Searching for a tent camping spot near West Yellowstone? Find the best information on tent camping near West Yellowstone, including sites, reviews, and tips for getting the most out of your camping experience. Search nearby tent campsites or find top-rated spots from other campers.
A campground by Hebgen Lake on the Hebgen Lake District.
Camp sites: 7 sites
Accessible Facilities: None 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 and holidays during the summer months and you should arrive in the early afternoon to ensure there is a space available for the night. Information: Hebgen Lake Office P.O. Box 520 West Yellowstone, MT 59758 (406) 823-6961
Hikers and non-motorized boats are allowed access to Shoshone Lake. Permits for those traveling by boat are only available at the South Entrance, Grant Village, or the Bridge Bay backcountry offices. Advanced reservations for all Shoshone Lake campsites cannot be made before June 15. Sites 8Q6, 8Q7, 8T3, and 8T5 may not be reserved before July 15.
Note that there are NO WOOD FIRES in this region. Campers must use either propane or white gas stoves.
Because this area is so popular, and to help maintain sanitation, primitive toilets have been installed at all of the backcountry campsites around Shoshone Lake.
$3 - $15 / night
Dispersed camping is very limited on the Hebgen Lake Ranger District. Most camping is restricted to fee campgrounds and designated dispersed sites. Dispersed sites are located along the West Shore of Hebgen Lake, Beaver Creek Road, and Taylor Fork Road. They are posted with signs and are a good option for tents, vans, and trucks with camper shells. Due to rough roads, low hanging branches, and lack of turn arounds, we do not recommend these sites for large trailers and RV’s. Camping in a DAY USE AREA is illegal. This includes a large area around West Yellowstone, Hebgen Lake, and the 191 Highway corridor. Stop by the Hebgen Lake Ranger Station for more information.
Traveler
Small quite park sites with electric, non electric, tent sites. Good first come first serve but also take reservations. Half an hour from west Yellowstone gate off hwy 20.
Legend
This review is specific to tent camping which I don’t think is the focus of KOA locations.
For the good, the facilities we super clean and there were personal shower/bathroom rooms for use. The shower was great after a week of car camping.
The camp store had the basic and was convenient.
The location was very close to West Yellowstone and the west part of the park.
However, the tent camping left something to be desired. Our loop was around the back of the campground, with the basics of a fire ring and picnic table, it there was no tent pad and the ground was generally pretty sloped.
The tent sites overall were sort of fit into extra spaces and had little privacy.
Ranger
Not too far from West Yellowstone entrance. A nice 4 loop campground next to a lake. Very well kept. We seen 2 beautiful deer come through our campsite.
Guide
This campground is just minutes away from West Yellowstone and the west entrance to Yellowstone National Park. the camp was clean and well maintained. A great recommendation if your visiting Yellowstone National Park.
Ranger
Gallatin National Forrest Campground on Hebgan Lake, South Fork Arm. Also has a boat launch to Lake. Smaller Forrest Service campground with electric at sites, no water at sites, but does have a few water faucets throughout campground. Sites are nice spaced around lake and trees, so some shade to full sun sites. A little space between most sites, picnic tables and fire rings. Approximately 8 miles from west Yellowstone entrance.
Guide
We stayed a week here, beautiful views and quiet. Our site was close to level and paved, 50amp,no sewer,shared water. Had some storms and high winds. Trash pick up daily at your site. There is a boat ramp and docks. Bath house looked good we did not use the showers. There is no dump station here. The park is about 15 miles from West Yellowstone. We enjoyed our stay.
Guide
LOUD campground with no help to quiet folks down. This is a largely tent campground and drunks until 2am can really mess up a trip. The tent site we had was right out in the hot sun with no shade or privacy. Ask for the wooded areas! It was a wonderful location with lots of wildlife and very clean! A bull elk tried to eat our clothes which was funny. A Bison stayed behind our tent the entire time too. The showers are not too far and very clean.
TravelerThere is great boon docking outside of the organized campground area. Follow your GPS to 44°35'52"N x 111°25'18"W. At ~6,500 feet, the views of Lake Henry are amazing. There are 15-20 spots suitable for RV's (of any length) plus campsites. It's a great location, only about 20-30 minutes from West Yellowstone and the entrance to the national park. We could have stayed here for days!
5-bar coverage on Verizon.
Legend
Camping on the banks on the banks of the Warm River, which actually is quite cold, can’t get much better than this! There are several options here- tent camping in a tent only walk in area along the river banks and under some pretty good hammocking trees (best sites are #12, 13, 16, and 8 because they have some space from neighbors and are right on the river); RV sites with what looks like at least electric hook ups (best sites for river views and/or privacy are #2, 4, 6, 19); from what neighbors say is pretty good fishing; and an awesome alternative to camping at Mesa Falls if that campground is full. Walk down the road and cross the river to check out a protected area of the river where the fish are HUGE and you can stand with your toes in the river while you feed them bits of bread. The sites all have the usual picnic tables and firepits, with nice level tent pads, clean vault toilets, and firewood for sale from the campground host. The only two downsides are no showers and the campground is wedged between the road and the river, so there is quite a bit of road noise in the day which fortunately dies down once dark sets in. At that point the river covers the road noise (also helpful in the morning). The campground is close to a lot of hiking trails, but there are no trailheads in the campground (so I guess that makes three bummers). All in all, a cool place to camp.
GuideVisited here June of 2019. It was first time in Yellowstone, so we didn’t know what to expect. This campsite has mixed RV and tent camping. The only downside is that campsites are very close together and some of the tent camp sites do flood (1”-4” of water) during rain as we saw during our visit. So if you are tent camping, check out your site carefully. Camp office staff was very friendly. The camp office sells firewood. There is a RV dump station at the marina across the street. The marina also sells fishing licenses and does kayak inspections (you have to have a sticker to use kayaks in Yellowstone waters). Big bison roam the campground as do an occasional bear, so use of the provided bear boxes and keeping your camp clean is highly recommended. Nice campground. Very crowded during summer.
Guide
The first clue of how large this campground is, is during check in. A whole row of agent's are checking campers in. Once you enter your loop however things become quiet. I stayed in a tent camping loop, where almost all campers were sleeping in their vehicles like me. The problem is, tent sites have on-loop parking, there is no driveway, so it was literally a string of parallel parked rigs on both sides of the road, and the road was sloped. Each site had a private bear locker for personal storage. Bathrooms have nice, enclosed large kitchen sink for meal clean up to prevent bear attracting smells at your site. This is a high altitude camp and was very cold (high 20s) at night. Great base for explaining Canyon country and Hayden Valley. Nearby lodge, shopping and groceries.
Traveler
They advertise that their wifi is about to get an upgrade to fiber, but without that upgrade, the wifi is worthless. Less than 1 mbps on average. Not really reliable. The Verizon connection was really good, and could Hotspot for 120 mbps often. T-Mobile was okay, but not great. 1-3 bars, but almost always 2 bars.
Site was good. Bathroom remodeling went great, and is amazing facility now. There's a little dinner and live theater place across the road that seemed sold out days in advance. 20 miles from West Yellowstone. Haven't had a bear sighting in the camp in over 2 years.
Legend
I stayed for 2 nights and upon arriving on a Tuesday evening, there were 2-3 spots left. There’s no official spots since it’s dispersed but several pull outs along the dirt road. There are 2 clean vault toilets that were stocked. Free to stay but no amenities other than toilet. Cows are free roaming around here so you will hear them all times of the day. Bugs were bad on some days but if you have any time of wind or fan, it wasn’t an issue. Had 3-4 bars LTE via AT&T. Only 30 minutes from west Yellowstone. Definitely would stay here again, felt very safe!
Guide
Little on the pricier end however there are a number of amenities such as laundry (additional cost), dish wash station, and hot showers at no additional cost.
Tent sites were a bit small but do-able and it was nice being on the water.
Quick access to west Yellowstone.
Guide
Turn on FR 057. The end of the road is about 1 mile in. There are two very nice spots at the end of the road right along the creek. Across the bridge from the road closed sign there is also an excellent tent spot right along the creek. There are also at least 6-7 spots on the way in, as well as the large trailhead parking spot that others have mentioned. We got luck and got the best spot along the creek as a family was about to leave when we pulled in midday on a Monday. It was absolutely beautiful and very secluded at the end of the road. The spot is 12 miles from West Yellowstone entrance. Excellent Verizon service was a bonus that we don’t get at a lot of dispersed sites. Highly recommended!!
Legend
Cabin Creek Campground is a nice small pleasant 16 site campground sitting in a mature pine and Douglas Fir forest. The site is 22 miles from West Yellowstone and the park. Campground is right next to the highway which makes for some road noise, but it settles down at night. Each site has a picnic table and metal fire ring. Campground has a vault toilet and water, trash service and recycling is available. Sites are nice and roomy with plenty of flat ground for your tent. One site is Accessible. If you want to go hiking, the 6 mile Cabin Creek Trail begins at the campground.
This campground is in the Earthquake lake geologic area. The area was forever changed by the 1959, 7.5 magnitude earthquake. Earthquake Scarp Interpretive Area is located just adjacent to campground. You can learn more about the earthquake by stopping at the interpretive sites along the highway or checking out Earthquake Lake Visitor Center which is 5 miles down the highway
Guide
After spending the day driving between Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks, we were anxious to arrive, set up camp and crack a beer. Unfortunately, our plans of an early arrival were delayed significantly due to animals near and or/on the road leaving on the park. Oh well - if you’re going to be stuck in slow traffic, Yellowstone is the place to do it!
From West Yellowstone, the campground is about a half hour drive along the beautiful Hebgen Lake. The camp hosts were very kind and accommodating. They gave us a few tips about tenting in bear country, and advised us to look out for a few moose who inhabit the grounds.
Our site (C22) was surprisingly quiet and secluded despite being in the middle of the loop. While we didn’t have our own bear locker, there was one nearby which appeared to be communal. Our site was large, with lots of options for tent placement, and a nice picnic table. Don’t forget to pack bug/bear spray!
GuideWe drove through Yellowstone & came out the west side to find this great first come, first served national park. We have been tent camping all around Yellowstone & this campground is one of our favorites! Lots of trees seperate each site & give privacy. Vault toilets are very clean. There are water spigots around the campground. You can hear some road noise occasionally, but I did not find it bad. The town of West Yellowstone is close & cute, too.
TravelerThere is great boon docking by Lake Henry. Follow your GPS to 44°36'52"N x 111°25'18"W. With space for 15-20 campsites suitable for RV's (of any length) or tent camping, you'll be treated to epic views. Ample fishing, natures walks, sitting on the (rocky) beach, or staging for Yellowstone (it's a short 20-30 min drive to West Yellowstone), the location and views are epic. Good coverage, with 5-bars (boosted) on Verizon. We'll be back!
TravelerJust outside the west entrance of Yellowstone, the campsite was pretty awesome with the walk in reservation we made. We wanted to snag a campsite inside the park but it was full. We came across a few tent sites just around West Yellowstone, with rain in the forecast and a long tiring drive, we drove past KOA and made a quick u-turn. They had tent availability, free showers and laundry facilities that we desperately needed.
The site itself was close to restrooms and was a small but cute layout, however, the dirt was too soft for gusty winds, we were right under a street lamp and we were so close to the entrance that we could hear all conversations and cars that drove in and out of the park.
The showers and restrooms were nice and clean. A little pricy for what we would usually pay for a no hookup tent site but at the end it gave us exactly what we needed.
TravelerThis campground sits right on Hebgen Lake. It's near the town of West Yellowstone. You can drive to Yellowstone National Park from here. There are atv trails right next to the campground. Owned by very friendly and helpful local people. You can rent boats, paddle boards, and kayaks. There's a swimming area at the lake. There are on site showers and bathrooms. There's water/power RV sites and full hookup sites. Also tent sites. Our family camps here a lot and we are never disappointed with our stay. Love the views.
Legend
First of all do not expect any internet connection.
After that enjoy good sites, clean bathrooms, and excellent fire pits.
This campground is 14 miles from West Yellowstone-- or "West". Generally in the park you will double the mileage given for time of travel. So, 14 miles away from West means it will take you 30 minutes unless there is a bison jam, etc.
Once you arrive (and if you think of it while making a reservation) you can request a loop. Tent campers prefer the G & H loops while RV people gather in the others. It's worth trying to state a preference. The H loop is nearest the Madison River. Both G & H are largely shaded although this is not true for 292, 272, 273, 274.
276-286 are best in G loop. There really are no bad sites in Loops G & H other than the four above.
For the past decade I have camped in Madison each June.
Wildlife tip: If you want to see wildlife in YNP visit the park in late May to mid June--- otherwise the mammals go up into the high country for the hot days of summer and effectively vanish for most visitors. In the Lamar Valley they'll stay through June.
Guide
Located about 25 minutes from West Yellowstone off of HWY 20, this campground is a great jumping off point to explore Yellowstone park. There are other campsites including a couple KOAs located closer, but they're busier with campsites closer together and fewer trees and minimal shade. This is set back far enough from the highway that it's very quiet with ample space between campsites. Some sites have electrical hookups. Ours didn't but the weather was perfect and we didn't need AC at all.
We did have a campers nearby who showed up the last two days of our 5 days full of boys who were a bit noisy early in the morning (before 730a), but we didn't really mind. There was a spigot to fill our water tanks in the loop we stayed, but we filled up from the area host who has a hose for that purpose before we wen to the site. Due to the location in the loop, you have to go all the way around the loop before you get to the spigot, so it was good we filled up before we went to the loop.
GuideVery large KOA. Had a tent site next to the creek/pond. Very quiet at night. Check in was a breeze. Camp store appeared to be well stocked. Bathrooms were spotless, large and well appointed. Showers are not on a timer. Note there are 2 KOAs in West Yellowstone. They're only a couple of minutes apart but your navigation may lead you to the wrong one. "Mountainside" is the one you're looking for.
This campground is about 10-15 minutes from the west entrance of the national park. Once you enter the park you still have a ways to travel before you reach the junction for the ring road. So it's better to stay at a campsite in the park if you want to maximize your time for sightseeing. The KOA could be used as a home base for visiting the national park but it will entail a lot of driving. This campground is best as an overnight before entering the park, or as a base to explore the town of West Yellowstone and it's attractions, or to partake of the countless activities in the Targhee National forest.
GuideMy daughter(5) and I are tenters. We love the KOA campsites for their amenities and generally above primitive camping features. This KOA at Mountainside does not have a lot of Kids stuff to do like a lot of other places. Of course all my reviews will hold the buildings KOA as the standard bear for camping with kids. But getting back to Mountainside, it only has a playground, but the staff is really really good. We were in tent site number one which they said was unlevel, but it was fine. It backed right up to the stream that gave an incredible calming sound all night long. There were two fire pits and electrical. It is spread out, lots of tent spaces, the bathroom facilities were excellent. 
 The store was well stocked, and not overly priced. They have a pizza place that I have heard was excellent, but we did not try it.
I continue to be impressed with the KOA experience (with the exception of the West Yellowstone KOA). 
LegendMadison Campground is a huge campground with 278 site, needless to say you will not be camping alone here, or with much privacy. The campground is set amongst lodge pole pines. While this is a large campground the sites are decently sized and not right on top of each other, but close. We had a quiet stay, but with the size of this campground your odds of that one loud group or family being near will be quiet high. Allow yourself plenty of time to check-in, as the process will be quite slow if numerous campers show up at the same time. The campground appears to have two heated restrooms per loop, with a dish washing station at them. You will not have to throw out much trash during your visit, the campground has a large recycling area, including compost. You can recycle type 1& 2 plastic, cardboard, aluminum& steel cans, glass bottles and camp stove fuel bottles. The campground roads are all paved as are the parking pads. Each site has a picnic table and metal fire ring. Bear food lockers are located through out the campground, but you might need to share with fellow campers as each site does not have their own. Of the 278 site, 62 are tent only and there are 3 group sites. Cost to camp is$28 per night. The price is a little steep, but this campground has the advantage of being fairly centrally located to most of the top attractions in the park, plus you are only 15 miles away from West Yellowstone where you can stock up on everything you might need.
LegendNice campground right on a lake and close to the west entrance to Yellowstone Smallish state park (44 sites plus several cabins) right on Henry’s Lake. Located 16 miles from West Yellowstone, MT (and the west entrance to Yellowstone NP), it is a nice quiet place to camp but with easy access to the park. We camped here for three nights and our site (35) had a view of the water but in my opinion, Site 33 is the best as you have an unobstructed view of the lake. We reserved our site in March for July and are glad we did as the campground was full. Sites are either electric and water or electric with access to water. The bath/shower house in the Blue Dun Loop was new and immaculate (I dropped my soap in the shower and had no qualms about picking it up and using!) However, they are still working out the kinks and there was a sign warning that there may not be hot water; I had one hot shower and one cold one! I saw single kayaks near the dock which I assume were available for rentals although we did not inquire further. I highly recommend a day trip to Upper Mesa Falls (your camping tag will give you access with no additional fee) and/or Earthquake Lake. We did both in one day. Lots of families with kids and apart from the rude campers next to us who arrived at 1:00 am running their diesel engine for 45 minutes while they set up, it was very quiet after dark. I would give this campground 5 stars except for lack of privacy between sites and not a lot of shade and it was HOT in July.
Tent camping near West Yellowstone, Montana, offers a unique blend of natural beauty and outdoor adventure, making it a perfect getaway for nature enthusiasts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near West Yellowstone, MT?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near West Yellowstone, MT is Targhee Creek with a 4.8-star rating from 24 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near West Yellowstone, MT?
TheDyrt.com has all 69 tent camping locations near West Yellowstone, MT, with real photos and reviews from campers.
Keep Exploring
