Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
I took a long road trip through the Western US in a Sprinter van. While visiting the national park, I found a last-minute van camping spot in Yellowstone.
Now, I didn’t have a reservation. But I got a legit spot the day I arrived at the park, actually right before evening. Whew!
I’ll share how I found a legal spot, insider tips from the staff, and what to know about illegal camping.
The Roadtrip to Wyoming
Traveling through the West, I planned to hit Wyoming in a couple of days. I knew how hard it was to find camping in Yellowstone.
So, I looked online for available spots, but couldn’t find anything.
After all, people can book spots 13 months in advance. Well, I wasn’t one of those people.
I read about options outside of the park. So, I took a chance and thought I’d be lucky to grab one of them.
Camping Outside of Yellowstone
On the way to the park, there was camping at Bighorn National Forest. I was coming from the East on the I-16.
It was a first-come, first-serve spot at Lakeview Bighorn Campground, and got the last spot.
The next morning, it was on to Cody, Wyoming. From there, I was about 50 miles from Yellowstone’s East Entrance.
This area had many campgrounds, hotels, and restaurants. I saw a Walmart, but I’m unsure if they allow overnight parking.
So, I took note of this area, in case there was no camping in Yellowstone.
Things to Do to Find Camping in Yellowstone
As soon as I entered Yellowstone, I just wanted to explore. But I had to think about where I’d stay overnight.
It took a couple of hours to figure that out, so you don’t want to wait until the evening to start looking.
1. Check the vacancy sign.
Under the sunlit clear sky, I saw a big wooden sign listing the campgrounds and vacancies at the entrance.
Half the sites showed ‘full’ or ‘closed.’ This was not good news, but that didn’t surprise me.
Being early in the afternoon, I’m sure the sign would show fewer vacancies in the evening.
By the way, there was no cell phone service inside the park, but I saw public pay phones. I thought it’d be easier to talk to someone in person.
2. Talk to the staff.
Well, the staff at visitor centers and lodging would know how I could find something, right? They work there and could give tips.
One staff member said he’d help find openings at the campgrounds. But when he opened his laptop, he couldn’t access the Internet.
He warned of the spotty service. However, he mentioned that the campgrounds with showers are the most popular ones.
So, there’s a better chance of finding a spot if you venture away from the central areas.
Then he told me to visit one of the Yellowstone National Park Lodges. Someone could help me there.
He explained that they run some of the campgrounds, while the National Park Service runs the others.
After going to the hotel, the man at the front desk said he knew nothing about the camping situation in the park.
But he did call the campgrounds. Surprise, surprise—no openings.
So he said to go upstairs and use the computers and connect to the website. Well, I tried, and the pages wouldn’t even load.
3. Look at all options.
By this time, I had low hopes of finding camping. It was approaching evening, and I had no reservation.
Luckily, I was able to search using Starlink.
I looked for camping nearby and how to get camping in Yellowstone last minute. Nothing came up.
The resort was to stay in a hotel or cabin, but they charged over $500 a night! Whoa!
Although Yellowstone has amazing landscapes and views, the hotels hiked up the prices way too high.
Plus, the camper van had a bathroom, shower, and bed. It had all the amenities, so I didn’t want to give up on finding a campsite.
By this time, the sun had begun to sink in the sky. Time was running out.
I either had to find a place in the park or head to the exit soon.
4. Check online again.
I went to the Yellowstone National Park Lodges and the National Park Service websites again. To my surprise, one of them showed available campsites.
But when I clicked to book a site, it showed ‘unavailable.’ Ugh!
I kept clicking and refreshing. After many tries, I got through with Yellowstone National Park Lodges!
Then I finally booked a spot at Madison Campground. My info went through, and I got a confirmation number.
The instructions said to register at the campsite upon arrival. Whew!
I no longer had to worry about where to stay. So I did some exploring in the park before checking in. That’ll be another blog post.
Insider Tips on Finding a Camping Spot
While checking in, I spoke to a friendly lady working the booth. I told her how hard it was to book a site here last minute.
She agreed and said it used to be all first-come, first-serve. Back then, you could go camping in Yellowstone without a reservation.
Then, they got a new system that allows travelers to reserve a spot months in advance. And some people don’t even show up!
Well, that’s not fair! But she gave me some good insider tips.
1. Go to a campsite early in the morning.
You’ll want to get to the campsite when they open. Talk to the people working at the registration desk and ask if they have any openings.
The staff releases campsites in their system daily. Remember what I said about people not showing up for their reservation?
Well, those spots open up to other people. But they do this early.
While I checked in, people kept coming up to the booth asking about openings. And the staff kept turning them away.
2. Check the website in the late afternoon.
Staff will release more spots in the late afternoon. So if you check online like I did, something may open up.
I clicked and refreshedthe pages many times. Something finally opened up after going between the two websites with several tries.
These were probably more no-shows and cancellations. That’s how I got a booking the same day of arrival.
It’s worth a try to check the websites. In my case, either I got lucky, or persistence paid off.
Notes on Illegal Camping in Yellowstone
When it gets dark and you have nowhere to stay, you might think to pull over and catch some zzz’s. No one will notice, right?
Once you’re deep in the national park, it could take an hour or two to exit the park. You must go slow around the curvy roads and animal crossings.
But no overnight parking signs dot the park. I saw them all over the place.
According to the National Parks Service, “No car camping or overnight vehicle parking is allowed in pullouts, parking areas, picnic grounds, or any place other than a designated campground.”
A Problem with Squatters
The lady working the booth told me that they had a problem with squatters. People visit Yellowstone and wait for the campsites to close after 10 p.m.
They sneak in and park in the campgrounds without paying. Then, they leave very early in the morning.
Sneaky… sneaky…
Before you try that, know that they patrol the campsites. When I stayed at Madison Campground, rangers and staff drove through often.
Squatters Get Fined
I asked what happens to people squatting in Yellowstone. She said that people get caught all the time, and they report them to the ranger.
She would not say what happens to them once the ranger arrives. With all the warning signs in the park, I’m sure they don’t play.
After leaving Yellowstone, I called the park’s information center to find out.
The lady on the phone said, “We have people patrolling the area twenty-four-seven, and people will get fined. There is plenty of forestland outside Yellowstone where people can go camping.”
Yeah, way outside… if you can find it.
Read More
