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We took a long road trip through the Western US in our van. While visiting the national park, we were able to get a last-minute camping spot in Yellowstone.
Now, we didn’t have a reservation. But, we got a legit camping spot the day we arrived at the park, right before evening actually.
Now, we didn’t have a reservation. But, we got a legit camping spot the day we arrived at the park, actually right before the evening.
I’ll share our experience, what to know and expect, and insider tips we got from the staff. This might help you if you’re in a similar situation.
Finding Last-Minute Camping in Yellowstone
We were traveling through Yellowstone National Park during the peak summer season. You can imagine how busy it was.
That meant there was limited camping and lodging everywhere. Also, I’ll mention that we did legal camping, as we weren’t trying to get slapped with a ticket.
Traveling to Wyoming
As we traveled through the West, we knew we’d hit Wyoming in a couple days. We were winging it and stopping when we didn’t want to drive anymore.
But we had heard how hard it was to find camping in Yellowstone. So, we looked online for available spots, but couldn’t find anything.
After all, people can book spots 13 months in advance. Well, we weren’t one of those people.
We read about options outside of the park. So, we took a chance and thought we’d be lucky to grab one of those.
Camping Outside of Yellowstone
On our way to the park, we got lucky and found camping in Bighorn National Forest. We were coming from the East on the I-16.
It was a first-come, first-serve spot at Lakeview Campground. And we grabbed the last spot.
The next morning, we drove through Cody, Wyoming. Now we were about 50 miles from Yellowstone’s East Entrance.
This area had many campgrounds, hotels, and restaurants. We even passed a Walmart, but I’m unsure if they allow overnight parking.
So, we took note of this area, in case we couldn’t find camping in Yellowstone.
Things We Did to Find Camping
As soon as we entered Yellowstone, we just wanted to explore. But we had to think about where we’d stay overnight.
It took us a couple hours to figure out where we’d stay for the night. So, you don’t want to wait until the evening to start looking.
1. Check the vacancy sign.
Under the sunlit clear sky, we 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 us.
We arrived in the early afternoon. I’m sure the sign would show fewer vacancies in the evening.
We soon discovered we had no cell phone service inside the park, but we 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 we could find something, right? They work there and could give us tips.
One staff member said he’d help us find openings at the campgrounds. But when he opened his laptop, he couldn’t access the Internet.
He warned us about the spotty service. However, he mentioned that the campgrounds with showers are the most popular ones.
So, if we ventured away from the central areas, we’d have a better chance of finding a spot.
Then he told us to visit one of the Yellowstone National Park Lodges. Someone could help us there.
He explained that they run some of the campgrounds, while the National Park Service runs the others.
When we went to the hotel, the man at the desk seemed confused. He knew nothing about the camping situation in the park.
But he did call the campgrounds for us. Surprise, surprise—no openings.
So he told us to go upstairs and use the computers to connect to the website. We did that, and the pages wouldn’t even load.
3. Look at our options.
By this time, we had low hopes of finding camping. It was approaching the evening, and we had no reservation.
Luckily, we had Starlink, and set it up in the parking lot. Then we started searching online.
I looked for camping nearby and how to get camping in Yellowstone last minute. Nothing came up.
We agreed that our last resort was to stay in a hotel or cabin, but they chargedover $500 a night! Whoa!
Although Yellowstone has amazing landscapes and views, the hotels hiked up the prices way too high.
Plus, our camper van had a bathroom, shower, and bed. We had all the amenities and didn’t want to give up on finding a campsite.
By this time, the sun had begun to sink in the sky. We had to figure out what we’d do.
We 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 we got a confirmation number.
The instructions told us to register at the campsite upon arrival. Whew!
We no longer had to worry about where we’d stay. So we did some exploring in the park before checking in. That’ll be another blog post.
Tips on Finding a Last-Minute Camping Spot in Yellowstone
When we checked in, a friendly lady working the booth greeted us. 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 spotmonths in advance. And some people don’t even show up!
Well, that’s not fair! But, she gave us some good insider tips when trying to find camping in the park last minute.
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.
When we 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 we 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 we got a booking the same day we arrived.
It’s worth a try to check the websites. In our case, either we got lucky, or our 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. We 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
When we checked into the campground, the lady told us 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 we 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.
Final Thoughts
If you plan on camping in Yellowstone without a reservation, it’s possible to get one last-minute. As tiring as it was, we did it.
Next time we’ll try our best to plan way ahead of time. Hopefully my experience can help you out so you can stay in the park too!
More About Travel
I have more related travel adventures on my blog. You might want to check them out.
- Now, you’ll want to know all about our stay at Madison Campground in case you go there too.
- By the way, if you’re thinking about traveling in a van, check out how we found the right van to convert.
- Check out Death Valley, the hottest national park in California.
- Would you like to see stunning red rock structures and canyons? Then Zion National Park is a must!
I’d love to hear about your travel adventures!
Originally published: July 28, 2024
