Best Dispersed Camping near John D. Rockefeller Jr. Memorial Parkway

Dispersed Camping Reviews near John D. Rockefeller Jr. Memorial Parkway

461 Reviews of 100 John D. Rockefeller Jr. Memorial Parkway Campgrounds

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  Natalie B.

  Legend

  Aug. 14, 2017

  Shadow Mountain Dispersed Camping

  Awesome view!

  A bit of a drive and a rough road, but totally worth it! Off of antelope flat Rd, take a left at the dead end toward the national Forest land. Then you will veer left on the dirt road. There is a camping area at the base of the mountain but if you continue on up the mountain there are many, many dispersed camping pullouts. Beautiful views of the Tetons and excellent wildflowers. There are sites that have some shade and trees but several are pretty exposed. This is a very popular place on the weekends so make sure you get there early to set up camp (or avoid it if you like quite on a Saturday night). No water, no toilets, just a free place to camp with established fire rings! Dogs are welcome.

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• 

  Nicki S.

  Guide

  Jul. 17, 2024

  Darby Canyon Dispersed

  Darby

  I have not personally spent the night camping here, but I do work for the Forest Service and wanted to give more information about the Darby Canyon dispersed camping sites. I also had a friend stay here for three nights last September and they had a good time. There are about 10~ sites (I will check and edit when I can) all along the canyon road, some are just right off road and others require a short drive down beaten paths to find the sites. All of these sites (except 2 or so very close to the road) are past the cattle guard. Depending on the time of year, many of these sites may not be accessible. Snow typically stays in the canyon until mid-June and starts collecting in October. The area may also be buggy at the height of the summer (July 2024 had been atrocious). There is limited cell service down most of the road and it completely disappears the closer to the Wind Cave trailhead you get. This area has a 14 day stay limit, meaning that once 14 days (13 nights) have been reached you must move at least 5 miles away to continue camping on forest service land and cannot return to this canyon to camp for 30 days. This is in a bear food storage enforced area and any bear attractants (food, pet food, soaps, sunscreen, etc.) are required to be stored properly in a locked hard sided vehicle or other bear resistant containers. Fires are allowed but must be put out dead (cold to the touch) before leaving a campsite. This canyon is regularly patrolled by Forest Service staff and ranger law enforcement officers, especially on the weekends, to keep up with the food storage and fires out dead orders. Hope this helps weary travelers that are deterred by low-rated reviews.

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• 

  Katherine B.

  Ranger

  Jun. 26, 2018

  Curtis Canyon Dispersed Camping

  Solitude but close to town

  Great option if the Curtis Canyon campground is full, or if you would prefer something a little more remote. High clearance vehicles recommended - forest road 30440 is in pretty rough shape. Town of Jackson is fairly close.

  Same great views you'd expect anywhere near the Tetons; trailhead to Goodwin Lake is close by. Full Teton view is better at the trailhead, but its not far. Dispersed sites are spread out with plenty of space; although no one stayed in the site next to us on this rainy evening in June.

  To get there, continue past the Curtis Canyon campground in Bridger-Teton National Forest (behind the Elk refuge) as if you were heading to the trail head. You'll start to see marked sites along the extremely rutted forest road. I would not attempt very muddy conditions.

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• E

  Eric P.

  Legend

  May. 23, 2024

  Upper Teton View Dispersed

  Awesome view

  We spent one night mid May here on the way to Yellowstone. The view was awesome. With that said the upper road to the main camping area was closed off by the forest service at the lower parking area / pit toilet. The view made it worth the trip up. Not sure when the road will open up to the main dispersed site. Be aware that there is only enough room for about 20 campers / vans in the lower area. There is room for about another 15 cars and tent camping. Arrive early! Plenty of hiking and well worth it if you get a spot!

• 

  Sydney C.

  Traveler

  Jul. 26, 2022

  Shadow Mountain Dispersed Camping

  Rough road, but worth it

  We stayed here 3 nights and absolutely loved it. Definitely a rough road and can be tougher to find a spot if you come later, but we made it up in a low clearance camper van by taking it very slow and the views are awesome. It’s quiet and super close to the Moose entrance for the NP. We were higher up (#10) and had great Verizon service. Bathroom all the way at the bottom also. Can only camp in designated spots. Definitely recommend

• A

  Alex W.

  Scout

  Jul. 17, 2023

  Gros Ventre Road Dispersed

  Beautiful riverside camping

  We camped here in a 4x4 Sprinter van in early July and it was one of the best dispersed sites we’ve ever experienced. It took about 45min driving East from Antelope Flats Road to reach the site. The service road out to the turnoff is very easy, a 2WD crossover could make it in clear conditions. I wouldn’t be comfortable taking the turnoff itself down to the river without high clearance and 4WD as it’s steep and uneven.

  There were two clearly defined camping spots with primitive fire rings, each directly on the banks of the river with views of the cliff side opposite the river.

  Zero service and amenities but a wonderful experience. We got there at about 6pm on a Friday and the other site was filled.

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• 

  Austin R.

  Ranger

  Aug. 31, 2017

  Bridger-Teton National Forest

  Ranger Review: Klymit Insulated Static V in Bridger-Teton National Forest

  Campground Review

  Alright. I was planning on staying in Grand Teton National Park, but since it was the Thursday before the 2017 Solar Eclipse the Park was full. And I am glad it was. I decided to just drive down a Forest Service Road and ended up on FS 30165 in a valley with wonderful views of the Tetons. There was even a creek a short walk away where I could filter water. The site I picked out was around 8 miles (20 min) from the main paved road into the park and around 50 min from the Visitor Center. Since it is in bear country you need to make sure you have a bear proof cooler or store everything in your car. While I was there the NFS had placed a fire ban due to the sheer number of campers in the area for the eclipse, I believe that fires are allowed otherwise.

  Product Review

  As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get products to test from time to time - over the summer I tested the Insulated Static V from Klymit.

  I put this pad through the ringer for sure. I used it no less than once per week during June, July, and the first half of August. It still looks good as new. This pad is incredibly comfortable for all types of sleeping positions. At an R-value of 4.4, it packs down to just slightly bigger than a Nalgene water bottle and weighs only 25 oz. The bag that it comes with is slightly oversized, which means that you can actually get it back in the bag with little issues every time even if your roll is slightly sloppy. It also comes with a patch kit so you can fix it in the field should an issue arise, not that I have ever needed it.

  I can also attest to Klymit's customer service as well. Prior to getting the Insulated Static V, I owned one of the original Static V pads. That pad survived from 2012-2016 until the valve developed a slight leak. I contacted Klymit to check out their warranty. They told me pads are covered under a lifetime warranty and after shipping it back to them I received a brand new pad within 2-3 weeks if I'm remembering correctly. So not only are the products great, but they stand behind them too!

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• 

  Mark B.

  Guide

  Sep. 9, 2024

  Bootjack - Dispersed Camping

  Bootjack Dr.

  A good amount of dispersed areas here. All the areas in the open meadow area closer by the road was occupied. We choose a dead end road and had the area all to ourselves. Had to back up the road about 200 feet because there was no turn around for the size of our rig (36 foot 5th wheel). But it is doable.

• 

  Scott V.

  Guide

  May. 28, 2023

  Shadow Mountain Designated Campsite 1

  Awesome Views

  The dirt road in is rough steep and narrow. Recommend high clearance as the road has ruts. They will close the road to snow and move the barrier up as it melts. Sites are spread out and numbered. The views are amazing. Spot 1 is in the aspen trees.