Best Equestrian Camping near Jackson, WY

Colter Bay is one of the best campgrounds I've stayed in in a national park out west. The campsites themselves were nicely spaced apart and you couldn't hear much from one campsite to another. Everyone seemed to respect quiet hours here, which you don't always find, and it was so quiet all night--definitely the best sleeps I've had camping! The sites had the usual picnic table and fire ring plus a really nice, large bear box for storing food and other items. The tent pads were nicely maintained and large. There were restrooms and dump stations within a short walk, which were not super nice but decent enough. The restrooms had flush toilets but no soap. Nearby Colter Bay Village was great--it had a general store with cafe and gift shop, a visitors center, a beautiful marina, and lake access with lots of trails. There was also potable water and WiFi at the general store.In general, Colter Bay was in a great location. A bit far from Jackson, but so close to Jackson Lake and a short drive to Jenny Lake. You can see the Tetons from various parts of the campground. The only negatives we really found were that there was little to no kindling to find around the campsite (not sure if that was allowed anyways) and the mosquitos were relentless in the campground. Overall, it was a beautiful place to stay and if I could find better ways to deal with mosquitos (regular bug spray, Citronella candles, and campfires did nothing and neither did covering up head to toe) I would definitely come back! One last note: we got our campsite around noon on a Thursday, and the campground was not full; there seemed to be at least a few free sites all weekend.

Turpin Meadow Campground was a happy stumble-upon for us. We went to the Tetons and had no idea how crazy busy it would be, so were forced out of the park to find a place to stay. 

Truthfully, this campground wasn't much, and was kind of difficult to get to (at least the way we went in). It fulfilled all that we wanted it to do though. A place to park our car and utility trailer for the night and wake up early to go into the park. There was water and vault toilets on site, so that was nice. 

This is actually right next to (or apart of?) an equestrian park with lots of horses and horse corrals all around. It was truthfully a little spooky hearing the horses start to whinny in the middle of the night, but we got over that.

We found this campsite at the end of the road of BLM campsites. We tried to find one of the campsites along the road. Exhausted, we found this campground with about 18 campsites. Many of the sites are accommodating to horse lovers.

We found a pit toilet and fresh water spigots. The sites are big, with room for large tents and RV's. Trees are all over the place and provide shade.

A little ways off the highway comes a dispersed camping area near Turpin Meadows. There are nearby and accessible vault toilets and horse areas but for the most part, these camping spots are few and far between. There are several shaded spots without a view but that keep you free from the heat of summer and a couple more exposed spots that are very warm during the day but reward you with some incredible views. Easy access to both Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park as well as some great hiking in the area. Would definitely return!

Colter Bay Campground is nice, well-maintained and worth the stay! The location is absolutely perfect! Jackson Lake is nearby, where you can rent boats and kayaks. We kayaked one morning and it was surreal! The Grand Tetons are breathtaking! The lake trail and the Swan Lake and Heron Pond loop make for a nice hike when you first get in. Jackson Lake Lodge is just a short drive away if you want to enjoy a local beer or cocktail while watching the sunset. There are pay showers available, which are always well worth the money spent! We will most definitely be back someday!

The views here were great. This area had all the things we needed. I recommend north Jenny lake - beware though, Jenny lake gets crazy busy so perhaps try one of the other lakes. We went to String Lake for lunch and it was lovely. There are many great trails for bikes. Jackson Lake Lodge has some fabulous views out the back on its balcony.

You can’t really go wrong in the Tetons, bc...it’s the Tetons. We base-camped here for 4 nights to explore GTNP. only regret is that it made for some long drives down to the southern areas of the park/Jackson/Teton Village. If we did it over, might’ve split with some nights in Gros Ventre or even Granite Creek, but CB was good for us. it’s a busy mini-town with tons of activity, people, and tour buses during the day. But we benefited from the showers and laundry. plus, you can usually find a quiet place somewhere on the shore of Jackson Lake.

the CG Is huge but empties out every day by 10am (it filled up only a couple of the nights we were there). our spot was a little more spacious, which the kids enjoyed. most sites weren’t much to look at, but walk a few feet and you’ll see Mt Moran over thr trees, which makes up for it.

Only complaint was that we were told when arriving we couldnt take a particular site that was open bc it was being held for someone. i told the guard i thought all sites were FCFS with no reservations? we took the site across from that one, and nobody ever came for the site we wanted.

Having big bear boxes at every site was really appreciated. Grants Village in Yellowstone had one box half that size that was shared by 5-6 sites—nope!

we loved this campground. pros: sites are spread out for very good privacy. bathrooms are good enuf. host, Justin was nice and helpful. cons: no showers, no internet (or is that a pro?). gravel road to campground was a little bumpy the last couple of miles. pretty close to Jackson and not too far from Signal Mountain and such. our jk350 jeep did not have any problems. We found this place out of desperation as all other campsites were booked. We will definitely camp here again. there are some primo sites on the lake we will try and get next time.

HeadWaters Rv campground is located in the perfect place right between Yellowstone and The Tetons. Perfect for exploring both Parks. The cell service is pretty spotty, but it’s great to just put down your phone and enjoy your surroundings. It is only 5 minutes walk from the campground to Snake River access. Fires are allowed at this campground. There are Rv, tent, and cabins to stay at. The cabins in the camp area are small but have full sized bunk beds and a desk and dresser. These cabins do not have water or electricity, but there are other cabins with power up the road. The tent and Rv spots are on gravel with lots of shade, a picnic table, and fire ring. Rv sites are Electric and water. There are so many activities to do. Along with the activities they have every day there is horse riding, guided fly fishing, hiking trails for everyone, bus tours, jr. rancher classes and so much more Also on site at the campground is a dish washing area next to the clean bathrooms and showers. There is a propane fill, fresh water fill, restaurant, gift shop, ATM machine, gas station, and bear boxes. I would definitely recommend this campground for any duration of trip.

I camped here during the first week of June this year. The weather was beautiful, the campground was well kept and the hosts were very nice and helpful! The location was great, very easy to get to. The sites are closer together than we would usually prefer, but not as close as some other campgrounds in National Parks we've been too! Plus there are lots of trees & bushes to split up the sites and make you feel like you're not right next to someone. The best part about this campground is the short trail to Jackson Lake. We watched the sunset both nights and it was magical!

I came down from Great Falls, MT to ski at Jackson and do some winter camping in the park. The National Park website states that they keep the "campground" open in the winter. This campground is a the parking lot for the normal summer campground. It is iced over and not very easy to find, especially if you get there late in the day. However, there is an open and heated bathroom available which is a huge bonus. I had a great time camping here even though the night reached -30F. The only reason it received 3 stars is due to the comparison between Mammoth Hot Springs winter campground which is fantastic.

We stayed here during a two-week trip visiting several national parks in the West with our friends. Since we had limited time to spend at each of our destinations, we wanted to stay as close as possible to the parks, so this campground fit the bill for visiting both Grand Teton and Yellowstone.

We called ahead to be sure of check in procedures. We first drove to the visitor center and checked in. We were given maps and directions to our sites (our request for neighboring sites was honored). It was easy to locate Site 310, a pull through site with full hookups. The sites were level and mainly dirt (little to no gravel). The roads were the same, so everything stayed dusty for our three-night stay. There were some nice shade trees, and we were able to create a nice little shared yard space with our friends between the two trailers.

There was a great deal of foot and car traffic on the little road our site was on because of our proximity to the bathhouse. It was entertaining watching tent campers run to the bathroom in the mornings while we sipped our coffee outside. We didn’t spend much time hanging out here because we spent the majority of our time visiting the two national parks. Cell service was nonexistent unless we drove to Jackson Overlook. Being out of touch with our families was the worst part of staying here, so we made the ten-minute drive to this point to touch base and take care of emails/business back home. The gas station near the campground was convenient for fuel and ice, so we appreciated that especially after driving through the desolate areas of Wyoming.

Although the dusty roads were an annoyance, we decided that this was the best place to stay for anyone wanting to visit both national parks and have the luxury of full hookups. We would definitely stay here again for visiting Grand Teton and Yellowstone. Maybe by then, they’ll have some gravel.

This was my second stay here. The first time I camped in my tent for 3 nights while we did touristy things all over Yellowstone and it was a great stay. This time I rented a rustic cabin for 5 nights and mainly dayhiked trails in the Grand Tetons. You will not have cell service here but there is WiFi and the camp store and the is also data service for Verizon and ATT customers at the Jackson Lake overlook in GTNP. We used the laundry facilities, the showers and the camp store during our stay. There is also a restaurant that offers carry out only service. We didn’t use that though. We did purchase our wood from the camp store and it was pricy and that was expected. We did not see any bear here and we did experience a few days of heavy wildfire smoke.

After almost 10 back to back individual nights at campgrounds, it was nice to be able to have two back to back nights in a tent cabin.  The cabins are great with two wood walls, two canvas tent walls and roof, four drop down bunks and a nice potbelly stove.  The outside area is very nice with a table, fire ring and bear box.  Parking for the tent was directly next to the cabin and outdoor pad.

The only drawback is that the tent cabins are quite close to each other.  The family in the tent next to mine was very nice, but also quite loud.  The area luckily was quiet after 10pm.

The campground village itself was very nice, with all sorts of shopping and food options.  Since I arrived at the campground around 4pm I quickly unloaded my gear into the cabin. Instead of cooking I grabbed a bite to eat and a six pack of local beer, and headed over to a spot on Jackson Lake to have a sunset dinner.  The campground location is perfect to get out and explore.

The cabin bunks are comfortable, if not a bit loud when sleeping and moving around.  I woke myself several times with chains making noise.  After the third time, I grabbed a bottle of bike chain lubricant and did some work to make them quiet.  it worked and the rest of the night was quite peaceful.

Mornings are definitely busy in the village.  I was up around 7am and rode my bike to the General Store to grab a coffee.  I took a little ride down to the lake and drank my coffee in a quiet spot that was perfect for meditation.  I then rode back to my site and grabbed my toiletries and rode back to the Launderette/Shower.  They had a little line to get a shower stall, but it moved quickly.  The cost was $5 and it was well worth it for the ability to take a nice long uninterrupted shower.

I spent the day exploring Jackson and over into the Teton Valley and Driggs/Victor.  I returned later in the afternoon and grabbed a bite from John Colter's Ranch House .  The second night was much more quiet and peaceful with the stars shining bright.  

My only qualms about the site were about how close you are to other cabins and the noise.  I would still love to stay here again.

We were nervous driving from Westgate Yellowstone to this campground not knowing if any sites would be available as this is a first come first served campground. Got here on Thursday morning and there were 4 sites available. This is a great campsite for tents and camper vans, However we have a 31’ travel trailer with one slide-out. It fit in site 6 with no problems. There are no hook ups at this campground, you do have access to fresh water and non-plumbed toilets. They do allow generators between 8 and 10, however  we did not run ours very much because people come here to get away from the noise. Each site is $15 a night and comes with a table/bench and fire pit. They use the envelope system so make sure you put your tag on your campsite post to secure your location. The Creek allows swimming, kayaking, paddle boarding, and fishing. As expected the water is not clear and can get a little choppy when the wind picks up. All-and-all this was the first time in our trip that we truly felt disconnected and could relax. It’s worth the extra drive! Take some time and drive further into the valley it is gorgeous. Also the camp-host is very helpful and friendly. P.S. If you need to dump your tanks the Virginia RV park in Jackson let’s you dump your tanks for $15.

A tenter's perspective.

This is a campground of uneven quality. Many sites are well taken care of and others are totally unkempt. Others are subject to the bright lights of bathrooms which blaze all night long. It seems as though GTNP has not taken the Dark Sky Program to heart.

If you are located within view of a bathroom, then prepare for a nighttime nuisance if you camp in a tent. 

Less than half of the sites are truly good ones for tent campers. For example in loop E which is supposed to be for tents I would rate as "Good" sites 110, 113, 118, 123, & 125; "Very Good" Sites 116 & 117. Others are either uneven, weedy, or close enough to a bathroom to be annoying at night. Some are exceptionally cramped..

Starting with the bathroom problem: These sites in loops A-G are affected by all night light pollution-#4, 23, 25, 26, 27, 36, 45, 46,, 47, 76, 77, 78,79, 83, 84, 85, 86, 95, 96, 99,111, 112, 120, 121, 141, 142, 143, 147, 148…and many more.

On the F & G loops on the hill, for tents, the F loop is compromised by tall Verizon towers directly in the center of the loop. See photo. The G loop is less impacted and best sites there are 140, 146, 149. The C loop has not been examined because it is so tightly packed that I wouldn't want to camp there.

I also would not camp in the upper loops which have serious maintenance issues.

That said, the trees are wonderful and the adjacent village has nearly everything one needs including showers and a laundromat. And, of course, Jackson Lake. We spent four days here.

Hosts are personable.