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Established Camping

Lewis Lake — Yellowstone National Park

Lewis Lake, near Yellowstone National Park, is a fantastic spot for those looking to immerse themselves in nature while enjoying the beauty of the park. This campground offers a serene atmosphere with small, designated sites that are perfect for tent camping or small RVs, making it a cozy retreat for visitors.

The campground is known for its stunning views and proximity to the lake, which adds a lovely backdrop to your camping experience. Many campers have praised the peacefulness of the area, with one noting, “This campsite was gorgeous and super quiet!” Just keep in mind that the sites can be a bit tight, so plan accordingly if you're bringing gear or a larger setup.

While amenities are limited, you’ll find essentials like drinking water and vault toilets. Campers have mentioned the lack of showers, but that’s part of the rustic charm. Plus, the absence of electric hookups means you can truly disconnect and enjoy the great outdoors. As one visitor put it, “Great experience camping in Yellowstone... Nice areas. Shady and in the woods.”

Lewis Lake is also a great base for exploring Yellowstone’s iconic sights. Whether you're hiking, fishing, or just soaking in the natural beauty, you’ll find plenty to do nearby. Just remember to bring your bear spray and keep an eye out for wildlife, as the area is home to some fascinating creatures.

Description

National Park Service

Yellowstone National Park

Overview

Lewis Lake Campgroundelevation 7,800 ft (2377 m)is about twelve miles from the South Entrance and a short walk from the southeast shore of Lewis Lake. A boat ramp is located near the campground information and registration area. Canoes, kayaks, and motor boats are allowed on Lewis Lake. Boat permits and an aquatic invasive species inspection performed by park staff are required.

Recreation

Boating Fishing Hiking Wildlife viewing Back country camping access

Natural Features

The campground is situated next to one of the large, fresh water, high elevation lakes in Yellowstone. Lewis Lake allows use of both motorized and non-motorized boats.

Contact Info

This location has limited staffing. Please call (307) 344-2107 for general information.

Nearby Attractions

Lewis Falls Lewis Canyon overlook

Charges & Cancellations

Changing Reservations: There is no change fee if a visitor extends or shortens a reservation, as long as the change includes dates from the original reservation. Additionally, there is no change fee if the visitor wants to switch sites that are the same price with the same reservation dates in the same facility. If a visitor wants to switch dates that are entirely outside of the original reservation dates, there is a $10 change fee. If a reservation is made that includes dates beyond the maximum booking window, that reservation cannot be changed until 18 days have passed from the original booking date. Once a reservation date has begun, visitors cannot change a reservation using the online system or through the Call Center. Onsite staff will assist with changes or cancellations. Cancellations: Visitors may cancel their reservation prior to arrival both on-line and through the call center. A $10 service fee will be withheld from any refund for a cancellation. A visitor who cancels a reservation the day before or on the day of arrival will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's approved rate including tax and applicable add-on. Cancellations for a one-night reservation will forfeit the entire amount paid and will not be subject to an additional service fee. Visitors who cancel a group overnight facility reservation less than 14 days prior to arrival date will pay a $10 service fee AND forfeit the first nights rate. No-Shows: A no-show visitor is one who does not arrive at a campground and does not cancel the reservation by check-out time on the day after the scheduled arrival date. Staff will hold a campsite until check-out time on the day following the arrival date. No-shows are assessed $20.00 service fee and forfeit the first night's rate, taxes and applicable add-on for a campsite. Early Departures: Visitors are requested to notify staff at the facility if they depart early to allow others to use the site. If the visitor chooses to depart early, they may forfeit the approved rate and applicable tax and applicable add-on for the day of departure. If a visitor departs prior to the scheduled check-out date, they may be eligible for a partial refund. Visitors may notify the Recreation.gov call center to request a refund of remaining unused nights. If a visitor requests a refund for an early departure after the facility check-out time (10 am) has passed, the visitor will not be refunded for that night and is eligible for a refund on any additional nights that will not be used.

Fee Info

Nightly fee cost: $20.00 Interagency Access and Senior Pass holders receive a 50% discount.

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Location

Lewis Lake — Yellowstone National Park is located in Wyoming

Detail location of campground

Directions

Campground is twelve miles north of the South Entrance. It is located on the road between South entrance and West Thumb.

Coordinates

44.2822056 N
110.6279873 W

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Access

  • Drive-In
    Park next to your site
  • Walk-In
    Park in a lot, walk to your site.

Stay Connected

  • WiFi
    Unknown
  • Verizon
    Unknown
  • AT&T
    Unknown
  • T-Mobile
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Site Types

  • Tent Sites
  • RV Sites
  • Standard (Tent/RV)
  • Group

Features

For Campers

  • Trash
  • Reservable
  • Drinking Water
  • Toilets
  • Alcohol
  • Pets
  • Fires

For Vehicles

  • Water Hookups

Reviews

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26 Reviews

Reviewed Jul. 18, 2024

Quiet and Beautiful!

This campsite was gorgeous and super quiet! The mosquitoes were slightly aggressive but to be expected by a lake. The spaces are small so make sure to read size limits. The bathroom was also not the cleanest.

SiteLoop A #78
Month of VisitJuly
Reviewed Oct. 19, 2023

Remote in Yellowstone

This campground is smaller and less busy than others since it’s off of the figure 8 road. It was pleasant, quiet, and the lake was lovely. Small sites so plan accordingly! We heard a wolf pack move through the area at night which was cool. But bring your bear spray just in case!

Month of VisitSeptember
  • Review photo of Lewis Lake — Yellowstone National Park by Becky M., October 19, 2023
Reviewed Sep. 19, 2022

Good base camp in south Yellowstone

We stayed in one of the walk-in campsites. Ours said that you could have a small camper van but there was barely any room to pull off and it wasn’t level. Luckily we only stayed for one night. Only 1 vault toilet for that whole loop. Each site has its own bear box. Our site had great views!

Site15
Month of VisitSeptember
  • Review photo of Lewis Lake — Yellowstone National Park by Casey L., September 19, 2022
  • Review photo of Lewis Lake — Yellowstone National Park by Casey L., September 19, 2022
  • Review photo of Lewis Lake — Yellowstone National Park by Casey L., September 19, 2022
Reviewed Aug. 22, 2022

Convenient for visiting but light on comfort

We tent camped here for two nights to visit all the classic Yellowstone sights. Site was relatively flat and had some nice shade in the morning, a fire ring and a bear box. Dry toilets were right next to our site though and did not smell great. Also no showers at this campground although apparently there are shower facilities available near other campgrounds at Yellowstone. Unfortunately there was also a lot of road noise as well, so we needed ear plugs to sleep. Watch out for tent campers temperatures can drop fast at night time even in the summer.

SiteA72
Month of VisitAugust
  • Review photo of Lewis Lake — Yellowstone National Park by Haley C., August 22, 2022
  • Review photo of Lewis Lake — Yellowstone National Park by Haley C., August 22, 2022
Reviewed Oct. 25, 2021

Small RV/camper only

We planned on staying here, but it’s more suitable for tent and small campers. Mine is 21’ on the NPS app it states max length as 25’ but considering for the other campgrounds the max length includes total length (vehicle and camper) I didn’t think we’d fit. Plus with my experience at how tight the Bridge Bay campground I didn’t want to risk damage in a tight area. Looked really nice though!!

Month of VisitAugust
Reviewed Oct. 21, 2021

Everything I hoped it would be

Stunningly gorgeous site in Yellowstone National Park. I’m camping in the off-season and while I was nervous about driving several hours into the admittedly huge NPS to a first-come, first-served campsite, the handy website told me it hadn’t been filled in a couple of days.

The drive-in sites are simple: a fire pit, a picnic table, and a tent area. It’s been snowing in the area so I chose to pitch camp in a drier portion, under a stand of pine trees, the scent of which wafts through the entire campsite.

There’s a pit toilet and a water spigot for common use. Signage indicates you can use deadfall branches for your fire.

Also be advised that wildlife is active in the area (and i saw two bears on the drive in) and that the nearest site for supplies is about an hour or so away… if the store is still open off-season.

Siteb49
Month of VisitOctober
  • Review photo of Lewis Lake — Yellowstone National Park by William S., October 21, 2021
  • Review photo of Lewis Lake — Yellowstone National Park by William S., October 21, 2021
  • Review photo of Lewis Lake — Yellowstone National Park by William S., October 21, 2021
  • (5) View All
Reviewed Sep. 27, 2021

Tight spaces but awesome night sky

We arrived with #lil_cricket and had a two night stay. Awesome night sky. Toilets were fine The doors were squeaky and under the cover of darkness and DW40 we fixed it. Much better enjoyment

SiteB56
Month of VisitSeptember
  • Review photo of Lewis Lake — Yellowstone National Park by Michael M., September 27, 2021
  • Review photo of Lewis Lake — Yellowstone National Park by Michael M., September 27, 2021
  • Review photo of Lewis Lake — Yellowstone National Park by Michael M., September 27, 2021
Reviewed Sep. 22, 2021

MAX LENGTH 25' Even if you fit just fine

We planned an entire weekend around staying at Lewis Lake only to discover after we'd claimed a good spot and gotten settled in (as directed) that they wouldn't allow us to stay because we had a 21' rv trailer and 17' Tahoe (both parked within the parking pavement and completely off the road) because we exceeded 25'. Getting kicked out on a busy weekend with literally no place to go was less than cool.

Campground has no views, sites are super packed together and the rangers patrol often but the location is great, lake it beautiful from what we saw and it seems like a great place for first come, first served if you have a tiny rig or a tent.

Month of VisitSeptember
Reviewed Aug. 17, 2021

Fantastic

Great experience camping in Yellowstone..if you're a tent camper this place is perfect. Friendly staff. Nice areas. Shady and in the woods.

Sitec18
Month of VisitAugust
Reviewed Aug. 9, 2021

Great secluded spot

This campsite was very pleasant. Private spacious sites, lots of tent pole pine, very picturesque. Seems to stay pretty available, we camped on a Saturday evening and there were plenty of spots when we got there while the rest of Yellowstone was jam packed.

Month of VisitAugust
  • Review photo of Lewis Lake — Yellowstone National Park by Taylor L., August 9, 2021
  • Review photo of Lewis Lake — Yellowstone National Park by Taylor L., August 9, 2021
  • Review photo of Lewis Lake — Yellowstone National Park by Taylor L., August 9, 2021
  • (4) View All
Reviewed Jul. 28, 2021

Solid Campsite

Good campsite. If you want to see what's taken, you can stop at the ranger station and look at the board on the porch (they also have a map of the campground). But you do all the reserving at the ranger station once you claim a spot, and they accept card.

Month of VisitJuly
Reviewed Jul. 26, 2021

No privacy

All sites are Nutt to butt. Rangers go through sites while you are away. No views.

Month of VisitJuly
Reviewed Jul. 12, 2021

Great spot for the last minute planner!

If you're super last minute like us this is a great option in Yellowstone. It is one of a few 1st come 1st serve CG here, but it fills up fast in the peak season. Ranger station opens at 8am to register for spots but you can go in early and claim an open spot and pay when the station opens. Great spots and close to Lewis Lake which is great to swim or boat in.

SiteC 29
Month of VisitJuly
  • Review photo of Lewis Lake — Yellowstone National Park by Jeanie P., July 12, 2021
Reviewed Aug. 31, 2020

Great choice in YNP

Got a FF site on a Saturday afternoon, park was very busy, but campground was low-key.

We prefer a smaller, more primitive camping experience, so that was worth the tradeoff of farther driving to park attractions.

Some sites in A loop (70 where we stayed) are close to the highway. It was quiet during sleeping hours, but you noticed the car noise during the day.

  • Review photo of Lewis Lake — Yellowstone National Park by Kate D., August 31, 2020
  • Review photo of Lewis Lake — Yellowstone National Park by Kate D., August 31, 2020
  • Review photo of Lewis Lake — Yellowstone National Park by Kate D., August 31, 2020
  • (4) View All
Reviewed Aug. 14, 2019

Nice, mostly quiet campground

Nice campground with some good views (we were on the outside of the B loop) and a pretty lake, walking distance away. We had great time. We had previously spent 3 nights at Grant Village and we found Lewis Lake to be MUCH quieter and more spacious. The only problem was the bathrooms. They were alternately bearable and terrible. But otherwise, the campground was pleasant. We were there in early August and the weather was perfect and there were virtually no bugs.

Reviewed Jul. 15, 2019

Great area

Not to far from yellowstone lake , on lake lewis it is in the middle of the national park so you can get anywhere

Reviewed Jul. 1, 2019

Beware of the mosquitos!!

Okay so I go camping all the time and I get it, camping = bugs but this was the WORST I have ever experienced! At one point I looked over at my dog who had never had a problem with bugs while camping before and she was coated in a blanket of mosquitos. There was no escape and all of the sites we stopped at seemed to have the same problem. We used bug spray, bug repellent bracelets, and even had a bug repelling incense to burn, but none of it made any difference. It was a bummer because it is otherwise a really cool spot, I’m not sure if we were just there during a hatch or a bad time of year or what. My husband and I probably could’ve toughed it out and stayed but we ended up having to leave because the poor dog was absolutely miserable being eaten alive by all the mosquitos!

Reviewed Jun. 24, 2019

Pretty Lake!

This is such a fun campground because you are so close to Lewis Lake which is great to cool off in after a long day outside. My only complaint is size of some sites, they are pretty tight. Otherwise a great spot to kick back and enjoy the National Park!

Reviewed Oct. 20, 2018

Late season

We wanted to stay overnight in YNP in late October and found out that most of the hotels were already closed and the only campgrounds open were Mammoth, which is open year-round and Lewis Lake, which was open until 11/4. We had no trouble finding a spot in the late afternoon but because it was the only camping available , and it is YNP, it filled up fast! Nice but tiny sites, pretty trees and a separate area for tenters . This campground was very quiet. It was also very clean considering it had hard use all summer. Every site has a little tent pad, a table, and a fire pit. The rangers had turned off the water so there was no fee either! The boat ramp at Lewis Lake was perfect and the lake was glassy so we had excellent canoeing. This review is heavily determined by the time of year, and the excellent weather we enjoyed. But it gives a different twist to camping in Yellowstone.

Reviewed Jul. 31, 2018

The best!

Lewis Lake is hands down my favorite campground in Yellowstone National Park. For reasons I don't understand, most people avoid this campground, but it is the coolest in the summer, has a very nice lake next to it, and is a short drive to most of the attractions in the Southern half of the park. It is NOT suited to any RV over 25 foot.

Month of VisitOctober
  • Review photo of Lewis Lake — Yellowstone National Park by Michael J., July 31, 2018
  • Review photo of Lewis Lake — Yellowstone National Park by Michael J., July 31, 2018
  • Review photo of Lewis Lake — Yellowstone National Park by Michael J., July 31, 2018
  • (10) View All
Reviewed Oct. 9, 2017

Over priced eh

Explored Yellowstone for 5 days it's hard not to camp in the park it's so huge. On Lewis lake great if you have a boat. But 35$ for a tent site. Rediculous. Rangers were super friendly. It was elk rutting season and a couple people got to close not their car....gapers typical. Yellowstone is one of my favorite is parks for sure.

SiteC15
Month of VisitSeptember
  • Review photo of Lewis Lake — Yellowstone National Park by Daniel S., October 9, 2017
  • Play button icon
  • Review photo of Lewis Lake — Yellowstone National Park by Daniel S., October 9, 2017
  • (4) View All
Reviewed Aug. 12, 2017

Secluded quiet campground

I've stayed here two years in a row and absolutely love this campground. It typically fills up last but still get there early. All the campsites have bear boxes and are in the woods. Not some sunny field with marked off tent sights. It's a little far from amenities but you aren't going camping to go eat at a restaurant. Some people may scoff at vault toilets but hey, it's better than digging a hole in the ground. The sunset on Lewis Lake is awesome especially if the clouds cooperate.

SiteA23 and B6
Month of VisitJuly
  • Review photo of Lewis Lake — Yellowstone National Park by Katsu T., August 12, 2017
Reviewed Jul. 17, 2017

Ranger Review: Roanline Clothing at Lewis Lake, WY

Campsite Review:

Let me first take some time to talk about the amenities....vault toilets....that's it. So if you need showers, electric, water, flush toilets, etc. you may want to look else where for a place to stay.

But, if all you need is a place to set your tent (or small camper) and a place to sleep while you spend your days exploring Yellowstone National Park this is site works just fine. For the couple of days that I spent at this site all I really used it for was a place to sleep. I was more interested in going out through the park during my days here.

There were about 80 sites in the campgrounds and they are all first-come, first-served. The sites were pretty small, but all did have a fire pit, table, and bear-proof container

For video review of the camp CLICK HERE

Product Review:

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I occasionally get products to test, and on this trip i was able to test clothing from Roanline. The clothing that we got from Roanline was just what the doctor ordered: soft, comfortable, and light.

We bought a mixture of long and short sleeved shirts, and luckily we remembered to bring the long sleeved ones when we got to Yellowstone. I knew it would be cooler, but I did not expect the 32 degree nights.

The thing that I think I like most about Roanline is how they primarily feature up and coming brands that I haven't probably heard of. There is a big "shop local" movement and I like to do so when ever I believe I am getting quality products. And so far, I've loved the small brand products we've purchased.

For other videos like these CLICK HERE

Camping with the GO: Day 10

During our road trip around the US, I was able to try out the GO camper from SylvanSport. And although we love the GO, there have been a couple of "first-world problems" that we've encountered. What I mean is there are some things we think could be improved, but have essentially zero impact on our over all love of the GO. One of these problems is the mesh lining that is used to store the privacy and water screens for the windows. They were pretty loose and didn't really hold the screens in place once you unzipped the windows.

SiteA22
Month of VisitJune
  • Short video about my impressions of Roanline
    Play button icon
  • Review photo of Lewis Lake — Yellowstone National Park by Andrew S., July 17, 2017
  • Review photo of Lewis Lake — Yellowstone National Park by Andrew S., July 17, 2017
  • (8) View All
Reviewed Jun. 12, 2016

Lewis Lake Campground

This was a beautiful, quite, and secluded campground on the south edge of Yellowstone. It is a perfect base camp if you have already seen the north side of the park and are looking for someplace to stay while you explore the south side. The sites were clean and well kept and the bathrooms in fair condition. This was my favorite out of the 3 campgrounds we stayed in at YNP mainly because of how much quieter it was than the other spots we were at. I would definitely recommend Lewis Lake for anyone looking to explore the south side of the park.

  • Review photo of Lewis Lake — Yellowstone National Park by michael M., June 12, 2016

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Does Lewis Lake — Yellowstone National Park have RV hookups?

    According to TheDyrt.com, Lewis Lake — Yellowstone National Park has water hookups.

  • What is the max vehicle length at Lewis Lake — Yellowstone National Park?

    Lewis Lake — Yellowstone National Park allows vehicles up to 25 feet.

  • Are fires allowed at Lewis Lake — Yellowstone National Park?

    Yes, according to campers on TheDyrt.com, fires are allowed at Lewis Lake — Yellowstone National Park, although make sure to check current fire restrictions in the area.

  • How hard is it to get a campsite at Lewis Lake — Yellowstone National Park?

    Some campers book as far as 6 months in advance, so on high-demand weekends it can be very difficult to get a campsite at Lewis Lake — Yellowstone National Park. If you want to get a last-minute campsite at Lewis Lake — Yellowstone National Park, try setting up a text message Alert atTheDyrt.com/alerts

  • Why is it so hard to get a campsite at Lewis Lake — Yellowstone National Park?

    There are 84 campsites at Lewis Lake — Yellowstone National Park and over 80 million Americans who camp! Try snagging a cancellation by setting up a text message Alert atTheDyrt.com/alerts