Looking for the best tent campgrounds near Wapiti? Finding a place to camp in Wyoming with your tent has never been easier. Each tent site offers quick access to one or more of Wapiti, Wyoming's most popular destinations.
North Fork Campground has 62 campsites and a reservable group camp area. North Fork boasts a playground, shower facility with flush toilets, a large riparian area, abundant wildlife and a large irrigated turf area to recreate in. North Fork generally has less visitor traffic and is better suited for shore fishing and visitors who want to relax with a little more solitude.
M-K is a free campground located 2.6 miles up the Main Fork Rock Creek Road #2421, not far from the Beartooth Highway. Mount Maurice Trail (#6) Corral Creek Trail (#9), Beartrack Trail (#8), Lake Fork Trail (#2), Parkside National Recreation Trail (#103), Hellroaring Plateau Trail (#11), Glacier Lake Trail (#3), Sheridan Campground, Rattin Campground, Parkside Campground, Limber Pine Campground and Greenough Lake Campground are also located in the Man Fork Rock Creek drainage.Camp sites: 10Max Trailer Length: 20ftHost: NoAccessible Facilities: Vault ToiletsTrash Pickup: NoFirewood: No. Don't move firewood to other areas or bring in outside firewood. Prevent the spread of tree-killing insects by obtaining firewood near your destination and burning it there.Reservations:No Reservations: This campground does not use a reservation system, it is managed on a first-come, first-served basis. Be aware the campground may fill up on weekends & holidays during the summer months and you should arrive in the early afternoon to ensure there is a space available for the night. There is a 16 day stay limit. Some sites have bear resistant food storage lockers.M-K Campground remains open year-round. In the off-season there are no services, the campground is not maintained, and roads are not plowed. If you visit outside the peak fee season, please bring your own water, toilet paper (outhouse will remain open), and please pack out your trash.Directions from district office:Drive south on US Hwy 212 towards Cooke City for 10.9 miles. Turn right onto the Main Fork Rock Creek Rd (FR #2421). Drive 0.9 miles past Parkside, Greenough and Limberpine Campgrounds. Turn leftjust have to Limberpine Campground to continue on the Main Fork Rock Creek Rd. Drive 2.6 miles to the campground.*Please be advised the Main Fork Rd. is bumpy and rocky, especially beyond M-K campground. High clearance vehicles are recommended.Information:Beartooth Ranger District6811 Hwy 212Red Lodge, MT 59068(406) 446-2103
Witness nature in all her splendor at our unique campground at the base of Heart Mountain. Big Quiet Camping provides a campsite for you to pitch your tent. You provide the tent, sleeping bag, pillow and gear; we provide a rugged cowboy camping experience including outhouse, tent shower, hammocks to stargaze by, fresh drinking water and an outdoor cooked breakfast. WARNING: You may want to stay longer!
Big Quiet Camping is a real, western camping experience. Please be fully aware that you are coming to immerse yourself in true Rocky Mountain camping experience. We also offer a full day of horseback ride in the Washakie Wilderness includes a backcountry cooked lunch, it is a trip of a lifetime. Our Location is just 3 miles east of one of Wyoming most studied geological anomalies Heart Mountain. Big Quiet Camping lies within the center of a 450 Organic acres of Common Ground Farms. This farm is one of the only USDA certified organic Farms in the state of Wyoming, and is also home to Rocky Mountain Organic Meats.
The LandGaze across thousands acres of beautiful grassland and sagebrush and witness the natural wonders that brought many Native Americans to Heart Mountain to harness its healing energy. If you’re looking to immerse yourself in a Cowboy or Native American camping experience then come to Big Quiet Camping. Enjoy the big starry skies, untamed lands and the rich cultural history of the Bighorn Basin. Your children will enjoy the Family Adventure of sleeping outside under the stars and planets of the Milky Way. And at the same learn about food and where it comes along with the effort it takes to raise food and process it.
Restrooms - Our Restrooms are similar to Restrooms in the National Forest. Well ventilated Mens and Womens Outhouse.
Showers - Our on demand hot water Shower is located in a 10'x 10' cedar floor Wall Tent within our camping area.
Activities - They say the best part of camping is sitting around the campfire at night; Wide open skies above you, the sound of coyotes howling in the distance. That stuff is real, not just fiction made up in spaghetti westerns, and that's why we have built a communal fire pit. Come on down and bring your harmonica, ukulele, guitar, djembe, or dobro!
If staying up late and burning the midnight oil around the fire isn't your thing there are numerous other activities on the ranch to partake in. We have a horseshoe pit, numerous hiking and mountain bike trails nearby, and you can also take a tour of the ranch and learn a little bit about where our nation's food really comes from.
$65 - $150 / night
Meeteetse, Wyoming is located about 30 miles south of Cody on State Highway 120. The Greybull Ranger District is accessed from Meeteetse, using State Highway 290 along the beautiful Wood River. The ghost town of Kirwin on the Shoshone National Forest is a two-hour drive on the Wood River Road (the last few miles are rough - 4-wheel drive recommended). Meeteetse is a small town with wooden boardwalks, hitching rails, and water troughs on main street. From Meeteetse, you can access the Absaroka Mountains and the Wyoming Bad Lands.
The Bobcat-Houlihan Campground is at the trailhead of the Bobcat-Houlihan Trail. It features interpretive kiosks, horse trailer parking, horse hitching rails, food storage boxes and toilet facilities.
Fishhawk Trailhead is one of the more popular trailheads in the North Fork of the Shoshone River corridor. Trails leading from this area can take you to the North Absaroka Wilderness and the Washakie Wilderness. 16-day stay limit Water: Available This site is not accessible to persons with mobility impairments. No cell service Notes: Hard sided camping only. No tents or pop-up campers allowed. Maximum spur 60 feet
The Hogan and Luce Campground has five individual camp sites and one group site. It is located near two reservoirs. The campground next to the Hogan Reservoir has picnic tables, toilet facilities, bear-proof food storage boxes, grills/fire rings, horse trailer parking, horse stanchions, a boat ramp and hitching rails.
Pahaska Trailhead is one of the more popular trailheads for horse use along the North Fork of the Shoshone River. Trails leading from this area can take you into the North Absaroka Wilderness.
GuideThe brochure said '10 tent sites', but when we got there, they do not allow tent camping. The ladies in the office were very, very helpful in trying to look up other campgrounds in the area for us.
Traveler
Tent camped for 1 night along the river. The tent sites are close together so it was pretty noisy with people snoring and rustling around in their tents. It’s right off a main road so there’s a lot of traffic noise as well. This spot might be better for RV campers. For tent sites you aren’t allowed to park on the grass so you have to haul everything from your car. Great views all around. Don’t forget bug spray!
Guide
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.
GuideVisited 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.
Legend
Crazy Creek Campground is a nice wooded campground near the North East entrance to Yellowstone National Park. Crazy Creek is also the last developed campground as you head to the park that allows for tent camping, from here to the entrance the campgrounds allow only hard sided camping units due to bear activity.
Crazy Creek campground is a 16 unit campground. Each site has plenty of trees which was great as it allowed my to use my hammock. Each site has a picnic table and metal fire ring and plenty of room for your tent. Campground has a vault toilet. No water is available. Campground is not ADA accessible. Bear storage lockers are available as food must be stored in your car or one of the lockers. Dumpster is available for your trash. Sites are just $10 a night, but they fill up fast. A great feature of this campground is the Crazy Creek trail. A trail from the campground takes you across the highway to the trail, a very short hike brings you to Crazy Creek falls.
ScoutThis is one of the most picturesque places to camp. Surrounded by mountains and right on the Shoshone River, this is a bit of Heaven on earth.
There is only one flush toilet/(paid) shower facility in the North Fork campground (none in Lake Side), but there are accessible vault toilets within walking distance from anywhere. The tent sites have HUGE tent pads, plenty of room for our 9x12 cabin tent and solar panels. All sites have large concrete picnic tables and the tent sites have privacy walls which are separate to the tent pads. And the tent sites are spaced very far apart, so you never feel cramped.
Cody, WY is pretty close if you need to stock up on supplies and Yellowstone is just 44 miles down the road.
RangerTent camping in yellowstone was great. Loved seeing the mountains, geysers, bison, hot springs, sunsets, and waterfalls.
Ranger
Nice RV Park with lots of trees and a pretty river running next to the park. Tent camping is ok and there are some small cabins.
Ranger
This campground is about equal distances from the east entrance to Yellowstone park and Cody, WY. By Wyoming standards, it's a large campground (40 sites, many with electric hookup). The campground does permit tent camping, which the campgrounds closer to the east entrance do not. That being said, it lacks the intimacy and atmosphere of many Wyoming campgrounds. One must endure the sounds of generators and the highway. It's definitely a good place to camp while getting from Point A to Point B, but much better options exist for a relaxing camping trip.
Scout
Right on the woods inside Shoshone National Forest. We had a spectacular view, and easy access to area attractions. Primitive camping with picnic tables at campsites. Pit toilets available. Self registration. Very private, and outside of grizzly country so you can tent camp.
TravelerThe tent sites didn’t have electricity but that was fine for us. The price was good & the owner was nice. We just spent a night here heading to Yellowstone
RangerWhat a gorgeous view! This state park has the best view and is a wonderful base camp for Yellowstone. Only 8 miles from Cody! Make sure and stake your tent down there is some wind. The tent sites do have a wind break wall.
GuideWe 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.
Ranger
Great spot to re-group... Since we could not get a spot in YS for our rig, we use BBST as a home base. We were able to leave our rig to tent camp in YS. And yes is very windy at times.... Also watch out for the bugs they can be ferocious went the wind does down.
Traveler
This campground is just outside Cody, WY. Easy access for people just passing through, just off a main road. They offer free pancake breakfast in the morning and a very cute store with almost every necessity for campers. tent sites, RV sites, cabins, and TeePees!
Legend
Pebble Creek is a cool little campground that because of it's location in Yellowstone National Park, it offers a much different experience compared to most of the other campgrounds in the park, ie, it's more like just being in the mountains, and it's also off the beaten (heavily beaten) tourist path.
There are bears in the area though, so be careful, especially in tents (sometimes they won't even allow tent camping here)
LegendWe entered Yellowstone through the Northeast from Silver Gate Montana to avoid traffic and locate a smaller campground. Pebble Creek was great for tent camping. There are about 30 sites at this location which is best suited for tent campers or those traveling with a small camper or van. The have the toilets and fire pits. They don’t take reservations at this site. You need to be here early to get a site. The wildlife is the area is amazing. We saw plenty of bears and bison everywhere. Yellowstone did not disappoint. The summer crowds were overwhelming in some of the more popular area. I would like to come in the off-season and do some more hikes.
Guide
My wife and I were able to stay here for 3 nights. The grounds feature vault toilets, campfire rings, food storage lockers, and even a hand pump for water. There is someone who sells firewood at the camp which makes things easy on everyone. The tent site was level and large. There are some good hiking trails but they are open to mountain bikers so heads up! They may get pretty muddy. The kayaking was peaceful. I didn't catch much fishing but that's my fault not the campsites! We were on the Wild Bill Lake.
GuideWe came into this campground on a Wednesday and picked the best of three open sites. There were a lot of reserved sites, but they were mostly coming in on Friday.
The site was beautiful and very close to the river (the sound was great). The vault toilets were very clean. The water was available through a easy to use hand pump. The camp hosts had firewood for $5.00 per bundle.
We were tent camping and the site had a large pad, a place for my hammock, a nice wooden picnic table, and a GREAT fire ring. The sites were all very far apart from each other.
GuideWe didn't get to spend a ton of time here, just one night, but it's a pretty standard KOA. All the things you'd expect, like the activities and lodging options. We stayed in a kamping kabin and got a queen+ bunk beds version which I wasn't expecting. We had thought we had the queen-bed only. There wasn't much to be done about it as everything was booked. The bathrooms were clean and the dishwashing station was well maintained. The pool looked nice but we didn't get a chance to test it out. The tent sites along the side of the property were shaded and looked nice, but the ones in the middle were pretty basic with no trees.
GuideWe were so lucky to find this campground! It is a perfect base camp for exploring the east entrance to Yellowstone Nat'l Park. We were looking for a tent camping site & found exactly what we wanted in the lower loop sites #38 & 37. These are RV sites without hookups ($30/night). These sites are reserved through an online site, but the attendant helped us make our reservation when we drove up. The only bad thing is that people reserve sites online & then don't show up. Because the sites are "reserved" no one else can camp there. There is a vault toilet & water pump. The upper loop has very nice pay showers. Firewood is available for a donation or you can collect your own. We have stayed here 8 days & loved it!
Guide
We were visiting Yellowstone and camped here, just 15 or so minutes from the Northeasr entrance. It was early June and we did not have a reservation, but we almost has the place to ourselves. We were tent camping, but each site could be tent or RV.
it is a nice flat campground full of beautiful wildflowers and scrub bushes. Vault toilets which were super clean and drinking water from faucets outside the bathrooms.
Steel bear boxes at each campsight which I would suggest using as we saw a mmma Grizzly and two cubs not 15 minutes from camp as we entered Yellowstone.
We paid in the honor system as we never saw a sign of the camp hosts being present. We paid $10 a night with our senior pass
We didn't see much wildlife in camp, but there was evidence of them and a beautiful river runs behind the camp.
Wehave a great Big Agnes tent I would suggest that you secure your tent well, and use all guy lines . It was unbelievably windy and two other campers' tents were mangled when we arrived at the site, due to wind.
Although it is fairly close to the highway, it drops down into a small valley and we could not see or hear the cars going by.
RangerThis family owned and operated campground is located outside of the quaint town of Red Lodge and at the entrance to Beartooth Scenic Byway. At first glance you might not thing it is that great but tent sites give you a primitive feel and are right on the heavy flowing Rock Creek making sleeping nice. We had the only kids onsite but quickly found out from other campers this is a site that has repeat visitors and most were older travelers or bikers. Kids are welcome! The mosquitoes in the area can carry you away so prepare your campsite for that. The shower houses were so clean with plenty of hot water! This is a cash only campground! Our recommendations for the area are to spend one day driving Beartooth Scenic Byway and then crossover Chief Joseph Scenic Byway. Stop at the lookouts! We also went white water rafting with Adventure Whitewater! So fun! Bogarts has great food. Enjoy!
RangerPebble Creek was our favorite campground in Yellowstone National Park. A less crowded area of the park, probably why we loved it! 27 sites and all are available first come first serve- no reservations! The location and lack of reservations make this a quiet, peaceful campground. It sits at 6900 feet elevation. All sites have a table, fire ring, and food storage locker- it is bear country! There are vault toilets and seasonally there is potable drinking water. Our first night there we stayed in one of the"pull out sites" on the west side of the campground. It was ok, however they are not true pull outs, you just park on the side of the park road.... not bad considering the low use of this campground. On our second night we scored a spot on the east side right across from Pebble Creek.... it was perfect! We enjoyed drinks in our chairs at the creekside and a beautiful night listening to the peaceful sounds of the creek. It appears they have changed the site numbers since we visited to add some tent sites, so do not pay attention to the site markers in our old nostalgic photos!
Legend
This was the first Forest Service campground I came to that allowed tent camping heading northeast out of Yellowstone and Cook City(mostly due to bear activity in, appropriately enough, the Beartooth Mountains). It’s a beautiful campground that is close to the road, but most of the road noise gets drowned out by Crazy Creek as it flows past the campground on its way to the Clarks Fork River. I think the best sites are 12 and 14 as they are at the back of the loop overlooking the River valley below and looking straight back at the mountains. With the bear activity in nearby campgrounds and in Yellowstone, I went ahead and put everything in the bear box instead of my car (bears are getting good at opening cars like tin cans). I was equally excited and nervous to see the wild strawberries in full fruit all over the ground in a couple sites as well. The vault toilet was clean and the campground host let me know that since there is no water in the campground, I was welcome to fill a water bottle or two at his huge water tank (not sure if this was offered to all or just to me, so be sure to bring your own water just in case).
LegendDates: May (mid)- Oct (mid)
Fees: $20.00 single with electric $15.00 single without electric
$30.00 to $40.00 for double
Sites: 41
Reservations: 877-444-6777 or recreation.gov
Wapiti (pronounced Wa-puh-tee) means "elk". Potable water, pit toilet, trash, picnic table, fire ring, bear box. Campground is flat with gravel base for sites and road, nice private sites with most of the campground along 14/16/20 highway. Check out the nearby Wapiti Wayside to learn about grizzly bears and other wildlife in the area. Having the Shoshone River and the backdrop of the mountains is a beautiful delight.
LNT
BTYFI
Travel safe
LegendIn all honesty, our 1-night stay in Wapiti was kind of a necessary evil. Yellowstone campgrounds are notoriously difficult to get into, and after researching options online I decided that Wapiti - which is within the Shoshone National Forest outside the Yellowstone park boundaries - would be a good place to spend the night prior to actually heading into Yellowstone proper. It's about 1/2 way between Cody, Wyoming and the east gate to Yellowstone and it will take you approximately 30 minutes to reach either. There is a good mix of reservable sites and first-come, first-served sites, and we were able to reserve a site near the river. We camped here in late July and arrived at approx 7 PM and all of the first-come, first-served sites were already taken, which speaks to the popularity of the greater Yellowstone area in summer. Our site (#08) had electric as well, and was close to one of the restrooms. I do have to say, that was the cleanest (single) vault toilet restroom I have ever used in my life, which I can appreciate.
Being so close to the river (North Fork of the Shoshone), this campground was extremely buggy during our visit in July, which is genreally the case for this entire part of the country (especially Yellowstone) - bring a lot of Picaridin! The river itself is very fast through this area, so be careful if you have younger children. We did not do any fishing here, but there was a family fishing from the bridge (Sweetwater Creek Rd.) using pink scented 'marshmallows' (trout bait) that the locals told them worked the best - they had not caught anything yet.
We traveled back through the national forest into Cody for dinner and ate at Millstone Pizza Company and Brewery and I would recommend it. The beer was pretty good (we split a 6-sample flight to taste everything), and the portions were great. I got a meatball sandwich that was huge and delicious, and the specialty pizzas looked fantastic as well.
Wapiti, Wyoming, offers a stunning backdrop for tent camping enthusiasts, with picturesque landscapes and a variety of campgrounds to choose from.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Wapiti, WY?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Wapiti, WY is North Fork Campground — Buffalo Bill State Park with a 4.6-star rating from 34 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Wapiti, WY?
TheDyrt.com has all 14 tent camping locations near Wapiti, WY, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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