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wolverine · 04-04-2009, 09:57 PM

We are planning a visit to Yellowstone National Park this summer and wanted some feedback on alternative camping areas for our 31 Classic. We noticed that Fishing Bridge RV Park has full hookups and is the only one without a 30 foot limit. Would appreciate hearing comments and recommendations from anyone who has stayed there. Would also like any suggestions on alternative camping areas that would accomodate our AS.

**moosetags** · 04-04-2009, 10:18 PM

We camped at Fishing Bridge in 2007. We stayed 2 nights. We didn't care for it at all. It was super tight; we could barely get the awning out. There were a lot of restrictions on cooking outside. You could not leave the grill alone. You just about had to bring the hot grill into the trailer when you are done.

We moved to the KOA outside of West Yellowstone, Montana. We enjoyed it much more. There are also several other really nice campgrounds in West Yellowstone.

Brian

CaddyGrn · 04-04-2009, 10:19 PM

Hello,

We stayed at Yellowstone and camped a couple of years ago or so. We had our teardrop on that trip.... we stayed at one of the campgrounds and there were great big moho's there! The camping spots are basically a parking lot with a bit of grass... not really interesting. But then, we didn't spend much time at the campsite! We got a spot the day we came in ~ in the middle of summer! Go figure. I called the reservation number on my cell when we were about 2 hours out. It was great.

I highly recommend going over to the older lodge at Yellowstone lake. They had a wonderful string quartet that played in the lounge in the evenings. Very lovely. There is often music at old Faithful Inn as well.

I would make reservations now, however. You can always cancel. If you stay outside the park you have a long drive in each day rather than seeing all the sites.

What route are you taking? The entrance at the north by the Roosevelt entrance is cool, but I don't remember the camping up there. I do know when we drove in we came from the east and they were doing major road repair. The road was really winding along the river and difficult for big rigs at the time. Hopefully someone who has been in and out of Yellowstone more recently can chime in here!

Have fun! Yellowstone is one of our favorite places!

Pacerized · 04-04-2009, 10:21 PM

If you have to have hook ups Fishing bridge is your only option inside the park, but in my opinion is just a parking lot inside Yellowstone.
I've also stayed at Flagg Ranch which is comparable to Fishing Bridge. The nicest place I know of with hook ups is in Grand Teton at Colter Bay. The campground is about 30 minutes from Yellowstone as I recall.
We've stayed in several of the campgrounds and my recommendation to anyone is to try to do without hookups and stay at Grant Village. I don't know what there size limit is but I've seen several trailers over 30' in the campground. All the sites are wooded with mature trees, and if you get on the last loop you can also get a site on the lake. There's a visitors center, store, gas station, laundry and showers all within the area. With showers on site you can easily last a week on your water supply. Just conserve your battery power and take in Yellowstone.

Charlie

happycamper2 · 04-04-2009, 10:46 PM

We stayed at Fishing Bridge for about 9 days in early June 2008. The sites are tighter than we like but we weren't in the campground very much. It served our purpose well, and was a convenient drive to all of the attractions within the park. The picture listed in my profile was taken at Fishing Bridge on June 6th or 7th....after a snow. My Avatar picture is also at Fishing Bridge a day or two earlier. If we had the trip to do over, I think we'd invest in a generator and stay within the park.....but at one of the other campgrounds such as Norris or Madison. The sites were much nicer there.

Boondocker · 04-04-2009, 11:15 PM

Fishing Bridge is like camping at a Walmart without being able to buy things you need. I have been to Jellystone bunches of times; my advice- get a campsite at the non-vendor campgrounds. My entirely unscientific observation is that the best day to arrive is a Thursday- the going home crowds are pulling out, and the comming in crowd isnt pulling in.

flyfisher · 04-05-2009, 04:26 AM

My wife and I have been going to Yellowstone for over 30 years now, and
for the past 9 years have spent the entire summer and early fall closeby there.
We have stayed at most of the campgronds already mentioned here by others, plus have stayed at many other campgrounds in the Yellowstone area.

There are many camping options for you inside as well as outside Yellowstone, as others have already pointed out. You have many choices, depending on your priorities - convenience to the park, travel time (it can often take 4 hours driving time or longer to go from one side of the park to the other), campground costs, campground facilities, scenery, etc.

If you want to be sure to get the campground you select, make a reservation now. Normally, most of the better campgrounds are often completely full in the peak season. (I do not know how the economy will effect this now, however.)

Fishing Bridge campground is the most convenient place to stay inside the Park if you require full hookups, and if you want to minimize your total travel time to see things all around the park - north, east, south and west.

If you don't require full hookups, then Grants Village is the second best option for a campground, in my opinion, for convenience, scenery, etc.

If you want the best private RV park just outside Yellowstone, that is Grizzly RV Park in West Yellowstone. West Yellowstone also offers the best driving road access into the park along the Madison River.

There are a many National Forest campgrounds just outside Yellowstone, if you arrive from any direction, most of which will handle your trailer. As far as I recall, they are first come first serve, won't cost nearly as much as the private campgrounds do, or the campgrounds inside Yellowstone do, and most have pit toilets and well water (pumped).

My wife and I now stay all summer at Yellowstone's Edge RV Park which is located right on the Yellowstone River about 35 miles north of the park. We make periodic drives into the park from there, and there a many people who stay there that go into the park from there almost every day, but it is obviously not the most convenient campground to the park. For us, though, it is one of the best campgounds in that part of the world.

John

Wayne&Sam · 04-05-2009, 05:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flyfisher

My wife and I now stay all summer at Yellowstone's Edge RV Park which is located right on the Yellowstone River about 35 miles north of the park. We make periodic drives into the park from there, and there a many people who stay there that go into the park from there almost every day, but it is obviously not the most convenient campground to the park. For us, though, it is one of the best campgounds in that part of the world.

John

We also like Yellowstone's Edge and have been there several times. With a 20' we have some better options in the park but always spend a few days at YE as well.

wolverine · 04-05-2009, 07:26 AM

We want to thank all of you who have provided feedback on places to stay in Yellowstone. While hookups are not a high priority, we did want to benefit from the experiences of Air Forum members and were particularly concerned about places we could reasonable navigate our 31' AS. It sounds like if we want to stay on the outside and drivein daily the west or northern sides would be best for us. Thanks again for all of your thoughtful responses to our question. You'all are the greatest.

Nancy and Gary

63air · 04-05-2009, 04:05 PM

We stayed at the West Yellowstone KOA and loved it, especially the indoor pool and hot tub after a day of hiking. Also West Yellowstone was kind of a neat place.We just drove into the park every day.

gaylejoe · 04-08-2009, 07:24 PM

We have visited Yellowstone for the past 2 years and I have seen 34' Airstreams in Fishing Bridge. Last year we stayed 2 nights at Fishing Bridge before moving to Bay Bridge for 4 additional nights. When we go back next year we're going to Bay Bridge. It is more open not as tight as Fishing Bridge. With the senior discount you can't beat the price.

We prefer to stay inside the park for the conviencence. As someone stated earlier, its nothing to drive 200+ miles a day inside the park.

Since you are inside bear country there are restrictions on outside cooking. The first time we stayed at Fishing Bride our cat had several restless nights. We knew that she smelled something roaming around on the outside.

In my opinion, there is nothing else like Yellowstone.

Boondocker · 04-08-2009, 08:02 PM

I'm a fan of the non-vendor sites within the park. The vendor run sites are all packed in tight, while the park service run sites are more open- think national forest type accommodations- forget using your genset though. Slough Creek, while out in the east corner was neat. My favorite is Indian Creek.

dmac · 04-08-2009, 08:08 PM

We have enjoyed Bridge Bay, and Coulter Bay in Grand Teton. Neither have hookups... but the scenery is very nice with trails and lakes. Also the park has convenience stores and gift shops nearby.

But I am biased against RV parks... I refuse to drive hundreds of miles to spend my vacation in the equivalent of an ugly mobile home park.

Whirlaway · 04-08-2009, 10:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gen Disarray

I'm a fan of the non-vendor sites within the park. The vendor run sites are all packed in tight, while the park service run sites are more open- think national forest type accommodations- forget using your genset though. Slough Creek, while out in the east corner was neat. My favorite is Indian Creek.

I am wondering why you say no generators???

Boondocker · 04-09-2009, 07:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Whirlaway

I am wondering why you say no generators???

I say no generators at the park service operated campgrounds within Yellowstone because that is what the park service says

Yellowstone National Park - Campgrounds in Yellowstone (U.S. National Park Service)

Generators may only be used at the vendor operated campgrounds within the park.

Relentless · 04-09-2009, 11:00 AM

If you want to go first class with no concerns about enough space for your 31', then go to Grizzely in West Yellowstone. Could separation between sites, full service, right at the entrance to the park.

SilverAvion · 04-09-2009, 01:55 PM

i stayed at Yellowstone Grizzly RV Park and Cabins last spring (in a snow storm.) clean sites, plenty of room, and full hookups. its just south of downtown west yellowstone.

Whirlaway · 04-10-2009, 07:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gen Disarray

I say no generators at the park service operated campgrounds within Yellowstone because that is what the park service says

Yellowstone National Park - Campgrounds in Yellowstone (U.S. National Park Service)

Generators may only be used at the vendor operated campgrounds within the park.

Thanks I did not know that back east here we can use them at Arcadi in
Maine.

2Alaska · 04-16-2009, 05:47 AM

I'm also taking a trip out to Mt Rushmore, The Tetons, Yellowstone, and Glacier this Summer. This thread had been full of great information so far. Thanks! Keep it coming! (I'm still pretty new at this and this will be my longest trip so far)

I was under the impression that you had to be under 40 ft (tv and rv combined) to stay in the park. From some of your post though it would seem like maybe that only applies to the parks with hook-ups ???? I'd love to be in the parks but I was thinking we'd have to stay outside the park because of the length. My argosy is a 24 and my suburban is about 18 feet. So I am over the 40ft allowed at most campgrounds I had checked into in the parks. Most of your trailers seem to be about the size of mine or longer so I am thrilled that we may be able to be in the park.
I'm going to look into some of the places mentioned and try to find out more information but this has been most helpful. I was really bummed thinking we couldn't be in the parks.
I was going to take a tent so that we could be in the park but we decided we'd rather bring the dogs and stay outside the park if we had to. This would be great if it all works out.

Thanks a lot,
~2Alaska

Lily&Me · 04-16-2009, 06:56 AM

2Alaska et al----hate to be terribly redundant, but can't assume everyone reads all threads (we don't)

, so we wanted to point out again (as in posts elsewhere) the outstanding wildlife adventures that the Teton Science School offers in the Tetons and Yellowstone. We were out there last year for the first time, such a beautiful area and one we can't wait to return to. Have a great trip!