Norris Campground - Yellowstone National Park

The Norris Campground is somewhat centrally located on the western side of Yellowstone, very close to the Norris Geyser Basin, and next to the Museum of the National Park Ranger. It seemed to be a pretty typical large national park campground, with most sites lacking in vegetation and privacy, although there were a few gems that I spied while walking the loops. There is a trailhead right in the campground and evening campfire programs in the summer. All sites are first-come, first served and fill quickly. Get more info here.

Lewis Lake Campground - Yellowstone National Park

A fine campground near the southern entrance to Yellowstone, but nothing to write home about. It was the only campground with space available in the park when we arrived late in the afternoon in July, which is often the case, I am sure. The lake is lovely, and our site was within easy walking distance to the shore. There were some walk-in sites here that looked to be prime real estate, and if you are a boater, this would be a convenient campground.

One bonus was that the mosquitos were a bit numerous in the early evening, so we packed up the crew and headed out to Old Faithful, where things seemed to be a lot less crowded than is typical during the day. So we spent the evening looking at the geyser, the Old Faithful Inn (with some requisite bison hanging out right behind the building), and enjoying some ice cream.

Fremont Lake Campground - Bridger-Teton National Forest

Fremont Lake campground was one of our favorite stops on our Yellowstone adventure. Our campsite did not have a view of this natural lake, but was very close, tucked in among the aspens and lovely wildflowers that were abundant there in July. We had a great site with good privacy, and plenty of space for the kids to explore our immediate area. Some sites closer to the lake were more crowded. We spotted a pronghorn up close just as we were leaving. The campground is very close to the town of Pinedale, WY- close enough that you can run into town for morning coffee when your camping stove breaks down! The fine folks at The Great Outdoor Shop in Pinedale were able to make a timely repair to our Coleman stove, saving us much trouble as we headed into the Tetons. In addition, my 8 year old son thoroughly enjoyed visiting the Museum of the Mountain Man. The Wind River range is breathtaking, and the drive from Pinedale north to Jackson is just incredible.

Relevant links: www.museumofthemountainman.com/;www.fs.fed.us/r4/btnf/offices/pinedale_info/camp/Fremontlakeinfo.pdf