Best Tent Camping near Shoshone National Forest

Open:  May Mid - Sep Mid

Reservations:  877-444-6777 or recreation.gov

Fees:  $20.00 for single with electric

           $15.00 for single with no electric

Accessible to persons with mobility issues

water   pit toilet   bear boxes   fire ring   picnic table   lantern pole   

Nice wide and clean sites with flat surface topped with gravel.  Campground is more or less level but the background views are just amazing.  The campground has sites that are great for the larger RV's and one of the few along the 14/16/20 highway that has electricity.  Most of the sites are open which works for solar but not so great in the summer with the heat.  There are a lot of trees but they are a bit scrawny.  The Shoshone River runs along the side of the campground.

The campground was named after a firefighter who died in the Blackwater Fire in 1937.  There is a Fire Fighter Memorial about 1 1/2 miles from the campground

Stayed at Pacific Creek campground Aug 13-15. There are 8 dispersed campsites and 6 (I think) “official” sites. The cost was $10 per car.

We stayed in spot #4 of the official sites because there was a fire ban in place unless you stayed in a campsite with a metal fire ring.

It was a nice alternative to the larger campsites within Grand Teton Park. Because it was slightly out of the way it was much quieter and didn’t fill up as quickly.

Our site had a picnic table, metal fire ring, and bear box for storage. The site also had a communal bathroom. Nearby was a creek and a small trail. There also seemed to be a company doing trail rides not too far away.

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.

Camped here in the middle of Sept 2024. This primnitive campground was in offseason mode; open for hunting season. Usual fee was waived. Stayed in site #2 for one night; large site. Great site along Horse Creek and a smaller creek that emptied into it. Site was on a level dirt surface; clean. Included a bear box, picnic table and metal fire ring. Vault toilet was resonably clean considering the time of the year and had a little bit of tp in it. Water was shut off for the winter. Tent camping is possible; can't say this for hammock camping. Possible hiking nearby. No T-Mobile nor AT&T cell service. I was the only occupant in the campground. A few vehicles drove by. Otherwise, Quiet and peaceful. Would definitely consider staying here again. Loved this location.

I guess all things are grand in Grand Teton NP, this campground is enormous! 350 sItes! This was a spontaneous trip into the park, at the entrance it shows which campgrounds inside the park still have sites available. The ranger suggested Colter Bay as his favorite with availability. It was an hour and half drive from the southern most entrance be Teton Village. I arrived at the queue line to get a site just after 8 pm. I was able to snag the second to last site available! It was an RV site, but had a nice tent pad as well. Generators are required to be off at 8 pm so I didn’t experience what it was like with all the generators running in this area. The sites are roomy for being so many. There are bear boxes for food storage, fire pit with grill, and a picnic table available at each site. Each loop has 1-2 restroom facilities available that have flush toilets and a wash area available.
Outside the campground there is a full service restaurant and grocery store. The pay showers and laundry are right next to the market, less than a half mile from camp. There is also a gas station where you enter the Colter Bay Area.

Activities galore! I had my mountain bike with me and had planned on biking some of the many trails but they are foot traffic only. You can bike in the park on paved trails. They discourage trail running because it could aggravate a bear if encountered. They have boat rentals at the marina I was going to rent a kayak for a quick morning paddle, but they have a 2 hour minimum and I didn’t want to pay $50 for 1 hour use.

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.