We drove in from the north in my f150 and never put it in 4wd. That said sedan would be a no-no. We passed a few nice spots till we hit this one and what a view!! Get ready for horseflies though so pack some Off(DEET) spray
We stayed at site 16, and it provided an incredible view of the Grand Teton mountain range with tons of flowers and trees surrounding the area. It’s a bit more hidden compared to other sites with a path off the main road.
The main road was a bit rough for us to go up despite us having a 4x4 high clearance truck, but it’s pretty old and we saw a ton of trailers and RVs make it up the road. Other newer 4x4s made it up no problem.
We stayed three nights, and a couple pulled into our spot and stayed on our last night which we didn’t mind because the site is pretty big; site 16 can definitely host more than one group if you don’t mind sharing a spot.
There seemed to be a lot of people that would drive up the mountain, pass us, and then turn back around a few minutes later because all the spots were full. From what I saw, there were a lot of spots open from around 7am to 10am so that may be the best time to get there.
Forest service regularly drives around on UTV and checks up on people. They’re super nice and just want to make sure you’re doing okay and following the forest rules such as keeping your food/trash out away from bears and completely putting out your campfire (note: make sure you bring A LOT of water - like at least two gallons or so - to put out your campfire if you plan on having one because the strong wind on the mountain will keep the fire going. the couple that stayed in our spot with us got in a bit of trouble with forest service for not putting out their fire at the end of the night after they went in their tent for bed).
There’s a lot of little hiking trails in the area and there’s a small trail right below site 16 that a lot of people ride their bikes on.
Overall, it was a beautiful site that’s hard to beat.
Free, had an amazing view of the mountains even though it was a bit foggy the day that I camped. I made some awesome friends that night I camped here. And I felt safe!
We drove to this little loop, only to find each site either occupied, or empty but blocked with camp chairs and coolers to prevent anyone from taking the spot. Very open and windy here but great view of the Tetons.
Only the last mile or so was rough and rocky, but it was still very aggravating. Don’t recommend this area for larger vehicles. The road is narrow enough that when a vehicle was approaching from the other side, one of us had to scoot all the way to the side to let the other pass. Luckily we only ran across trucks and Subarus; I’d hate to think what would have happened if another RV was going the opposite direction as the side of the road was like a right angled curb most of the way. Big rigs should be advised this is not a good place for them. We made it in our 26’ class C but bigger than that would be tough.
Per the map posted on the info board, the Shadow Mountain Designated Campsite Area has 17 marked campsites at the base of Shadow Mountain, and another 32 marked campsites along Shadow Mountain Road. The Forest Service must have closed these sites though, because we didn’t see any other marked sites other than a few pullouts with a “no camping” sign. No cell service.
We showed up at 6:00 p.m. went up the right side and had to check every site by either walking down the paths or driving. All were full. There could be many more great sites but were for some reason marked as “no camping”. Definitely need a 4x4 for most of the road on the mountain. Be aware that going down on the left side there are no more sites until you get to the bottom. Great views of the Tetons if you can get there early!
We enjoyed our 5 day stay in June. The weather was wonderful and the view amazing.
The camp hosts kept the campground clean and organized. They were very friendly and helpful in finding animals to see. Highly recommended.
No spots open at all and no one marks off the drive-in ones so you have to constantly check them all then turn around and check the next one.
Super site, with bathroom. Great views of Teton mountain range and saw herds of Bison near us. Grest camp host. Would recommend this site 100%
The site is great, restrooms are conveniently located, and views are stunning.
We arrived on a Tuesday afternoon and got one of 3 spots left along the road over Shadow Mountain. Great spots and sites along the road with privacy, all spots are marked. Can make the road with 2wd and some clearance of accessed from the south side. There are 33 sites along the road (no pit toilet) and a lot with 17 sites and a pit toilet at the south end of the mountain base. Great views of the Tetons.
This spot was awesome! Take antelope road past Mormon Row and turn left! We didn’t go farther up the mountain because we had a low clearance vehicle but our campsite had a perfect view! Got there at about 2:00 PM Thursday and got the second to last spot. Great views, porta potties and free!
Felt like winning the lottery to be driving back in while a friendly camper van was pulling out and told us right where to go for an open site. The views are just outstanding all day long and you feel very much removed from the craziness of the visitors in main areas of the park. Pit toilets are a nice perk and are cleaned once a week I believe. Very nice campground host making sure site guidelines are followed. Worth the 15 min, bumpy as all get out drive past the Mormon Row to get there!
We love to stay away from all the hustle from the parks and this was our most favorite spot in the Grand Tetons. Probably the best view of a campground that we've came across. Very majestic! This is a pretty primitive place with no water or toilets and the road gets pretty rough as you go up the mountain. We went in June and let me tell you, if you cant stand mosquitoes then you may want to try somewhere else.
By far the best campsite views ever. We stayed at the first site at the bottom. The road in was a little bumpy, but not bad at all. Easily accessible to Tetons, Mormon Row, Jackson, and Gros Ventre. Had good cell service (AT&T & Verizon) mostly in the evenings. It is a sought after campground so be there early to get a site. We arrived early morning & had a choice of two sites, but they fill fast.
Oh my goodness! The views from our campsite are better than any we saw in the park itself! Very quiet and not too crowded! Arrived on a Wednesday and had our choice of 3 sites. By Saturday morning all the sites were full. You can stay 5 nights. Portapotties available and are serviced by the same company that does the park. No bugs. 10 minutes to Moose Junction. We hiked Jenny Lake and kayaked Sring and Leigh Lake. Signal Mountain has showers for 6 dollars! Worth it! There are shops at every lake! Loved everything about it here!
You will find yourself traversing up a gravel hill, slowly passing campsites as you go up. I would say there are probably 6 with a decent view of the Tetons and 3 of those have a great view! A few more have a great view of the other mountain ranges like ours, #6. It’s complete luck of the draw with getting a spot. We arrived at 1pm and got our great spot. There were some others still open at the bottom and top.
I live nearby and like to camp here. I would not expect to find a site here in the summer. It’s always just packed busy and even during the week too. It’s got great views so I see why it’s full. The road is pretty intense near the top, so if you don’t fond a spot, it kinda sucks having no camp spot and car sickness haha. But yeah if you get the chance to stay here it’s neat.
Rough ride up but worth the views. Arrive midweek for the best availability.
This area is absolutely gorgeous and not too hard to get to. For our camper van we didn’t venture too far up, but the spots got even more beautiful the farther up the hill you went. There’s a porta potty available, as well as bear boxes and fire pits.
There was tons of trash and lack of digging for the campers who didn’t venture to the porta potty. The place was packed and we were woken up by someone who came and parked on our camping spot around 9pm. With a night or two.
Beautiful camping!! Unfortunately we had smoke limiting our views. Highly recommend though!!
The views were the best part! And access to Teton Park and Jackson was very easy. The weather in September was all over the place, some light rain, a few fast moving storms, a day or two of wind, and a plenty of days of sunshine. We were lucky to find a spot on a Friday afternoon, but saw many others trying throughout our time there who had no luck. Two ways to get in, the one that passes Mormon row is the way to go, the other way is very rocky and had some washed out areas, so be aware of that. There are 3 loops that you can go through to look for spots, the first one has portable bathrooms that were very well kept!
Stayed for 2 nights in late September in one of the spots at the base of the mountain. Got in around 11:00am our first day to pitch our tent before going on a hike. The sites are close to one another, so if you want privacy, this isn’t the spot for you. Met our neighbors at the site and had a great time chatting with each other, enjoying the stars over some wine at night, and the sunrise against the Tetons over coffee in the morning.
There are 15 marked/designated sites at the base of the mountain and 23 more additional sites along the road up the mountain.
The road up the mountain is very bumpy and rough... many people are saying 4 wheel drive is a must - both our Jeeps made it up fine in 2 wheel drive, but probably doesn’t hurt to have 4 wheel drive just in case. If you have a low profile vehicle it might be a little challenging to navigate.
The sites are spread out enough to where you’re not right on top of other campers, and the views are absolutely amazing!! Highly recommend if you’re up to the drive!
These spots are accessible by 4x4 and AWD in the summer. Truly breathtaking views, but spots fill up really quick!
Great camp site especially since it is free! Before going I read through the reviews and didn’t think the road would be as bad as people say but it was ROUGH going up. Definitely recommend AWD or 4WD. My outback made it up but did overheat so bring extra water.
My husband and I just spent two nights at Shadow and it was incredible. You seriously cannot beat the views.
We tried to go for one of the spots up the road but had no luck so we went with one right off the road. This place is SO popular- we had people driving through looking for space all day. We do a lot of dispersed camping at home in CO and I’ve never seen this many people vying for the same spots. If you come through around 11am-ish, that’ll be your best chance!
Also, it’s important to be really bear aware here. On our first night, there was one meandering around just behind all the sites. We slept with bear spray in our tent. 🐻
Enjoy!!
Like others have mentioned the road is super bumpy but the views are phenomenal.
Make sure to Leave no Trace!
We drove all over but had no luck finding a spot (6pm). So bummed this spot looks like it has killer views of the Tetons. There’s two parts. First are single designated spots in dirt lots. Second are up the mountain and you’ll for sure need 4x4. Can’t wait to come back and try this place again. Good luck!
Imagine camping under the Grand Tetons... for FREE. This campsite is part of the Bridger-Teton National Forest. You go down some long gravel roads to the entrance, where there are some campsites at the base of the mountain. There is a road that goes up the mountain- which is pretty rough. You probably don’t need 4 wheel drive to get up, but a higher clearance would make it less stressful. I still have no idea how my Honda Civic made it up... but she did. The views were worth the stress. The Tetons were right there, right across the valley from us. Gorgeous. Absolutely amazing views. All around.
WARNING Although this is National Forest this area is designated camping only!! There are only a handful of sites at the base and along the road. The rangers are super strict about this as well. We had a Ranger come up to us (right before dark) and tell us we weren’t in a designated campsite. She was super kind about it, and thankfully the folks next to us at a designated spot let us join them! So make sure to get there early folks!!! So worth it!
In the Bridger Tetons National Forest, thus offering some sensational FREE campsites. Remarkable views of the Tetons at both lower and upper sites. Directions are easy and available online. Bathrooms available near parking spaces at the lower spots. Following the road up the hill leads to more sites. The road is rough, but our manual Honda Civic squeaked up there. There are not many sites available, SO GET THERE EARLY. People will try to cram into little flat spaces, but the forest rangers WILL show up and tell you to leave if you aren’t in a designated campsite.
