We stayed in a travel trailer at Grant Village campground for 10 days. This is a dry site (no hook-ups). Because we selected a site next to the comfort station, grey water and sewage storage was not a problem. There was a shower site we had to drive to right down the street; we were given a "pass" for one shower for each adult each day. A little annoying but doable (the water was hot and unlimited). The site was a little tight with our 34 ft rig but it worked without damage to the local foliage. A little on site selection: when you reserve for the campground, you don't select a site. We arrived at 1 pm and selected our site then. The rush for sites was typically around 6-7:30 pm, so I recommend arriving early. Our site was frequented by elk and deer. The lake was a very short walk down the hill. The Village had a grocery, cafe, restaurant, post office, visitor center, and souvenir shop. Would highly recommend.
Great campground! I had plenty of room for a 3 person and 4 person tent with room to spare. There was a great fire pit and picnic table and the bathrooms were close by as well as a dish washing station and water spickets. The map was easy to follow and the site was easy to find. There are a lot of campsites but I felt we had enough privacy even with campers on on 2 sides of us. There was parking for 2 cars at our site. Also showers were available. After spending the day on the west side of the loop this was a great spot to end out day!
My husband and I stayed here for our honeymoon this past June. I had never been to Yellowstone but was very pleased with this campground. It was in great proximity to a beautiful lake and was very quiet. We did have to drive to a lot of the sites we wanted to see but that didn't bother us too much. We also got 1 shower each per person each day which was an added plus! Lots of wildlife nearby, we heard coyotes multiple nights as well as elk but luckily nothing came stomping through our campground.
This is a nice campground for Yellowstone. No electrical, but your reservation includes one free shower per person.
We stayed here two nights. Although the campground is enormous, the individual sites are pretty well-spaced out. We were in a tent-only loop (Loop J) which was nice because we didn’t hear any RV noises. The campground has showers and laundry facilities, too. I would camp here again, though I preferred Canyon Campground within the park.
The campsite was very roomy. Unfortunately you cannot pick a campsite you won't know what campsite you will be on until your arrive. The website for reserving does not explain why you cannot reserve a certain site, but when we arrived I asked them and was told that due to bear activity they often close loops. This would have been good information to have initially so I wouldn't stress so much. I am used to looking at what is available and picking the best out of the choices.
Also, I have camped in Yosemite several times and there is a bear box on each campsite. Yellowstone has 1 box that is shared between 2 -3 sites. Some boxes are very small and will not accommodate a cooler. So, you may ask what do you do with food/coolers that won't fit. You put them in your car. This idea was so foreign to me as we have always been told never keep anything with an odor in your car/truck when camping with bears.
After overcoming all the logistical obstacles we thoroughly enjoy our stay. With each night you have 2 showers per site which is very nice. The showers were wonderful and no time limit.
All in all the 5 nights were amazing. Even in the rain. There are mosquitoes even when the evening temperature dips into the 30's.
This is a great campground, drinking water, clean restrooms, bear boxes at every site. You have a good amount of space for yourself but you will definitely hear and see your neighbors. There is a beautiful walkway to a lake with a beach area that we loved going to.
We had a great site next to Yellowstone Lake. Showers (2 free per night) were good and clean. No complaints!
Camping is a great way to see Yellowstone and this is Yellowstone. The sites are adequately sized for space and privacy but do vary. The National Park requires that tents are no larger than 12X12 and fit onto camping pad. However, many tents a little larger were set up when the campsite allowed for the space. I get the feeling that they will only guarantee a space up to 12X12, rather than taking a measuring stick to strictly enforce tent size. Some sites to have a pad defined by railroad ties that form a 12X12 square (at least in Canyon Village--I didn't see them in Grant, but the campground is very large).
There are several bathrooms with flushing toilets, dishwashing stations, and drinking water. There are bear boxes randomly spaced and intended to be shared by 2 or 3 sites; however, storing food and water in the vehicle is an acceptable option.
Sites are reservable; however to maximize efficiency, spaces are assigned by management. We arrived at 7 pm and while it was only a short line at the check-in, we had to wait over an hour to do so. I don't know if this is normal--but allow for ample time to check-in.
2 showers/night are included with each campsite. Additional showers cost about $8 for as much time as is needed. The showers are in a single location for the entire campground and as a result will likely require driving (unless you prefer to spend your time hiking on a paved camp road than the many gorgeous trails throughout Yellowstone). There is a large laundromat (which came in handy when my 10 year old got sick all over his sleeping in the middle of the night).
There is an adequate market in the village; however, the range of supplies were fairly limited. Other national parks I have visited, that actually have villages and markets, have all had a larger range of groceries than the one in Yellowstone. Try to stop at a grocery store on your way into the park if you need to resupply. There is also food service in the same building as the market, and a short walk away, there is a restaurant that overlooks Yellowstone lake (they have a great breakfast buffet). There is a gas station with a convenience store that offers additional selections. Firewood can be purchased at check in, the market, or the gas station, and when one runs out the other may still have supplies. However, our firewood was not seasoned (dry) and impossible to burn. I'm not sure if there would have been better options in town before entering Yellowstone--but always remember to buy where you burn!
Yellowstone is tremendously large! We left before 7 one morning to drive the lower loop. We stopped at Daisy Geyser, Norris Geyser Basin, the lower Yellowstone Falls, and the boiling mud pots before pulling back into our campsite at 8 pm. This campground is the closest one to the Old Faithful Basin, but furthest from anything on the upper loop. It would take about 7.5 hours to drive from Grant to Mammoth and back to Grant, and that's without stopping or Buffalo Jams. And it's Yellowstone, so worth the effort, but it's the Disney World of National Parks. Throughout the summer, be prepared for crowds, lines, and waiting for parking spaces to open up. Otherwise, chill out, relax, you are on vacation!
Campsite Review:
Big. Beautiful. Right on the Lake.
This is one of the few campsites that I've been to that has just about every amenity that I could want. There are flush toilets, showers, laundry, general store and restaurants. But, there aren't any electric/water hook-ups at the sites, which for me isn't that big of a deal.
I have to admit, I spent most of my trip away from the campsites exploring the park, but the time I did spend in the park was pretty awesome. We went in the middle of June and there was still snow on the ground over much of the park including the campsites. We ate dinner one night at the Grant Village restaurant, and really wasn't impressed compared to how much it was. I'd much rather just have cooked myself, but I'm all about the experience so we tried it.
Other than the number of people, even though it's expected at Yellowstone, we loved the site and will definitely keep it in mind when we go back. Just remember to get a reservation about 6 months out to secure your site.
For a video review of this site CLICK HERE
Product Review:
As a Ranger for TheDyrt, I occasionally get products to test, and on this trip I was able to test the A5 Soft Shell Action Shirt from Beyond Clothing. When I was looking for something to get from Beyond Clothing it took awhile to pick something out. Eventually, I settled on the soft shell and boy were we happy I did.
When we got to the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone my wife and I were afraid that we didn't pack right for the kind of weather we were having. That was until we put on our soft shells. They were great in keeping us warm in the morning when the temps were cool and but were still breathable while we hiked to prevent us from getting too hot.
We definitely lucked out with this buy. Love them!
For more product video reviews CLICK HERE
Camping with the GO: Day 12
During our road trip around the US, I was able to try out the GO camper from SylvanSport. For the first week and a half of our trip we didn't have a drop of rain. I guess Mother Nature was saving it all up for Yellowstone. While in the GO we never had to worry about any of our stuff getting wet, and we were also able to sit out side under the large awning. Great times!
