

Check vehicle fitFishing Bridge rules

Find your campground

See Yellowstone campgrounds beside the park’s roads. Numbers match the comparison below; confirm your approach before traveling.

Yellowstone campgrounds and main roads Campground locations on the reviewed Yellowstone road map. Numbers match the comparison table. Northern corridor, seasonal interior roads and terrain provide context. This is not live road access. Year-round corridor: North Entrance to Northeast Entrance via Mammoth and Tower West Entrance to Madison Madison to Old Faithful Madison to Norris Mammoth to Norris Norris to Canyon East Entrance to Fishing Bridge (Sylvan Pass) Canyon to Bridge Bay South Entrance to West Thumb West Thumb to Old Faithful (Craig Pass) West Thumb to Lake Village Tower-Roosevelt to Tower Fall Canyon to Tower Fall (Dunraven Pass) Mammoth8 Slough Creek10 Pebble Creek9 Tower Fall11 Indian Creek6 Canyon2 Madison5 Fishing Bridge RV Park3 Bridge Bay1 Grant Village4 Lewis Lake7N
Campground points: NPS API. Terrain: USGS. Roads: OpenStreetMap via OSRM. Numbers match the campground comparison; roads show normal seasonal patterns.
  • Lodges-managed campground
  • NPS-managed campground
  • No season listed in 2026 schedule
  • Northern corridor: year-round
  • Seasonal roads: regular vehicles
  • Park boundary
USGS topographic basemapRoads and area markers: OpenStreetMapRoute geometry: OSRMNPS park mapsNPS campgroundsCheck road access

Compare All 11 Yellowstone Campgrounds

Compare locations, site types, dated operating seasons, facilities and published fees. Check the linked booking page for your site and travel year.

2026 rates and seasons

Source
LocationCampground2026 seasonTents & vehiclesPublished campsite fee
Bridge Bay location relative to Yellowstone1. Bridge Bay431 sitesFlushDump stationNear: Yellowstone Lake · Bridge Bay marinaMay 15 – Sep 13Tent-compatible sitesVehicle max: 60 ftHiker/biker sites listed$38 + taxes
Canyon location relative to Yellowstone2. Canyon272 sitesFlush, showersDump stationNear: Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone · Canyon VillageMay 29 – Sep 19Tent-compatible sitesVehicle max: 40 ftHiker/biker sites listed$45 + taxes
Fishing Bridge RV Park location relative to Yellowstone3. Fishing Bridge RV Park310 sitesFull hookupsFlush, showersDump stationNear: Yellowstone Lake · Fishing Bridge Visitor CenterMay 8 – Oct 17Hard-sided vehicles onlyVehicle max: 95 ftPark road limit: 75 ft$94 + taxes
Grant Village location relative to Yellowstone4. Grant Village429 sitesFlush, showersDump stationNear: Yellowstone Lake · West Thumb Geyser BasinJun 26 – Sep 26Tent-compatible sitesVehicle max: 50 ftHiker/biker sites listed$45 + taxes
Madison location relative to Yellowstone5. Madison276 sitesFlushDump stationNear: Madison River · Gibbon FallsMay 1 – Oct 17Tent-compatible sitesVehicle max: 60 ftHiker/biker sites listed$38 + taxes
Indian Creek location relative to Yellowstone6. Indian Creek70 sitesVaultNear: Mammoth Hot Springs · Gallatin MountainsJun 12 – Sep 14Tent-compatible sitesVehicle max: 35 ftHiker/biker sites listed$20
Lewis Lake location relative to Yellowstone7. Lewis Lake84 sitesVaultNear: Lewis Lake · South EntranceJun 15 – Oct 11Tent-compatible sitesVehicle max: 25 ftHiker/biker sites listed$20
Mammoth location relative to Yellowstone8. Mammoth82 sitesFlush (year-round), vaultNear: Mammoth Hot Springs · North EntranceYear-roundTent-compatible sitesVehicle max: 45 ft summer, 30 ft winterHiker/biker sites listed$25
Pebble Creek location relative to Yellowstone9. Pebble Creek27 sitesVaultNear: Pebble Creek · Lamar ValleyNo 2026 season listedTent-compatible sitesVehicle max: Not publishedHiker/biker sites listedNo rate listed
Slough Creek location relative to Yellowstone10. Slough Creek16 sitesVaultNear: Slough Creek · Lamar ValleyJun 15 – Oct 12Tent-compatible sitesVehicle max: 30 ft$20
Tower Fall location relative to Yellowstone11. Tower Fall31 sitesVaultNear: Tower Fall · Tower–RooseveltMay 22 – Sep 27Tent-compatible sitesVehicle max: 30 ftHiker/biker sites listed$20
  • Yellowstone boundary
  • Reviewed park roads
  • This campground
USGS topographic basemapRoads and area markers: OpenStreetMapRoute geometry: OSRMNPS park mapsOfficial campground inventory

What does camping cost?

NPS lists one standard 2026 nightly rate per campground, not separate tent and RV tariffs. Check your selected site’s booking total for its category, tax and fees.

Standard tent & vehicle sites

$20–$45 / site / night

Published 2026 rates for campgrounds without hookups. Tax applies where listed in the comparison. These are campground base rates, not a quote for every site category.

Compare each campground

Full-hookup RV camping

$94 + tax / site / night

Fishing Bridge only. Hard-sided RVs; no ground tents, pop-ups or tent-trailers.

Check Fishing Bridge

Hikers & cyclists

Confirm the rate and charging unit

NPS marks limited hiker/biker sites separately. Confirm the rate, eligibility and arrival rules with the campground.

Where NPS lists hiker/biker sites

Bridge Bay · Canyon · Grant Village · Madison · Indian Creek · Lewis Lake · Mammoth · Pebble Creek (no 2026 season listed) · Tower Fall.

NPS hiker/biker symbols and booking links

Organized group sites

$165–$475 / group / night

Bridge Bay, Grant Village and Madison. The price depends on group size; reserve in advance and confirm the operator’s total.

Group sites and prices

Backcountry camping

$5 / person / night

Plus $10 per reservation. Both fees apply year-round. Overnight trips need a permit. The optional early-access lottery costs $10 per application, non-refundable.

Backcountry permits and fees

Extras & pass discounts

Park entrance is separate. Paid campground showers cost $5.45 plus tax when not included. Senior and Access passes can reduce eligible campsite charges.

Entrance fees
Included showers and pass savings

Showers: Canyon, Grant and Fishing Bridge reservations include two per site, per night. Bridge Bay and Madison reservations do not. Children 5 and under shower free with a paying adult.

Senior and Access passes: the Lodges operator offers 50% off eligible standard sites at Bridge Bay, Canyon, Grant and Madison. Fishing Bridge is excluded. An Annual Pass does not qualify.

Shower charges and inclusionsPass discount terms

Which Campgrounds Are Open by Month

Read across each row for the 2026 season. Operating dates do not show campsite availability.

2026 operating schedule

Source
Scheduled all monthScheduled part of monthNo scheduled season
Campground operating months · 2026 schedule
Monthly contextJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
WeatherAvg high / low · °FYellowstone Park, Mammoth, WY · 1991-2020
31°12° low
34°12° low
42°19° low
50°26° low
60°35° low
70°42° low
81°48° low
80°47° low
69°39° low
54°29° low
39°19° low
30°12° low
Park crowdsAvg park visits · 2021–2025
42.2kLowest
44.7kLowest
33.5kLowest
73.5kLowest
508.1kModerate
831.0kPeak
922.9kPeak
820.1kPeak
796.0kPeak
302.5kModerate
23.8kLowest
33.6kLowest
Campgrounds · 2026JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Bridge BayMay 15 – Sep 13No seasonNo seasonNo seasonNo seasonPart of monthAll monthAll monthAll monthPart of monthNo seasonNo seasonNo season
CanyonMay 29 – Sep 19No seasonNo seasonNo seasonNo seasonPart of monthAll monthAll monthAll monthPart of monthNo seasonNo seasonNo season
Fishing Bridge RV ParkMay 8 – Oct 17No seasonNo seasonNo seasonNo seasonPart of monthAll monthAll monthAll monthAll monthPart of monthNo seasonNo season
Grant VillageJun 26 – Sep 26No seasonNo seasonNo seasonNo seasonNo seasonPart of monthAll monthAll monthPart of monthNo seasonNo seasonNo season
MadisonMay 1 – Oct 17No seasonNo seasonNo seasonNo seasonAll monthAll monthAll monthAll monthAll monthPart of monthNo seasonNo season
Indian CreekJun 12 – Sep 14No seasonNo seasonNo seasonNo seasonNo seasonPart of monthAll monthAll monthPart of monthNo seasonNo seasonNo season
Lewis LakeJun 15 – Oct 11No seasonNo seasonNo seasonNo seasonNo seasonPart of monthAll monthAll monthAll monthPart of monthNo seasonNo season
MammothYear-roundAll monthAll monthAll monthAll monthAll monthAll monthAll monthAll monthAll monthAll monthAll monthAll month
Pebble CreekNo 2026 season listedNo seasonNo seasonNo seasonNo seasonNo seasonNo seasonNo seasonNo seasonNo seasonNo seasonNo seasonNo season
Slough CreekJun 15 – Oct 12No seasonNo seasonNo seasonNo seasonNo seasonPart of monthAll monthAll monthAll monthPart of monthNo seasonNo season
Tower FallMay 22 – Sep 27No seasonNo seasonNo seasonNo seasonPart of monthAll monthAll monthAll monthPart of monthNo seasonNo seasonNo season
NOAA station weather normalsNPS park visit averagesWeather and road seasons

How to book Yellowstone camping

Choose your travel year first. Most sites need an advance reservation, and summer campsites often book far ahead.

Lodges campgrounds · Summer 2027

About 6 months ahead

Reserve on Recreation.gov. Bridge Bay, Canyon, Grant Village, Madison and Fishing Bridge RV Park.

Find your campgroundOperator’s 2027 policy
Booking a 2026 stay?

For 2026, these five campgrounds used the Lodges’ booking system, up to 13 months ahead.

Reservation policies

NPS campgrounds

6 months ahead

Reserve on Recreation.gov. Individual sites open on a rolling basis.

Mammoth in winter: normally first-come, first-served.

Campground booking links
Mammoth in early April

NPS pages give different spring reservation cutoffs. Confirm before relying on a walk-up site.

Mammoth details

Check your vehicle’s fit

For cars, campervans, pop-ups, trailers and RVs. Compare combined length, hard-sided requirements and hookups before choosing an individual site.

Enter your RV, van or trailer length
  • Rental RV delivery or pick-up inside the park is prohibited. Collect your rental outside Yellowstone.
  • Check your individual site’s dimensions. These are campground maximums.
  • Park road limit: 75 feet. Confirm your route before booking.
  • Bridge BayNo full hookups
    60 ftcombined max
    Check sites
  • CanyonNo full hookups
    40 ftcombined max
    Check sites
  • Fishing Bridge RV ParkFull hookups · 95 ft site max; 75 ft park road limit
    95 ftcombined max
    Check sites
  • Grant VillageNo full hookups
    50 ftcombined max
    Check sites
  • MadisonNo full hookups
    60 ftcombined max
    Check sites
  • Indian CreekNo full hookups
    35 ftcombined max
    Check sites
  • Lewis LakeNo full hookups
    25 ftcombined max
    Check sites
  • MammothNo full hookups · 45 ft May to mid-Oct; 30 ft in winter
    45 ftcombined max
    Check sites
  • Slough CreekNo full hookups · Assess the dirt access road first
    30 ftcombined max
    Check sites
  • Tower FallNo full hookups · Hairpin curve on approach
    30 ftcombined max
    Check sites
NPS RV limits and amenitiesNPS road length limit

Know the camp rules

Plan food storage and power before you book. These are normal rules; check official guidance for restrictions on your travel dates.

Food storage

Food stays out of tents and pop-ups. Secure food, cooking gear, toiletries and garbage in a hard-sided vehicle or bear-proof storage box when not in use.

Food and bear safety

Generators

8 am–8 pm, 60 dB, at RV or combination sites. None at Indian Creek, Lewis Lake, Pebble Creek, Slough Creek or Tower Fall.

Campground rules

Where to sleep

Designated campsites only. Pullouts, parking lots and picnic areas are not camping alternatives.

Camping rules

Campfires

No wood or charcoal fires at Fishing Bridge. Elsewhere, check fire restrictions first.

Fire guidance

Stay limits

14 nights July 1 through Labor Day. Normally 30 nights the rest of the year. No stay limit at Fishing Bridge.

Stay limits

Site capacity

Check occupancy before booking. NPS lists six people per individual site. The Lodges operator allows six or one family of parents with dependent children. Confirm your booked site’s rule.

NPS campsite rulesLodges family exception

Camping outside the park

Choose an entrance first, then check nearby forest or private campgrounds. Confirm each campground’s season, fees and booking rules with its operator.

Places to stay outside Yellowstone Numbered gateway area markers use Census place internal points, not property locations. Terrain and surrounding roads are shown for geographic context. Highlighted park roads retain their seasonal legend. Use the numbered list for each approach. Year-round corridor: North Entrance to Northeast Entrance via Mammoth and Tower West Entrance to Madison Madison to Old Faithful Madison to Norris Mammoth to Norris Norris to Canyon East Entrance to Fishing Bridge (Sylvan Pass) Canyon to Bridge Bay South Entrance to West Thumb West Thumb to Old Faithful (Craig Pass) West Thumb to Lake Village Tower-Roosevelt to Tower Fall Canyon to Tower Fall (Dunraven Pass) Gardiner CDP1 Cooke City CDP3 West Yellowstone town2 Cody city4 Jackson town5N
  • Northern corridor: year-round
  • Seasonal roads: regular vehicles
  • Park boundary
USGS topographic basemapRoads and area markers: OpenStreetMapRoute geometry: OSRMNPS park mapsNPS entrances and routesTown locations: U.S. Census Bureau

  1. Gardiner · North Entrance

    Forest alternative: Eagle Creek, 2 miles from the entrance.

    North Entrance campgrounds

  2. West Yellowstone · West Entrance

    Forest alternative: Baker’s Hole, 3 miles from the entrance.

    West Entrance campgrounds

  3. Cooke City / Silver Gate · Northeast

    Forest alternatives: Soda Butte, 6 miles, and Colter, 7 miles from the entrance.

    Northeast Entrance campgrounds

  4. Cody · East Entrance approach

    Compare private campgrounds along the eastern approach. Check the seasonal entrance road.

    Cody accommodation directory

  5. Jackson · South Entrance approach

    Compare bases south of Yellowstone. The South Entrance road is seasonal for regular vehicles.

    NPS nearby places

Questions about Yellowstone camping

Quick answers to the practical questions below.

Which Yellowstone campground should I choose?

Choose Fishing Bridge RV Park for full hookups and a hard-sided rig. Canyon or Grant Village have showers. Madison is another large tent-and-RV option. Mammoth provides the normal year-round season. Compare location, dates and your setup before booking.

Are tent campsites cheaper than RV sites in Yellowstone?

There is no single park-wide tent-versus-RV tariff. NPS lists 2026 campground base rates of $20–$45 per site per night without hookups; Fishing Bridge’s published full-hookup rate is $94 + taxes. Your exact site category, travel year, tax and booking charges determine the final total.

Can you sleep in a tent in Yellowstone?

Yes, on a tent-only or tent/vehicle combination site at designated campgrounds other than Fishing Bridge RV Park. Secure food, cooking gear, toiletries and other scented items when not in use. Keep them out of your tent.

How far ahead can you book Yellowstone camping?

NPS individual campsites normally book six months ahead on Recreation.gov. The Lodges operator says its five campgrounds move to Recreation.gov for summer 2027, with reservations opening about six months ahead. Its 13-month rule applied to 2026 camping.

Can you camp in Yellowstone without a reservation?

Mammoth normally offers first-come, first-served winter camping. NPS pages disagree on the early-April cutoff, so confirm it directly. Most campsites require advance reservations. A park entrance reservation does not reserve a campsite.

Can you sleep in your car, campervan or rooftop tent in Yellowstone?

Only at a suitable designated campsite. The Lodges operator requires vehicle sleepers, including rooftop tents, to book an appropriate vehicle site, not a tent-only site. Parking a car beside a ground tent does not make a tent-only site suitable for sleeping in that car. Pullouts and parking lots are not overnight campsites.

Do tent campers get showers in Yellowstone?

Canyon and Grant Village reservations include two showers per site per night. Bridge Bay and Madison reservations do not include showers; paid campground showers are $5.45 plus tax. Fishing Bridge also includes two, but does not allow tents. Check the operator’s shower hours and charges for your dates.

What should I bring for tent camping in Yellowstone?

Bring a tent with a rainfly, warm sleeping gear, an insulating pad, layers and a light. Plan for cold nights and the weather at your campground’s elevation. Secure food and scented items outside your tent in approved storage; a tent or pop-up is not bear-proof.

Can I bring a pop-up or tent-trailer?

Choose a vehicle site that accepts your equipment. Include the tow vehicle and fully opened trailer in the length, and bring the equipment you reserved. Fishing Bridge RV Park does not allow pop-ups, tents or tent-trailers. Elsewhere, the specific site’s dimensions and equipment rules still apply.

How much does backcountry camping cost?

NPS lists $5 per person per night plus a $10 reservation fee, charged year-round. The early-access lottery adds a separate $10 application fee. Overnight backcountry trips require a permit, separate from developed campground reservations.

Why do older guides list 12 Yellowstone campgrounds?

The NPS campground inventory lists 11. Norris is not included in that list. Use the official inventory and each campground’s booking page rather than relying on an older count.

How we built this page.

An independent guide using official data. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the National Park Service.

Official guidance
NPS and the relevant operators. The linked official pages support the access, facilities and rules described here. Confirm details before traveling.
Crowd context
2021–2025 monthly averages. NPS recreation visits describe normal seasonal demand, not trail congestion, parking availability or unique visitors.
Schedules and conditions
Planning patterns, not live status. Seasonal information describes the normal pattern or explicitly dated source schedule. Current conditions are handled separately. The official source is the place to confirm today’s access.
Topic sources and data details

Every campground figure (sites, seasons, fees, combined RV limits, dump stations, the six-month Recreation.gov rule, and the no-dispersed-camping rule) comes from the NPS Yellowstone campgrounds page; toilets and showers from the NPS API campground records and the operator's campground pages; campground coordinates from the NPS API.

The 13-month booking window and the 2027 move to Recreation.gov come from the operator's reservations page; the Lodges rules (check-in and check-out, the 44-night season cap, quiet hours, generators, site assignment, pass discounts, dump-station access, showers, and tent-only sites) from the operator's camping page and showers page; the NPS regulations (occupancy, checkout, stay limits, fires, food storage, generators), food lockers, group sites, and Madison's tent-only count from the NPS campground records in the NPS API; backcountry permits from the NPS backcountry page; forest campgrounds from the Custer Gallatin National Forest page.

The 75-foot road limit comes from the NPS directions page.

The refined map reuses reviewed USGS terrain and OpenStreetMap/OSRM road geometry. The combined calendar aligns the dated 2026 campground schedule with 1991–2020 NOAA Mammoth temperature normals and 2021–2025 NPS park-visit averages. Park visits are not campsite occupancy; Mammoth temperatures do not represent every elevation. The RV shortlist applies campground maximums, not site-specific dimensions or road clearance. Tent-only, vehicle and combination categories come from the Lodges operator. Group rates, shower charges and backcountry fees have distinct charging units. The API’s older standard rates are not used in place of the dated 2026 campground table; its hiker/biker fee is not presented as a confirmed current quote. The operator’s linked 2027 policy is a dated booking policy; confirm the provider before reserving.

Operational source check: September 13, 2026. Design and emphasized source review: 2026-10-20. A design review does not refresh every underlying record.

NPS Yellowstone campgroundsYellowstone National Park LodgesRecreation.govoperator's reservations pageoperator's camping pageshowers pageNPS directions pageNPS recreation visit statistics