We spent 9 nights in Colter Bay RV park in a 30 ft travel trailer. It is a fairly large RV park, but still an easy walk from laundry, the store, the lake, and the visitor center. The sites were fairly level (the whole campground is on a downhill grade to the lake) and nicely spaced. We enjoyed being in the park, though on the north side it was a bit of a drive to Jenny Lake and Jackson. Overall, a pleasant experience and I would recommend.
You can’t really go wrong in the Tetons, bc…it’s the Tetons. We base-camped here for 4 nights to explore GTNP. only regret is that it made for some long drives down to the southern areas of the park/Jackson/Teton Village. If we did it over, might’ve split with some nights in Gros Ventre or even Granite Creek, but CB was good for us. it’s a busy mini-town with tons of activity, people, and tour buses during the day. But we benefited from the showers and laundry. plus, you can usually find a quiet place somewhere on the shore of Jackson Lake.
the CG Is huge but empties out every day by 10am (it filled up only a couple of the nights we were there). our spot was a little more spacious, which the kids enjoyed. most sites weren’t much to look at, but walk a few feet and you’ll see Mt Moran over thr trees, which makes up for it.
Only complaint was that we were told when arriving we couldnt take a particular site that was open bc it was being held for someone. i told the guard i thought all sites were FCFS with no reservations? we took the site across from that one, and nobody ever came for the site we wanted.
Having big bear boxes at every site was really appreciated. Grants Village in Yellowstone had one box half that size that was shared by 5-6 sites—nope!
The campsite itself was fine, bathrooms pretty dirty.
This campground was pretty amazing. We stopped at Jenny Lake and watched the sun set and then drove up to Colter Bay and I was very satisfied with our stay! There were a lot of campsites to choose from and they were not right on top of each other which I really liked. There were a lot of trees which also provided more privacy.
This is a large campground with 15 loops of 350 campsites plus group and hiker/biker sites as well as a separate RV park. Although during peak season, it will be full by late afternoon based on the times I've camped here in recent years.
Most sites are forested with good shade on Loops A-G while many sites on Loops H-O tend to be less forested. Many sites tend to have some scrub/underbrush and lack a designated tent pad (including this site).
Each loop has restrooms with flush toilets and running water as well as a utility room with a flush sink for washing dishes. Each restroom site also has a faucet outside for potable water.
Each site has a fire ring, picnic table, and bear bin.
There is a short trail to the shore of Jackson Lake for water activities, great views of the Tetons, a designated picnic area, as well as the marina and visitors center. Another trail takes you to the general store/deli and the laundry/shower facilities (both places have WiFi access although the general store network seemed faster). Firewood, ice, etc. can be purchased at the general store or at the gas station located just before you enter the campground.
There are multiple options for activities from this campground: hiking (Hermitage Point TH), horseback rides, boat cruises, scenic raft trips, fishing, kayaking, swimming, etc. Boat rentals and fishing equipment/licenses are available at the marina store.
Despite the number of sites/people, our site was pretty peaceful. Didn't see much wildlife around the campground this season, although there is a fox den near the general store that has been there the past few years.
Misc. Info: El 6800'; the South Gate of Yellowstone is 16 miles N; Jackson, WY is 40 miles S
This place is unbelievably beautiful! The campground is just a place to lay your head, but the hikes around Colter Bay are majestic! Church at the amphitheater was enjoyable, and the grocery store provided necessary items and ice cream treats daily!
This was a great campground! Though the showers were pay, they were well maintained and nice. There is a beautiful trail not far from the camping that gives you a great view of the Tetons. There is also a NPS visitor center that will give you any information you'd need!
Campground was very clean and well managed. All ammediates were readily available on the campground including laundry shower and convience store as well as restaurant. The canoe and kayak rentals to go on Jackson River well worth it. Defintly stop at the beach as well.
I got to Colter Bay village around noon and they had campsites still available, so we got one and put our yellow tag on our post right away. We left for the day and came back just after 8 pm and someone else was all set up in our spot and our yellow tag was gone. We had to drive around to find a place that was open to try and solve this issue because the campground was completely full and we would have no where to stay. A security guard came right away and was so friendly and helped us. We ended up sharing a campsite with the woman who accidentally got booked there. It was a simple human error and I ended up getting a refund. I appreciated the nice staff and the friendly campers a lot.
Besides that, this site is awesome. There is a ton to do within walking distance and tons of amenities offered. Our camp site was pretty big and had lots of trees around it, providing some nice shade in the morning. Apparently bears are common in this area, so locking up your food in the bear containers provided at each campsite is a must. We didn't encounter any bears and slept great. Went on a 2 mile walk on the lake shoreline trail and visited the visitor center for a while. Such a nice time!