BAKERS HOLE CAMPGROUND, WEST YELLOWSTONE, MONTANA

Our Opinion: Recommend.  Low fees, level sites, 3 miles from west entrance of Yellowstone National Park.

Date of Stay: September 7 through 10, 2010.  This is our second stay - the first was in June of 2004 and nothing appears to have changed.

Weather During Stay:  We had it all: warm sunshine, cold rain, wind and calm.  No snow, but some cold nighttime temperatures.

Site Description:  Just off of Hwy 191, 3 miles north of West Yellowstone, this USFS campground has 72 developed sites, 33 with 30/50 amp electricity, the rest “primitive” (no electricity).  No water or sewer at sites.

Loop roads are narrow and paved.  Sites are level and graveled, with plenty of space between sites.  Lots of pines throughout the campground, often close to the road.  About ten sites are large pull-outs alongside the loop road, but the majority of the sites are back-ins of varying sizes.  Many sites can accommodate big rigs.

As you enter the narrow entry road, a sign to your left shows a map of the campground loops next to the self pay station.  Ahead, another sign identifies sites 25 through 72 as best for larger rigs.  In this loop, the sites with E come first, and these sites fill more quickly than the sites without electricity.  There is no place along the loop to stop to unhook a towed vehicle other than the road, which can be awkward (see Comment).

The smaller loop (sites 1 through 23) also has some electric sites, several of them large enough for big rigs.  In both loops, sites with E are closer to Hwy 191, and highway noise is noticeable.  Sites without E are farther from the road, closer to the Madison River, a more desirable location - but still hear some highway noise.

Pit toilets.  No showers.  No on-site dump station.  One threaded water spigot near entrance to fill freshwater tanks (in an awkward spot); numerous non-threaded spigots throughout the campground for filling buckets and water bottles.  Two on-site host couples.  Plastic and aluminum recycling and central dumpsters.  Sixteen-day stay limit, 2 pm checkout.  Open May 15 to Sept 15, depending on the weather.

Rate: $16/night without utilities.  Add $6 for E.  Senior pass holders get half off the site rate, so pay $8 for the site plus $6 for E - a total of $14/night for an electric site. 

Phone/radio/TV:  Verizon phones and aircard worked – though sometimes poorly - without a booster or amplifier.  Our site was large enough that we found an opening through the trees for our roof-mounted satellite TV.  We didn’t bother trying the air antenna, but some rigs had them deployed.  Local NPR on 91.9.

Elevation/landscape/terrain: Located at 6,600 ft., this flat campground is adjacent to the lovely Madison River for first-class fishing.  Some of the “primitive” sites have great views of the river, but most sites had views of pines and other rigs.

Lighting/noise:  VERY dark at night!  Noise from Hwy 191 is noticeable during the day and until fairly late at night - but didn’t keep us awake.

Favorite Sites:  On our first visit, we were in site 29, a roomy, level back-in.  This time, we took site 30, a huge pull-out.  Both worked fine for us, as would many others, including pullouts 20 and 22 in the smaller southern loop.

Hiking/Walking:  Pleasant walking along the riverbank, and the hosts have advice about longer walks from the end of the northern loop - but the really good stuff is in nearby Yellowstone National Park!  Walk the outside of the combined loops for around 3,000 steps.

Comments:  All the sites in this park are first-come, first-served, which works very well for us.  We appreciate the reasonable price, the quiet campers (seems more geared to fisher folk than to families), and the easy access to the west gate of Yellowstone National Park.  West Yellowstone is nearby (groceries, gas, tourist services and entertainment).  There is a very large, signed “day use” area, suitable for trucks and big rigs, one mile south on Hwy 191 – a good place to unhook a towed before entering the campground, or for hooking up after you depart.  Since there is no dump station and the single threaded water spigot is awkwardly placed, come with empty holding tanks and full fresh water.

ROCK CANYON RV PARK, LIVINGSTON, MONTANA

Our Opinion: Recommended for a relaxing interlude with convenient access from I-94.

Date of Stay: September 3 through 6, 2010 (Labor Day weekend).

Weather During Stay:  Sunny one day, rainy and cold another… a mix of cool to cold, fall-like weather.  Lows in the low 40’s.  Snow fell on the high peaks.

Site Description:  This is a small, well-tended, family run campground on the bank of the Yellowstone River.  The owners live on-site.

The map shows 23 sites, but we counted fewer - at any rate, it is small.  Most of the sites are long, somewhat narrow back-ins, but 4 nice sized pull-throughs were used by overnighters during our stay.  If the sites were all full, it might feel somewhat crowded, but we had plenty of space during our stay.

All of the developed sites are FHU, probably 50 amps, as was ours (site 20) and cable TV is provided.  The sites are gravel and grass, very level.  Most sites have a tree or two, and all sites have a picnic table.  A couple grassy areas are available for tents and overflow dry camping.   Onsite laundry (1 washer and 1 dryer) and restrooms.

Rate: Between sending a check for a deposit, then writing two additional checks when we arrived, I don’t remember EXACTLY what we paid, but it was around $35/night plus tax.

Phone/radio/TV:  Good Verizon signal for phones and aircard.  A tree blocked our roof-mounted satellite TV, so we used the included 30+ channels available on cable TV.  Local NPR on 91.1.

Elevation/landscape/terrain: Located at 4,600 ft., this park is in a rocky canyon at the north end of the Paradise Valley.  Views are of the green grass and trees of the park, a rugged, rocky canyon wall to the west, and a high rocky ridge to the east, on the other side of the wide Yellowstone River.  Our site faced down the valley towards the high peaks of the National Park.  Because of the high canyon wall to the west, the park is shaded well before the sun sets.  Quite appealing.

Lighting/noise:  Night lighting is subdued, and there is little noise once the traffic along Hwy 89 dies down for the night.  About the ONLY noise in this park is daytime traffic noise from Hwy 89, which leads to the north entrance of Yellowstone N.P.

Favorite Sites:  We liked our site (20), a long back in with a nice view to the south.  All the sites in our row (16 through 23) are similar.

Hiking/Walking:  Across Hwy 89 (adjacent to the park), a walking/biking trail stretches 2 miles back to Livingston and another mile or so to the south.  Hiking trails are available in Paradise Valley and Yellowstone National Park (55 miles south).

Comments:  We made reservations here in advance of the Labor Day weekend, to be off the road.  This small park was quiet and peaceful, not full, which surprised us!  It is rather far to the National Park from here; maybe that is why sites were available all weekend.  Like to fish?  Stand on the bank of the Yellowstone River, a few steps from your site.  We would stop here again when passing through Livingston on I-90 - the park is just a couple miles off the interstate.

GRANDVIEW CAMP AND R.V. PARK, HARDIN, MT

Our Opinion: Neutral.  Proximity to Little Bighorn Battlefield, easy access and large FHU sites were our top priorities, so this campground met our needs.

Date of Stay: September 1 and 2, 2010.

Weather During Stay:  Pleasant summer weather, sunny and breezy with a nighttime low in the 50‘s.

Site Description:  Around 60 sites are situated in this roomy park, a mix of FHU, electric only, and seasonal sites.  Several sites are very long pull throughs.  Roads are paved, sites are graveled and very level.

We were in site 47, a very long pull through that was easy to access without unhooking our Jeep.  As did all the sites, ours had a picnic table.  Some trees are scattered throughout the park, mostly on the perimeter, but few sites are shaded.

Outbuildings and a few old mobile homes are scattered around.  An onsite laundry room shares the building with the restrooms and has a rack of tourist information.  Our host told us there is an ice cream social each night at 7 pm.

Rate: We paid $67.40 for two nights, which included a Good Sam Discount and tax - close to $34/night for 50 amp FHU.

Phone/radio/TV:  Very strong Verizon signal for phones and aircard.  No obstacles blocked our roof-mounted satellite TV.  40+ channels are available on cable TV.  Local NPR on 91.7.

Elevation/landscape/terrain: Located at 3,000 ft., this is classic western landscape: dry, scrubby, silvery trees, expansive views in all directions.  Lighting/noise:  Our site was reasonably dark and very quiet at night.

Favorite Sites:  We liked our site (47), a long pull through that faced east - very welcome when the sun shone in our big front window on a cold morning.  Site 45 and 43 were equally nice.  Most sites looked spacious and level.

Hiking/Walking: We did our hiking at Little Bighorn Battlefield, 15 miles east.

Comments:  We wanted to spend a day at Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument, and this campground served us well.  We would stay again if we wanted to spend time in the area.  The little town of Hardin has an IGA for groceries. 

GREEN VALLEY CAMPGROUND, GLENDIVE, MT

Our Opinion: Recommend. This small, family-run campground is a convenient stop when traveling across Montana; the beautiful nearby state park is frosting on the cake.

Date of Stay: August 31, 2010.

Weather During Stay: Cool, dry, and pleasant.

Site Description: This small, shady campground is planted in the center of a corn farm, with tall trees for shade. Since we didn’t get (or need) a campground map, and I didn’t count the sites, I am guessing there are 25 or so. Definitely small.

The graveled entrance and exit roads are narrow, but since they are one-way, it isn’t a problem. Sites are level, gravel and grass, each with a picnic table. Most sites are pull-throughs, reasonably long and wide enough for big rigs with slides and awnings. Our site had a picnic table, as did most others.

Rate: A bargain - $16.50 for a 50 amp FHU, $1 less for a 30 amp E/W. Plus tax.

Phone/radio/TV: Good Verizon signal for phones and aircard. No WiFi. No obstacles blocked our roof-mounted satellite TV, but this could be a problem in other sites because of the big shade trees (our site was long enough to maneuver past the tree). We didn’t bother with the air antenna. Local NPR available on 88.5 FM.

Elevation/landscape/terrain: The elevation is around 1,500 feet. The nearby area is somewhat hilly, but the park itself was flat and the sites level. Views are of other rigs, tall trees, and cornfields, very pleasant.

Lighting/noise: The park was reasonably dark. Traffic noise from nearby I-94 was noticeable but didn’t keep us awake.

Favorite Sites: No favorites - pick your site based on orientation and utilities.

Hiking/Walking: No significant walking in the park, but we hiked the beautiful trails through the badlands of nearby (under 5 miles) Makoshika State Park, a treat.

Comments: Very easy access off either Hwy 16 or I-94. You can’t beat the price for 50 amp FHU in this pleasant, quiet, convenient park. Even if you don’t want to hike, take the drive through the nearby state park - fabulous!