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Madison Campground is a rustic van camping escape in Yellowstone National Park. I ended up staying here, and it came as a surprise to find a last-minute spot in the park.
Despite all the hassle, it was a relaxing time in the heart of the wilderness. Stay here, and you’ll be surrounded by trees, mountains, and scenic views.
So come along, and I’ll share what to know when going, information on getting there, what to expect, and tips.
Getting to Madison Campground
From Cody, I traveled on US-14/16/20 towards Fishing Bridge. Once in the park, you can loop around to Madison Junction over to Madison Campground.
It’s about 70 miles, but with the speed limit, it will take a couple hours.
Note that I entered on the east side of the park. Madison Campground is 14 miles from the west entrance and 16 miles north of Old Faithful.
Camping at Madison Campground
The campground is open late spring through fall. It’s closed October 19 through May 2, and on major holidays. The registration booth closes at 10 p.m.
Madison is the largest campground in Yellowstone and near the Madison River. Here, you’ll camp at an elevation of 6,800 feet.
The fee was around $30 to stay a night, and I made reservations through Yellowstone National Park Lodges. I discuss more about this in my other post.
Checking In
After arriving at the campground, it was well into the evening. The sun was dropping beyond the trees, but there was still lots of light.
Signs warn to be bear aware and to register at the office upon arrival.
You can pull into the little parking area by the registration office. It’s next to a big bulletin board and looks like a portable.
I talked to a staff member about how difficult it was to find last-minute camping and got a map. She emphasized that bears frequent the area and reviewed the rules.
Note that there were many people without reservations asking for a vacancy. Sadly, the staff had to turn them all away.
Campground Vibes
Madison Campground was filled to capacity this evening. So the sign the “campground full” sign posted at the entrance was legit.
The hillside view of Yellowstone was amazing. Tall skinny trees lined the area, and the smell of pine filled the air.
The campsite was big enough for the extra-long van. They also had a max-length site, but there was more than enough room in the standard site.
It was so nice to relax after the long day on the road. I was exhausted!
Many tent campers hung out and talked in the area. So, there was a high level of noise.
The campground seems very family-friendly, as many kids were running around. With all the campfires and people playing games, there was a lot of excitement.
So if there were any bears in the area, all the commotion may have scared them away. I didn’t see any animals except for birds and squirrels.
The mosquitoes weren’t attacking, but my allergies got pretty bad. The smoke from the campfires didn’t help, so I tried to stay inside the van.
Campground Amenities
If you’re van camping or RV-ing at Madison Campground, there are no hookups for electricity or water. That was fine because the van had solar and a water tank.
You can get water at the spigots or at the fill-up station near the entrance. You can also dump your sewage, trash, and recycling over there.
There are no showers at this campground, but there was one in the van. You can pay to use showers at the other campgrounds.
They did have bathrooms with a couple of stalls. I had to stand in line at times.
It was dirty from the tent campers who were trying to bathe in the sinks. So there was hair and mud all over. Then they were using the hand dryers to dry off.
Next to the bathroom, they had a large sink to wash dishes. Only do your dishwashing here, because you don’t want to attract bears with the gray water.
The camping spot had a fire ring, picnic table, and food storage box. You’ll want to make sure that anything with an odor is locked up, including any kind of food, water, cooking utensils, trash, medications, etc.
By the way, I didn’t have a cell phone signal in the park. They had telephones by the registration office, but the van had Starlink.
Overnight Stay
Although there was a lot of action from the campers, it died down at night. So, it got quiet once darkness and quiet hours rolled in.
For dinner, I ate snacks in the van. They only have an ice and vending machine at the campground, so you’ll want to make sure you have what you need for the night.
Smoke from the campfires lingered through the night. My allergies were really bad by this time, and I had to wear a mask.
I wish I had brought some stronger allergy medicines. Yeah, I’ll remember how bad the pollen was in Yellowstone.
Staff and Rangers drove by many times, checking for camping permits. Make sure you display your site card on your vehicle before turning in.
The staff at the check-in did say that they had a problem with squatters, so keep that in mind.
Luckily, I was able to sleep well, and it got cold at night. So I recommend you have some thick blankets.
Checking Out
When the sun came up, it started warming up at the campground. I stepped out of the van and saw no paw prints or signs of furry visitors during the night.
Check-out time was at 11 a.m., and I dropped off the site card in the box. Don’t forget to do this!
The staff said this was very important, as this is how they know you’ve checked out. Otherwise, they’ll charge a late fee.
And on the way out, you can fill up your water tank and dump your trash.
Notes
Now, to stay in Yellowstone, you’ll need a reservation. I got one last minute, but you might not want to do that. With their system, travelers can book a spot months in advance, and it was difficult to find anything.
The closest showers are located at Canyon Campground. So if you need a shower, you can go over there and pay to use theirs.
The campfire rules were typical of most other national park campgrounds. Be sure to use the fire ring.
Some tent campers told me they were hiking all day, so there’s plenty to explore in the area.
You’ll want to arrive at the campground when there’s light, as it’s very dark at night. Be sure to put your campsite card on your vehicle.
Van camping at Madison Campground was a pleasant experience. Although the bathrooms were messy, the campground itself was nice and clean.
Plus, it didn’t cost an arm and a leg, and it felt safe. I’d return to go camping here again, but would like to experience the other places in the park too.
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