$10 / night

Camper submitted image from Canyon Campground - 1

Camper submitted image from Canyon Campground - 2

Nature

Camper submitted image from Canyon Campground - 3

Roads

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People

Camper submitted image from Canyon Campground - 5

Facilities

Established Camping

Canyon Campground

13 Reviews

About

National Forest

A campground along the Yellowstone River on the Gardiner District.

Camp sites: 17

Accessible Facilities: Fire Grates Tables Toilet Trash Pickup: No Firewood: No No Reservations: This campground does not use a reservation system, it is managed on a first-come, first-served basis. Be aware the campground may fill up on weekends & holidays during the summer months and you should arrive in the early afternoon to ensure there is a space available for the night. Information: Gardiner Office P.O. Box 5; 805 Scott St. Gardiner, MT 59030 (406) 848-7375

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Location

Canyon Campground is located in Montana

Directions

Located 16 mi N of Gardiner on US 89.

Coordinates

45.1827389 N
110.88816497 W

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Access

Drive-In
Park next to your site

Stay Connected

WiFi
Poor
Verizon
Available
AT&T
Unknown
T-Mobile
Unknown

Site Types

Tent Sites
RV Sites
Standard (Tent/RV)

Features

For Campers

Trash
Picnic Table
Phone Service
Toilets
Alcohol
Pets
Fires

For Vehicles

Pull-Through Sites
Big Rig Friendly

$10

/ night

For information regarding reservations, contact this campground directly.

First Come - First Served

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Contact

General Info

Beck S.

Scout

Reviewed Jun. 14, 2024

Great Spot

Camped in June. Great location in a very pretty valley. Lots of noise from the freeway but negligible if it’s a hard side camper or RV. Spots are good for RV’s. We showed up about 4pm and there were campsites available but by the evening it was full. Excellent launch spot for Yellowstone.

Month of VisitJuly

Lilly E.

Guide

Reviewed Jun. 10, 2024

Great Way to Explore Yellowstone

The proximity to Yellowstone, the price, and the charm of this place made me love it, but I think there are a few things that would annoy people.

Pros Really close to Yellowstone Really cheap ($10 normal, $5 with America the Beautiful pass) Beautiful tucked away campsites in large boulders Adorable bunnies living in the sites Great shade in some spots Gorgeous valley very nearby Great place for bouldering Very few bugs

Cons Very near the highway Some pretty open spots Gross toilets Landslide risk (gave me bad anxiety the whole time) Only 2 bear boxes on campground No water

I think it's a fantastic place to stay for exploring Yellowstone but not private enough to feel really outdoors. Site #9 is GORGEOUS, I would highly recommend it. :)

Site9

Month of VisitJuly

(6) View All

Becky M.

Guide

Reviewed Oct. 19, 2023

Great location + showers!

This campground is run by Xanterra, the concessionaire in the park. That means it’s a bit pricier but it was kept clean and the showers and laundry nearby are really nice if you’ve been camping for a while. The tent sites are nicely wooded with trees for hammocks. Not a ton of privacy but that’s how NPS sites go. The location was convenient for getting around to the different parts of the park and the nearby grocery/camp store is the best stocked in the park.

Month of VisitOctober

Brianna W.

Guide

Reviewed Aug. 9, 2023

Very open

Right off the road and very open. Ended up not staying for that reason.

Month of VisitAugust

Ross B.

Traveler

Reviewed Mar. 6, 2023

Great Winter Camp!

I own a 17' pull-behind and don't live that far away, so this is a very easy overnight camp when I just want to get away.

Be aware that the entire campground is less than 100 yards from Highway 89, so there will be a little drive-by noise, but it's not intrusive or bothersome.

If you are unfamiliar, pull in and up around the middle turnaround and go walk the place, see where you like first, especially if you have a camper.

The place is littered with giant boulders, and if you think about it, those landed there from up above a long time ago, so the place is a little spooky but in a very good way.

If it's winter, and you're in a sedan, don't pull far off on either side, or you'll be like the couple I saw trying to drift-bust their way out.

The site is first-come first-serve, no reservations, so plan ahead, if you're going to the park, pick your site first and put up your tent etc. and then go enjoy the park, and you'll have your spot.

Sells(??) out REALLY fast in the spring/summer.

Month of VisitMarch

(5) View All

Cody L.

Ranger

Reviewed Sep. 12, 2021

Must grab!

Must grab spot just north of the North entrance to yellow stone. If your a hot spring lover this is the place 🤘🏻 must see Chico!

Month of VisitNovember

Emily M.

Guide

Reviewed Apr. 20, 2021

Small and Cute

First come, first serve for $7. Not many amenities but there are bear boxes. Camp sites are small and cute. Between a road and the side of a bluff though so you do hear the cars but not too bad.

Month of VisitSeptember

Elizabeth G.

Legend

Reviewed Dec. 9, 2020

Small Campground North Of Yellowstone

This campground is a small campground about 20 minutes away from the north entrance of Yellowstone National Park. It consists of 2 small loops on a “first come, first served” basis. Cost is $7 a night to camp. There are bathrooms (no showers) and bear boxes at each campsite. Camp sites are pretty small but there’s a fire pit and picnic table at each one. This campground is close to the road so you do hear the road noise. But for $7/night to camp when all campgrounds in the national park are full, it really isn’t that bad! I can’t remember what campsite we stayed in but it wasn’t a bad campground at all. Cell service is there with Verizon and payment is taken via envelope. There’s no camp host on site and no place to purchase firewood either.

(4) View All

Jesse B.

Traveler

Reviewed Aug. 14, 2020

Okay Experience, Albeit a Little Bumpy

$7. Ground is uneven. Bathroom far from most sites. A little claustrophobic, but has good view of mountains. Bring your own toilet paper. Close to the road. There’s not much to boast about here, but you’re paying $7 to camp 20 minutes outside the North Entrance of Yellowstone, so you get what you pay for, eh?

Nick T.

Guide

Reviewed Jul. 13, 2020

Beautiful easy accessed area

Stopped here for two nights while exploring Yellowstone. It’s about 15 minutes from Roosevelt Arch. Easy drive to Gardner if you happen to forget anything. A little close to the road, and no garbage is the only reason I didn’t 5 star it. Highly recommended if you’re visiting Yellowstone.

Dexter I.

Legend

Reviewed Oct. 19, 2019

Good jumping of point for Yellowstone plus lots of rocks for kids to climb

Canyon campground located in a canyon just across the highway from the Yellowstone River is a pleasant campground with plenty of boulders for kids and adults to climb. The boulders are what really make this campground interesting, many of the campsites are tucked in between these large boulders. Canyon is a good jumping off point for the north end of Yellowstone National Park, located 16 miles from the north entrance town of Gardiner. This is a cheep campground at only$7 per night,$3 more for a 2nd vehicle, but you trade a low cost campground for lack of water. You will need to bring your own water for your stay so come prepared, this is also a trash-in trash-out campground. Bear food storage rules are in affect so leave the food in your car or use the bear lockers. Campground has vault toilets and each site has a picnic table and metal fire ring. The one negative about this campground is the proximity to the highway, lots of road noise during the day, a little quieter during the night but for some reason a lot of drivers seen to hit the rumble strip as they drive by making things a little loud at night. Our Scouts used this campground as a jumping off point for a multi day backpacking trip, close to the park so we could get to the back country office early to get a permit before sites filled up.

Site2

Month of VisitSeptember

(11) View All

Evan H.

Ranger

Reviewed Aug. 20, 2017

Life saver

This place is right outside the northern entrance to Yellowstone. While Yellowstone campgrounds seem to fill up almost instantly, this place somehow has had plenty of spots each time I have needed one late at night. Each site has a fire pit and most have a table. There are also restrooms and water sources. On the downside the highway is about 100 yards or less from some of the campsites. Due to the proximity to the highway there is definitely a fair bit of noise from the cars driving by. If you are a heavy sleeper this will be no problem. On the plus side, there are some nice photography locations along the canyon as well as some national forest hiking trails that are just outside the park. Overall, this campground has been extremely useful and saved me a few times now.

Month of VisitSeptember

(5) View All

Ellen F.

Guide

Reviewed Sep. 16, 2016

Small Campground Near Yellowstone NP

Just north of Yellowstone's north entrance is the Canyon Campground in the Gallatin National Forest. A primitive USFS that offers wooded sites that are relatively quiet compared to within the park, with the only drawback being that it is located close to the highway.