Yellowstone
 

We are traveling by RV to Wyoming to see Yellowstone and I am having a very difficult time trying to decide which campground to stay in. Anyone have any suggestions as to whether it would be best to stay inside the park or outside. We are looking for a somewhat woodsy area with some privacy....possibly a big request. If anyone has any great ideas it would be greatly appreciated!

I haven't camped in Yellowstone, but definately "in park". Most National Parks campgrounds don't have hookups and many don't even have showers. But, I would always stay "in park" if I could. Be very bear aware, if you are tent camping.

I would definitely recommend staying in park. Doing so will give you much more time to explore and Yellowstone is huge! If you are going to be there for a week, then location would be a bit less of an issue.

You are always better off inpark.

Yellowstone is a very large park and it takes time to get anywhere.

Also, with wildlife out early morning and evening you may want to drive carefully.

Inpark.

When we took our RV to Yellowstone early last fall we opted for being in the Park over having space and privacy since we knew we'd be out most of the day and the RV would be used mostly just for sleeping. Also, we travel with pets, so wanted to at least have electricity which left us but one in-Park choice - Fishing Bridge. The sites are neither private nor wooded but, even so, it's possible to have a wildlife sighting. One afternoon a herd of buffalo came trotting through. And there were a couple of bears seen by people out walking their dogs near dawn or dusk. (Just one more reason why we travel with cats.) ;-)

Were we to do it again, and I know we will one day since we love YS, we'd probably opt to split our stay with some time at Fishing Bridge, and some at a commercial, out-of-Park CG in West Yellowstone. For things on the western and northwestern sides of the Park, the drive from West Yellowstone is quicker and it's pretty with good wildlife sightings possible. We felt Fishing Bridge was fine for sightseeing for the eastern and northeastern sides of the Park. Also, if the temperatures weren't an issue necessitating AC, we'd probably also spend some time dry camping at one or two of the CGs inside the Park which have no electric or water at the sites. Some of those are more shaded and private.

Will you be towing a vehicle to use for getting around once you're there? While it isn't impossible to visit/tour YS without one, it is more difficult/challenging.

To get input from lots of RVers who have been to YS numerous times, including some who work there during the summer, check out the forums on these RV specific websites: www.irv2.com www.rv.net www.rvforum.net Very friendly, helpful people who have taught us a lot in year-and-a-half of RV ownership.

Whatever you decide, enjoy Yellowstone. It's an amazing and beautiful place. If you have the time, check out the Tetons to the south.

Thank you for your thoughtful replies. We had a feeling that in park would be the best choice. We do have a generator so I suppose that we could stay in an area that is more wooded without hookups. Being around wildlife is very important to us as we would like to be where there will be plenty of opportunities. Lots of research goes into planning a trip like this and all the help we can get is greatly appreciated. We cant wait to see Yellowstone again we have only had the opportunity to spend one day there so it will be nice to have the time to explore a little more! Thanks again for all the replies!

Stay in Fishing Bridge. In Park is really so much better than out of park. Yellowstone is so big and the driving so slow that you will be spending FOREVER in your car if you stay out of park.

Will you be towing a vehicle? I can't imagine how difficult it would be to have to tour Yellowstone while in the RV. A tow car will make life much, much easier.

Also, in terms of generators, I know a couple years ago Fishing Bridge made you turn off all generators at a certain hour (9 or 10 at night) and not turn them on again until 7 or 8 in the morning. Just research that in case it is an issue for you.

Have a great trip.

You didn't mention when you're going. But pretty much anytime you want to be assured of a spot at Fishing Bridge you'll need a reservation. Being the only CG with hook-ups in the Park means less of a chance at getting a walk-in spot. If they say they're full, just keep calling. People cancel when their plans change. I don't recall if any of the spots with hook-ups in Fishing Bridge are held back for walk-ups but it will tell you on their website. Some (if not all) of the other campgrounds don't take reservations and are first come - first serve.

I'm pretty sure in all of the CGs generator use is restricted to specific hours. If you're willing to spend a couple of days with a community faucet and no electricity, then Madison is supposed to be a very nice campground. Some of the dry camping CGs are closer to the prime spots for seeing wildlife.

As for seeing animals - a great deal depends on the time of year and the time of day. If it's hot, then you'll need to be up and out by dawn or shortly after. Then back out for a few hours before sunset. The animals rest in the heat of the day and can be scarce - with the possible exception of the bison who seem to be visible somewhere most of the time. Even this past Fall, we saw far more critters very early and very late than we did mid-day.

Safe travels.

Floridafran, thank you for the info. We will be visiting the first week in August...I hadnt thought much about staying at the Madison campground but was considering Bay Bridge. Will have to look further into Madison.
I have read several reviews that have said the animals are most visible early morning and at sunset.
Thanks again!