Yellowstone camping advice for last-minute planners

LIVINGSTON, Mont. - If you are trying to make plans for a last-minute Memorial Day camping trip to Yellowstone, you may be out of luck, as many campgrounds are booked up. 

Rick Hoeninghausen, director of sales and marketing for Xanterra at Yellowstone, said options are very limited, and there is a good chance you will not find a campsite without a reservation, or unless someone else cancels theirs. 

“I would probably not suggest someone plan on coming to the park this weekend and feeling comfortable or overly optimistic about finding something last minute,” he said. “The reservation service is very popular for just that reason.”  

According to the reservation website for Yellowstone National Park Lodges, all campsites are completely booked up for the weekend, except for Fishing Bridge RV Park, which has sites open starting Saturday. 

The National Parks Service campgrounds are also limited. Two will not open until June, and others are closed indefinitely. 

But there is still a sliver of hope. 

“You know, the Forest Service campgrounds outside the park. And there's quite a few circling the park… I've often found that I can find a site relatively last minute just outside the park in a national forest, and then still be able to come into the park and enjoy everything we have here,” Hoeninghausen said. 

The Custer-Gallatin National Forest has a lot of campsites near Yellowstone, especially in their Gardiner District: 

Not all the campgrounds require reservations, some are first come first served. Reservations and more information, along with more camping districts close to the park can be found on the National Forest Service website.