Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Cody, WY

Open year round  Services discontinued the end of September through May

Fees:  $10.00

Stay limit 16 days

Pit toilet   trash   fire ring bear box picnic table   camp host

GRIZZLY bear area so be bear aware bear spray is a very good idea and be prepared

Sites are flat but they are very small.  Pets on a leash.  The backdrop is amazing.  Campground is on the road to Yellowstone and you really can't beat the price unless you find a boondocking spot somewhere else.  There are horse corrals and trailer parking near.

Directions:  From Cody, travel west on US Highway14/16/20 for 28 miles to the campground.

Getting into the area was easy and there wasn't much there other than solitude over a vast long and wide grasslands valley and a humongous 360 degree sky view. Very little shelter from the wind, however if you set up against the small hills just right, you'll have just enough shelter when things a blowing. July 1 was dry and there were herds of deer and a small pack of coyotes wailing in the distance at night. Not too far from Cody, which has an endless rodeo in the summer, it was easy to stay here for free and be close to society too. I will stay here again in my future travels through the area.

Along the route from Cody to Yellowstone a variety of campgrounds abound offering inexpensive options with great views.    Amongst those Big Game Campground, a seasonally open campground with amazing river access and the wooded feel of a remote mountain campground.    

I found this campground when exploring the area and was instantly drawn in by the large shaded sites and how comfortable and secluded they felt.    Each site feels removed from the next as they are all built into little burrows and once you park your vehicle you feel very private.

Toward the front of the campground all sites are heavily wooded and toward the back they are somewhat open to the river.    Absolutely beautiful views of the mountains and the sound of water around you is very relaxing.   The only negative being that some of the river sites also have been barricaded off after recent undercutting of the shoreline by the river ways.

For those who enjoy fishing this is a perfect location as there are miles of shoreline which can be accessed from this point.   

Price point is very reasonable at only $10 and with both hard sided RVs and tents welcome this is a very appealing campground, unlike some a littler further toward Yellowstone which are limited to only hard sides.

Campsites each include standard amenities of picnic tables and fire rings along with mandatory use bear boxes.    There was a nice introduction to bears for those unfamiliar at the pay kiosk (cash only). I suggest reading this and becoming familiar before exploring the area or camping here.

At this location I did have cellular signal on AT&T although it was pretty limited.    

TIPS:

• Be prepared and bring everything you need.   There are very limited stops from Cody to Yellowstone and prices at this few locations are much higher than in the Cody community.
• Bring your water shoes if you intend on wading in the water.   Although most of the banks are covered with smooth river rocks some broken limbs are in the water with sharp jagged edges.

decent amount of spots and far enough between spots for privacy. directions send you farther than entrance if you’re coming from cody. there is a hill and a road to the right with a sign, that’s where the entrance is, not where directions send you.

me and my friends traveled in a truck, a 4runner, and a sedan. we passed a couple open spots but wanted to see what was further down the road. ended up going down a decently sketchy road, sedan made it but decided we better turn back to one of the first spots we found. once we set up camp it was a great 360 view next to the flag pole. upon exploration we found several bones (femur of a cow we think, spine of a smaller animal, and coyote skull we think) didn’t see any animals while we were there but just seemed like remnants of the coyotes we heard at night.

When traveling along the riverside from Cody to Yellowstone and looking for a site which provides large spaces and electricity your options are very limited.     This campground is one of the only options available with river access which meet this requirement while also catering to those which desire unimproved camping.     The location offers two loops of camping including one which is designed for the primitive camper and one which caters to those who would like some of the comforts of home.   

Upon entering camp you will find a camping kiosk with an honor box, however unlike many of the campgrounds in this area there are campground host which hold you accountable for your entry.    This makes sense with such offerings.

Each of the camping loops are designed for one way traffic, which allows you to more simplistically move through camp however can be a bit harder for larger rigs when searching for sites as some are not clearly marked.

Each loop has access to vault toilets scattered throughout camp in key locations and there is a common water spigot in several locations around the camp.   I found that this was very convenient for those which are not requiring the electricity to still have some access to water since there are no services located nearby camp.

On the primitive loop and improved loop alike the sites are very evenly sized with some locations being back in or pull in another others being pull through.     There are also double sites available.   All sites have common picnic tables and bear boxes in addition to fire rings.

With such a variety of services and spaces offered prices do range vastly from site to site.     If you are wanting a primitive site they start off at $15 for singles and $30 for doubles or $20 for electric singles and $40 for electric doubles.  They do however offer a discount for those who have a senior access pass.

This particular campground does not welcome or offer sites for those with horses, something I noticed was very common to this area.   

Something which sets this site apart however from other locations is the specific area designed for fishing access.   If you pull through camp there is a parking area and large bank access point for those camping at the grounds or just visiting for day use.

Despite being right on the river, I felt this campground seemed much more dry than other campsites and many of the locations were more exposed to the harsh sunlight.   When vehicles drove through it was very dusty and made things feel very cloudy.