Best Equestrian Camping near Yellowstone National Park

This campground, like others near the east gate of Yellowstone National Park, are a terrific alternative to the crowded campgrounds in the park itself. The campground offers 20 large and spacious sites with lovely views of the nearby Shoshone River. Most sites have both shady and sunnier spots. There are no electric hookups, and there is no cell service, so this campground allows the chance to read, play cribbage, and enjoy a campfire and toasted marshmallows in peace. In early summer, the wild roses are beautiful. As noted in the campground description, there is no tent or pop-up camping allowed due to grizzly activity, and bear spray is recommended for walking around the campground or fishing.

First off, amazing location and easy travel between Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks. We visited June 2020 (snowed our first day) and stayed at spot #521. It's the only location you can see the Tetons from your campsite! You can also take a trail down to the Snake River. We saw a fox run through our first day (see video)! Probably the most we've paid to tent camp but well worth it! The campground offers amenities such as laundry and a bathhouse with hot water! Everything was very clean too. There was a gas station/store on property and a restaurant. Water and propane filling stations. Firewood for sale. The campsite itself offered full hookups, picnic table, bear box and a firepit/grill. Would stay here again but wouldn't mind checking out Jenny Lake campground!

Yellowstone National Parks back country campsite WF1 sits on the edge of a large meadow of wildflowers with amazing views of the mountains to the west. Campsite WF1 is the first back country site along Black Butte Trail in the North West corner of the park. It is about a 2.2 mile hike to the campsite from the trail head. Campsite WF1 is open to backpackers and stock animals, however I could see no evidence of any stock animals using this site recently. The site has a large rock fire ring in the cooking area with logs sitting around it to sit on. An arrow on a tree with the site number points to the sites toilet just up hill in the trees. Don't get to excited about the toilet, think of an outhouse with out any walls, and the hole in the ground is not very deep, but a back country site with a seat to sit on is a rare treat. Just on the other side of the large trees at the cooking area is a meadow full of wildflowers, the meadow slopes downhill making a flat area in the field for your tent hard to find, but you can find spots at the edge of the field just in the trees with flat spots for your tent. Water is no problem at this site, the creek is just next to the cooking area, best spot to filter the water is right where you cross to enter the campsite.

Black Butte Trail head(WK2) is located on U.S. Hwy 191. The trail head is easy to miss, the sign for the tail is on the east side of the Highway where the trail starts, the parking area is just south of the sign on the west side of the highway. You will need to obtain a back country permit to stay at WF1. The closest place to obtain a permit is at the visitor center in West Yellowstone. The cost is$3 per person with a maximum of$15 for the night. Site is limited to one group of ten.

Eagle Creek campground is a nice small 16 site campground a few miles above Gardiner Montana and only a few minutes from the Yellowstone entrance.  Getting to the campground requires a steep 2 mile drive which the road recommends 4 wheel drive for to help with the incline and to prevent washboard.  Sites sit in a grassy open area with willows and other small trees and bushes around the edge.  Small creek runs along the campground.  Site #1 would the site to get it you can, out of view from the rest of camp and has two picnic tables.  The site has a vault toilet.  All sites have a metal fire ring and picnic table. Bear proof food lockers for food storage at most sites.  No water or trash service.  I filtered water from the creek.  Their is a horse Corral adjacent to campground.  Campground was nice and quiet at night with great view of the night sky.  No cell service.