Bridge Bay Campground: Your Yellowstone National Park Basecamp

Bridge Bay Campground Introduce

Bridge Bay Campground, located in the heart of Yellowstone National Park, offers a truly authentic and unforgettable Wyoming camping experience. As one of the largest campgrounds in the park, it provides a convenient and central base for exploring the park’s iconic geysers, stunning canyons, and abundant wildlife. Situated right on the shores of the magnificent Yellowstone Lake, it offers a unique blend of lakeside tranquility and easy access to some of the park's most famous attractions. This campground is an excellent choice for families, groups, and solo adventurers who want to be immersed in the natural beauty and grandeur of Yellowstone.

The atmosphere at Bridge Bay is generally quiet and peaceful, a quality that is highly valued by its visitors. Campers consistently praise the respectful nature of their fellow travelers, noting that the nights are often quiet. The campground is well-maintained, and the facilities are often described as exceptionally clean. One reviewer even stated that the restrooms were the "cleanest I’ve ever seen," which is a significant compliment for a public campground. While some of the individual sites may lack privacy due to the large size and open nature of the campground, many sites are nestled among trees, providing a good amount of shade and a sense of seclusion.

A major highlight of staying at Bridge Bay is the opportunity for wildlife viewing. It’s not uncommon for elk, bison, and even bears to wander through the campground, offering a truly unique and memorable experience. The proximity to Hayden Valley, one of the best spots for wildlife viewing in the park, makes the campground an ideal starting point for a morning or evening drive to see animals. The sense of being in the wild, while still having access to essential amenities, is a key part of the appeal of Bridge Bay.

Bridge Bay Campground is centrally located at 260 Bridge Bay Campground Rd, Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190, USA. This address places it near the beautiful Yellowstone Lake and the Bridge Bay Marina, making it a great hub for exploring the park. The campground is positioned in a central location that allows for relatively easy access to popular areas like Hayden Valley, Canyon Village, and Old Faithful. However, as one reviewer noted, while it is central, it may still be a bit of a drive to some of the park's farther-flung attractions.

The campground offers a large number of sites, accommodating both RVs and tents. While there are no electric, water, or sewer hookups at the individual sites, there is a large RV dump station available on-site. The roads are generally accessible, and while some sites can be unlevel, the campground can accommodate RVs up to 40 feet in length. On-site parking is available at each campsite, making it convenient to set up your camp. For showers and laundry facilities, campers must travel to the nearby Fishing Bridge RV Park, a detail worth noting as it is not available directly at the campground.

Bridge Bay Campground provides a range of essential services and amenities that enhance the camping experience, allowing you to focus on enjoying the park.

Public restroom: The campground has numerous public restrooms with flush toilets and cold running water.
Restroom: Separate restroom facilities are located throughout the loops.
Dishwashing stations: Convenient dishwashing stations are located at most restroom buildings, which is helpful for bear safety.
RV dump station: An on-site dump station is available for RVs.
Tent sites: The campground offers a variety of tent-only sites as well as combination RV/tent sites.
On-site parking: Parking is available at each campsite, making it easy to unload and set up.
Picnic tables and fire grates: Each individual campsite is equipped with a picnic table and a fire grate for cooking.
Food storage boxes: Shared food storage boxes are located throughout the campground for safely storing food and other scented items.
Firewood for sale: Firewood is sold at the campground, making it convenient to have a campfire.
Boating facilities: The nearby Bridge Bay Marina offers boat tours, rentals, and a boat ramp for those with their own watercraft.

Bridge Bay Campground is special because of several key features and highlights that are consistently praised by its visitors.

Prime location: Its central location in the park near Yellowstone Lake makes it a perfect base for exploring all of Yellowstone's wonders.
Exceptional cleanliness: The campground is known for its meticulously clean facilities, particularly the restrooms, which a reviewer called the "cleanest I've ever seen."
Wildlife sightings: Campers frequently see elk, bison, and other animals walking through or near the campground, offering a truly wild experience.
Proximity to the marina: The nearby Bridge Bay Marina provides easy access to boat tours and rentals on Yellowstone Lake.
Respectful atmosphere: Visitors note that fellow campers are generally quiet and respectful, contributing to a peaceful stay.
Convenient amenities: The availability of dishwashing stations and bear boxes helps maintain a clean and safe environment for all campers.
Dog-friendly: The campground is dog-friendly, allowing you to bring your pets along on your trip.

For more information or to make a reservation, you can contact the campground using the following details.

Address: 260 Bridge Bay Campground Rd, Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190, USA

Phone: (307) 344-7311

Mobile Phone: +1 307-344-7311

Reservations are highly recommended, especially during the peak summer season, as this is a popular destination and sites can fill up quickly.

Choosing Bridge Bay Campground for your Yellowstone adventure is a decision that offers a rewarding and memorable experience. The campground's prime location, on the shores of one of the largest high-elevation lakes in North America, provides a stunning backdrop for your trip. Its central position within the park makes it an excellent basecamp, reducing driving time to many of Yellowstone's most famous sites. The consistent praise for the cleanliness of the bathrooms and the respectful nature of other campers highlights the quality of the camping experience here.

While some modern conveniences like on-site showers and full hookups are not available, the campground makes up for it with its natural beauty and essential amenities like clean restrooms, a dump station, and shared food storage boxes. The presence of wildlife roaming through the campground offers a truly unique and authentic Yellowstone experience that you won't find at many other campgrounds. The nearby marina provides a bonus for those who love water activities, from fishing to scenic boat tours. Ultimately, what is worth choosing about Bridge Bay Campground is the perfect balance of a convenient location, a peaceful atmosphere, and an authentic connection with the wild heart of Wyoming.

Bridge Bay Campground Photos

Bridge Bay Campground Location

Bridge Bay Campground

Wyoming Teton County Yellowstone National Park Bridge Bay Campground Road

260 Bridge Bay Campground Rd, Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190, USA

Bridge Bay Campground Reviews

It was a convenient location for us as we had family in the cabins at The Lake Hotel site. Clean bathrooms, large enough site. Fellow campers were respectfully quiet at night. Our stay would have been improved with warm water in the bathroom sinks, on site showers and electric hook up. Having the marina and picnic sites there was handy. Would be so lovely if they had kayak rentals.Food was available at The Lake Hotel dining room - expensive, and small portions. The canteen was more affordable. General stores all had the same products and were overpriced.I would bring more food the next time if I was going again.The park was beautiful and we were very happy and grateful for our experience there.
July 24 · Irene McWilliams
Really great campground, registration answered all of our questions and verbally told us the guidelines and rules for our safety. We were given a campground map and shown where the shower and laundry facilities were located. We didn’t mind going to the RV park for showers, but there weren’t enough shower stalls and we didn’t want to wait an hour in line, so we went two days without showering. Everything else was great, they just don’t have enough stalls for the amount of people in the area. They even had a dishwashing station, which was helpful for bear safety.
July 20 · Mary Hess
We spent our four days in the lower 8. Bridge Bay is a great location to see the West Thumb Geyser and the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. The drive to the Canyon is incredible, watch for buffalo running into the road from the tree line! The Canyon Visitor center has multiple choices in dining, but you’ll find fine dining at Lake Yellowstone Hotel. Old Faithful is an hour drive one way, if you have bikes don’t miss Fire Hole Rd just north of Old Faithful for your own secluded private tour of a bubbling lake and geyser, using the Shaka guide app hearing the history, science and folklore made it all great!
July 13 · Kelly F
We stayed here for one night with our rooftop tent, and overall it was a good experience – with a few caveats.There was no cell service or internet at all, so plan accordingly. At the entrance, there was an old-school emergency phone – possibly helpful, but also exposed to the elements and wildlife, so not something to fully rely on.Our campsite was located near the road, but it backed onto a large open meadow, which gave us plenty of space and a good amount of privacy. Yes, you could see other campers, but it didn’t feel crowded at all – that part was really lovely.The restroom facilities were clean and included toilets and sinks, but no showers. There was also a small indoor dishwashing area, but that was less than ideal: very tight, no room to set anything down, and only freezing cold water. With nighttime temperatures dropping to around 5–6°C (low 40s °F), doing the dishes became a pretty unpleasant task.Other campers told us they saw elk nearby, which sounded amazing – we weren’t that lucky ourselves. Still, it’s a beautiful, peaceful spot surrounded by nature. If the weather had been warmer, we probably would’ve stayed another night. It’s a solid option for a short stay, especially if you’re well prepared for limited amenities.
July 24 · Sandra Zeps
One of the absolute best places I've ever camped! I can't recommend this spot enough. Well situated on the east side of the lower loop in Yellowstone, it afford easy access to several amazing activities along the east side of the park and a shorter drive to access the big draws like Old Faithful and the Prismatic Pool than is offered by Mammoth or Roosevelt while still being close to Lamar Valley for the wildlife focused. The best part was the amazing wildlife that came through the camp! Both Bison and a Bull Elk frequented the camp! I would highly recommend this site to anyone camping in the park.As a closing note, the abundance of heated bathrooms and flush toilets throughout the campground was critical at making the less camping-prone family members comfortable throughout our long stay.
July 20 · Erica (EVLove11)