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

This review is specific to tent camping which I don’t think is the focus of KOA locations.

For the good, the facilities we super clean and there were personal shower/bathroom rooms for use. The shower was great after a week of car camping.

The camp store had the basic and was convenient.

The location was very close to West Yellowstone and the west part of the park.

However, the tent camping left something to be desired. Our loop was around the back of the campground, with the basics of a fire ring and picnic table, it there was no tent pad and the ground was generally pretty sloped.

The tent sites overall were sort of fit into extra spaces and had little privacy.

LOUD campground with no help to quiet folks down. This is a largely tent campground and drunks until 2am can really mess up a trip. The tent site we had was right out in the hot sun with no shade or privacy. Ask for the wooded areas! It was a wonderful location with lots of wildlife and very clean! A bull elk tried to eat our clothes which was funny. A Bison stayed behind our tent the entire time too. The showers are not too far and very clean.

Camping on the banks on the banks of the Warm River, which actually is quite cold, can’t get much better than this! There are several options here- tent camping in a tent only walk in area along the river banks and under some pretty good hammocking trees (best sites are #12, 13, 16, and 8 because they have some space from neighbors and are right on the river); RV sites with what looks like at least electric hook ups (best sites for river views and/or privacy are #2, 4, 6, 19); from what neighbors say is pretty good fishing; and an awesome alternative to camping at Mesa Falls if that campground is full. Walk down the road and cross the river to check out a protected area of the river where the fish are HUGE and you can stand with your toes in the river while you feed them bits of bread. The sites all have the usual picnic tables and firepits, with nice level tent pads, clean vault toilets, and firewood for sale from the campground host. The only two downsides are no showers and the campground is wedged between the road and the river, so there is quite a bit of road noise in the day which fortunately dies down once dark sets in. At that point the river covers the road noise (also helpful in the morning). The campground is close to a lot of hiking trails, but there are no trailheads in the campground (so I guess that makes three bummers). All in all, a cool place to camp.

Visited here June of 2019. It was first time in Yellowstone, so we didn’t know what to expect. This campsite has mixed RV and tent camping. The only downside is that campsites are very close together and some of the tent camp sites do flood (1”-4” of water) during rain as we saw during our visit. So if you are tent camping, check out your site carefully. Camp office staff was very friendly. The camp office sells firewood. There is a RV dump station at the marina across the street. The marina also sells fishing licenses and does kayak inspections (you have to have a sticker to use kayaks in Yellowstone waters). Big bison roam the campground as do an occasional bear, so use of the provided bear boxes and keeping your camp clean is highly recommended. Nice campground. Very crowded during summer.

The first clue of how large this campground is, is during check in. A whole row of agent's are checking campers in. Once you enter your loop however things become quiet. I stayed in a tent camping loop, where almost all campers were sleeping in their vehicles like me. The problem is, tent sites have on-loop parking, there is no driveway, so it was literally a string of parallel parked rigs on both sides of the road, and the road was sloped. Each site had a private bear locker for personal storage. Bathrooms have nice, enclosed large kitchen sink for meal clean up to prevent bear attracting smells at your site. This is a high altitude camp and was very cold (high 20s) at night. Great base for explaining Canyon country and Hayden Valley. Nearby lodge, shopping and groceries.

We spent quite a bit of time in the Colter Bay Village area during our visit to Grand Teton. We split time tent camping and staying in one of the historic Colter Bay Cabins. Reservations are not accepted for the campground and are assigned on a first-come, first-serve basis. We arrived at the campground to get in line around 7:00 a.m. and were able to get a sight within 15 or 20 minutes of the gate opening. 

We drove into our site and pitched our tent and then headed back out for the day to explore the park. We were so busy trying to get as much in that I didn't get any photos of the tent site. However, the sites are nicely spaced with a good deal of shade. Each site has a nice and clean fire ring, picnic table and ample flat ground for pithing a tent. 

The campground has bathrooms spaced within each loop. They have an area to drain dish water (separate from the bathroom) and flush toilets. I would say that the bathrooms are dated but we didn't experience them being gross or overly dirty as another reviewer mentioned. And yes, the campground is a little expensive which is normal for Grand Teton. In my experience, it is one of the most expensive parks to travel in. 

Our cabin at Colter Bay was wonderful! It was clean and just what we needed for a few nights. The folks in the office were attentive and friendly. The folks in the cabin next to us were a bit loud but it didn't impact our stay much. It wasn't spacious but it was plenty big enough to bring things in, get ready for a backcountry trip, shower and get a good night's sleep. No, they aren't cheap but we didn't mind splurging for a few nights!

I don’t like to leave bad reviews where I have not stayed. But, any review of a place should start with customer service.

I emailed this KOA requesting a tent say. I half-hour later I received an email back saying there were two sites but that I needed to call to reserve. I called promptly spoke to a person named Judy, her demeanor was less than encouraging. I relayed to her what the email had said and she barked at me and said we don’t send emails concerning availability. I said but I have one right here saying that you do have two tent sites. She said maybe we do have two tent sites but we don’t take emails, then she promptly slam the phone down and hung up on me. I emailed back and explain the situation at which point I was told sorry all tent sites are now unavailable.

Times like this I wonder, was it me? But I also realize that the year 2020, social distancing, pandemic, is also causing a rush on outdoor tent sites. There is stress all around. But, common courtesy should always prevail when you are customer facing.

Tent camping in yellowstone was great. Loved seeing the mountains, geysers, bison, hot springs, sunsets, and waterfalls.

Convenient for location in park. Keep food stored properly from animals and bears. Store, RV sites. I was tent camping.

We were there in early June and they had a cold front coming in with snow! Campground was for tent camping, no hookups.

Forget waking up at 2am to try and snag a site at Jenny Lake. This off-the-beaten-path campground in Teton NF only has 23 sites, with beautiful views of Lower Slide Lake and the mountains.

Best tent site is #19. Awesome view. (Warning: other tent sites can be a little lumpy and hard to find flat ground.)

Bonus: saw a herd of Bison driving to the campground in Antelope Flats.

Would definitely stay here again!

We tent camped with 3 kids for 4 nights in July. It was amazing. A bit loud on the one night and no ranger coming through but the views and beauty outweigh the loud people.

We drove back 10 miles but pretty sure it went back another 10-15. Great dispersed camping. Roads were well maintained. Drove the pickup back in for tent camping this August. Would recommend for a close spot by Yellowstone National Park.

Madison is a nice campground.  Our tent site was kind of on an incline.  Only downside is its fairly busy, however I don’t think there is really anyway around this in Yellowstone.

This is a really nice campground. The soft ground made tent camping comfortable. Clean bathrooms that were lit through the night. Some sites close to Jackson Lake beach access which provide stunning views. Arrived at 6:15am on a Sunday and felt so lucky to find an open spot.

We got a nice tent site in the park campground. Our site was small and there are many neighboring campsites. There was a nice bathroom with hot water and toilets. There was also water and dumpsters.

Bears are a serious threat here so you can’t even camp in a tent. We arrived with tents and were told we couldn’t sleep in our cars either so had to leave. YOU NEED A HARD SIDED CAMPER! We did get good looks at the place when we picnicked and hiked there before leaving. The road is dirt but should be accessible for most cars if it’s not too rainy. It was extra clean since the bears are such a big problem and it’s a little scary with all the bear warnings and visits. Real nice true wilderness feel though, great views, waterfalls, bluffs, on the way to Grand Tetons National Park.

This was my very first time tent camping and I was extremely nervous but I can’t imagine a better experience. The amenities were fantastic and the views breathtaking. I was there with my three small kids for 4 nights and we all had a great time. I can’t wait to come back.

Tenting inside Yellowstone was a real treat. Facilities all top notch. Wished our tent site had more tree coverage with the heat, hopefully the conservation efforts including keeping hammock ropes off direct contact help to keep the trees healthy. Hope to return again in the future!

This campground was cramped and all the tent sites are practically on top of each other. We also had a bad run (three days) of loud neighbors that made is unbearable and forced us to leave the campground.

Spent a few nights here with my family tent camping. Saw more tents, some rvs, campers etc all able to get to sites. Some Mountain View’s some creek views and access. Beautifully nestled in the woods yet close enough to amenities. The ranger or host at site 5 was helpful and aware of wildlife presence and kept us feeling safe. Can’t wait to come back.

We tent camped for a few nights over the summer with another couple. The sites were close together and we were right by the road, though it is super convenient to either Yellowstone or Grand Tetons. Also, having a little market onsite was nice to have.. Probably would give it 3 stars if it weren't for the convenience.

This campground offers everything. You can get full hookups, no hookups, electric only, group camping, tent camping, areas where you can use a generator and areas where you cannot. They have a small grocery store, a restaurant, bar, ice cream. Plenty if hiking trails, boating, boat rentals. If you can't find something to do here your not trying!

Stayed at RV site since the tent sites were full. Bathroom is clean and the dish washing section was a nice addition. Garbage disposal was in the loop, but the recycling was near the entrance. Shared bear proof food box close enough to you.