Curtis Canyon Dispersed Camping

Started up the road and saw most lower level spots were full. Some with vans but most with single tents and no cars? Carried on even though we heard road was tough (which it was a little in a converted sprinter) but with AWD we made it to spot #13 and it did not disappoint. Insane view. Super private. Little hairy getting up there but so worth it.

I traveled all the way to the last campsite on the road, miles down from the pay campground. The road was bumpy but my Subaru Outback handled it just fine. The site was in an open field but so out of the way that it was very private. My dog loved it too.

Busy area, but had no issue finding a spot on a weekday before 3pm. Road of course gets busy early the morning and late at night. Some spots have a view and good cell coverage, others not so much. These spots are beyond the developed campground and reserved host site. I think people are over dramatic about the road, but can see why people would skip this for that alone.

The flies were super annoying even on a cool, breezy day. Maybe they just liked my bug spray, I'm not sure. But with the current fire ban, I spent most of my time at these sites indoors.

Nice spots, but not a lot of them, road to the top is pretty rough, but it keeps the sprinter vans away

4wd, high clearance vehicle needed to get to sites 5 and 6. Quiet and open sky, but site 5 does not have a view of the Tetons.

Stayed the last weekend of August. The area was amazing, moderate traffic but hardly any issues at night. The campground host Kevin was AWESOME and very attentive to all the sites. We had a nice view, no issues with bugs - just a mouse that was climbing ALL OVER the tent (: We would definitely stay here again. Road to get here is a little rough. Took my Subaru to the top point, definitely need more than a sedan to reach some areas! I believe we camped at #11. (Larger lot with the fire pit in the middle).

We got to the campsite around 6:30. Good number were taken, but a couple left. Road was a little muddy in the AM after rain. Very quiet and peaceful.

(October 6th, 2023) Not sure how, but we got to spots 5-6 on the most damaged road I’ve ever been on. I wouldn’t even try again unless they’ve fixed it since last year! That being said, it was SO quiet and remote up there, we were actually afraid a bear was going to sneak up on us. Saw some mule deer, a fox, and so many stars at this beautiful site. We couldn’t see the Tetons themselves, but were surrounded by stunning views and forest, with not a single person in sight.

Beautiful views but I hope you either like the inside of your tent/rv or are not bothered by swarms of flies. Roads a bit washed after the first stretch of sites. Not my favorite but the views were nice and the price was hard to beat.

We camped at spot 5 which is a little harder to get too. the road too 5,6 is pretty rough. only attempt if you have 4wd, it looks like a pretty washed out road either way lots of holes. Service isn’t bad it’s enough to stream. The flies are the only down fall and the bugs once it gets dark but for a night while you’re exploring the tetons it’s great.

The Road is closed the hole May. It looks like they are doing a better road to drive.

I stayed at campsite 9, I think and it was the best view of the Tetons I’ve ever had with a campsite. I’ve never driven any kind of rough road like that before so I was a little nervous coming up with my Subaru with AWD but when I left, I realized it wasn’t bad and any car with AWD can do it. Most of the sites are pretty open and ours was mostly at a decline going into a valley but it wasn’t bad.

The drive up isn’t bad at all - unmoded vans seen at sites seemed to manage it just fine. Any SUV will do just fine, likely most sedans as well. But the road is rutted so put some thought into your lines. Sites 1-4 easily accessible, don’t bother with 5-6 unless you have a a confident OHV. Take the left at the fork for the forest road for sites 7+. Bear spray + effective food storage heavily recommended by the forest service for this location.

This is the kind of spot I signed up for when I started van life. The views are absolutely incredible. I made it by the skin of my teeth in my 4x4 Sprinter with stock suspension. I do NOT recommend the drive unless you have off road suspension or have a smaller vehicle. I’m definitely going to enjoy this spot while I’m here, but might wait until I do an off road upgrade before coming back.

We showed up around 3pm on a Saturday and most of the spots were full, but keep going. We stopped at 10b and it was truly the best spot for us.

We have a small 17ft tear drop so the spot was perfect for us. Great view and also a small hiking trail.

The road is super rough but worth the trek. Saw a lot of small cars bouncing around.

The hosts were truly amazing! Informative, kind, assertive and caring. Truly enjoyed them and their approach while protecting the area.

A must stop! This place is great, you won’t be disappointed

The road going up to these dispersed campsites was a little rough.  Definitely need an all-wheel drive car or 4x4.  Somehow these big RVs get up here but it's definitely a nail-biter.  We did it in a Subaru Crosstrek and it was sketchy, but we made it.  The view is incredible.  The campground hosts stopped by and told us to be careful because there were two grizzlies that lived in the area.  Also, the park rangers were issuing fines for unattended campfires.

So close to DT Jackson, very convenient spot. No other options for free this close to town.

This place is great! We took the first spot and had stunning views of the Tetons. There was a nice flat-ish place to park a fire ring made from rocks left by previous campers. The road up is bumpy and has some sharp turns, but manageable. There’s grizzly’s one the area so be sure to make a plan to manage food and garbage.

Do not venture up the road without a 4x4 or reliable vehicle! I did 2 miles of the road to get to site #6.

Super crowded. Not to be considered dispersed.

We arrived at 7pm on a Saturday not sure if we would find a spot. There was a camp ambassador at site 1 who said there was some spots available and let us know a bear went by shortly before we arrived, keep your food sealed up if you go here! We ended up finding spot #13, which you have to drive down a very steep, narrow hill to get to. It’s worth it. It has THE BEST views! Lots of mosquitos though when we visited.

They weren’t kidding when the sign said end of county road maintenance. This free spot was absolutely beautiful, and came with a fire ring! We loved it aside from the road, which we survived in a Acura MDX

Awesome camping spots, road is a bit rough at spots but not too awful. Once you pass the main campground just keep driving and there will be numbered spots off the road for camping. I believe there’s about 16 spots. Gorgeous views.

It’s Labor Day weekend and we got a crazy hair to drive up to Jackson, ready to tent it where ever we could find a place. Lots of places were full, but we just kept on looking. We found this place and just hoped we would be lucky to find a spot.

The drive up to our campsite was pretty rough, but very cool. Our FJ Cruiser made it just fine. I would not bring a sedan up here tho.

We passed the main Campground and drove all the way up to the end of the road.

First, it’s a rocky road up the mountain. You can get to the paid campsite in a car, I took my Honda Civic sport but took extreme caution and that was as far as we could take my low rider. BUT! If you have an AWD, go up as far as you can. We had a CRV too and climbed up the mountain and it was worth it.

The view of the Tetons was the best we had all trip aside from going into the national parks and hitting the trail heads. It’s a pack in/pack out and no fires. There were tons of spots which are spaced out so you aren’t on top of anyone and it’s the closest dispersed camp to Jackson Hole. It takes some time to get up there 30/45 mins, the roads are rutted from use.

When I come back to Jackson, I will stay here over and over again. I didn’t see a day limit but I’m assuming it’s 5 days.

The road getting to this campsite was a VERY bumpy gravel road. When we pulled up to the main camping place, all the campsites were taken (only about 8 or so campsites in the area marked on the map), but the next 9 miles past this main area have clearly marked sites dispersed along the road. A lot of these sites were taken as well but we eventually found one though it did take us about an hour to drive this bumpy road in a Ford Fusion.

Curtis Canyon Campground sits atop a hill about 20 min outside of Jackson in the National Elk Refuge. The drive there offers some of the best panoramic views of the Tetons and is quite breathtaking to witness during sunset. The campsites themselves are spacious and settled in small groves of trees. They each offer a fire pit, picnic table, bathroom, drinkable water fountain, and bear locker —which is essential. My partner and I spent three nights here cooking, roasting marshmallows, and chilling! The grounds has a Camp Host (currently the generous and welcoming Nash and Erin) who are there to answer any questions, offer suggestions, and keep a lookout for your site. Seriously, this spot is amazing!!

The only downside is the road up here can be a little tricky to navigate. Its a rocky road but if you drive smart and slow you’ll make it up fine!

Disbursed camped here in June 2020. We have a lifted Tacoma and RTT. When you come up to the elk refuge - it looks like you're in the wrong place, but just continue down the road and watch for elk and swoon over the Teton views for awhile. The road starts to wind up the hill and before it gets too bumpy you pass the main campground turn off. They have 10 or so spots and bathrooms. The rest of the road up the hill is bumpy, but we did see a few larger campers who had made their way up. There are 16 disbursed spots along the ridge, not all have views of the tetons. We were in the area on a Wednesday and about half of the spots were taken when we pulled in around 8. It's only a 20 minute (maybe?) Drive from Jackson, so I assume it's pretty popular on the weekends. The views were AMAZING, we would definitely go back (and probably pack more bug spray that time lol).