Campsites at Mammoth Campground (2026 Guide)

What sets a campground apart when it's the only one in a two-million-acre park that never closes its gates? For Mammoth Campground, that distinction comes with specific trade-offs worth understanding before you book.

Located five miles south of Yellowstone's North Entrance at 6,200 feet elevation, Mammoth Campground operates year-round while every other developed campground in the park shuts down for winter. That alone makes it worth knowing about - but there's more to figure out before you pull in with your tent or RV.

Year-Round Access and What That Actually Means

The phrase "open year-round" sounds straightforward until you realize what it entails at 6,200 feet in northwest Wyoming. Mammoth Campground sits in a relatively mild pocket of Yellowstone - mild by Yellowstone standards, anyway. Winter temperatures regularly drop below zero, and snow accumulates. The park service keeps the campground operational, but facilities are scaled back from November through mid-April.

• Reservation season (April 15 - October 15): Full campground operation. All 85 sites are available. Reservations are required during this window. Book early - this is when demand peaks.
• Winter/spring shoulder (mid-October - mid-April): Part of the campground closes. The remaining sites operate on a first-come, first-served basis. Vault toilets replace flush facilities. No water hookups. You are camping in winter conditions.

Checkout time is 10 AM regardless of season. The nightly fee for 2026 is $25.00, with Interagency Access and Senior Pass holders receiving a 50 percent discount. As of 2026, vehicle entrance reservations are not required for Yellowstone, though you still need to purchase a park entrance pass. You can buy one at the North Entrance station or online before you arrive.

Most visitors underestimate how much the 6,200-foot elevation affects sleep quality, especially the first night. If you are coming from sea level, plan for shorter sleep and hydrate aggressively.

Site Layout and What to Expect When You Arrive

Scattered juniper and Douglas fir trees provide shade across the campground - welcome relief during July and August when afternoon temperatures can climb into the 80s despite the elevation. The trees also offer some visual separation between sites, which is better than the open-field layouts at some other Yellowstone campgrounds.

The campground is run by the National Park Service, not a concessionaire. That means rangers staff the entrance station, and the general tone is lower-key than the concession-run RV parks elsewhere in the park. You will find standard NPS campground amenities: picnic tables, fire rings, and access to drinking water during the reservation season.

• No hookups (water, electric, or sewer) at individual sites
• No dump station on-site (the nearest is at the Mammoth Hot Springs RV parking area)
• No shower facilities at the campground itself (Mammoth Hot Springs has public showers nearby)
• Limited generator hours (standard NPS quiet hours apply)

The 85-site capacity makes it one of the smaller developed campgrounds in Yellowstone. It fills regularly during July and August. If you are arriving without a reservation after mid-October, you have better odds, but winter campers should still arrive early in the day.

Wildlife in the Campground (Yes, Right Through It)

Rangers will tell you that elk and bison occasionally pass through Mammoth Campground. That phrasing - "occasionally" - understates how routinely this happens during certain seasons. The campground sits within the northern range, a grassland corridor that provides critical winter habitat for the park's ungulates. Elk herds move through the area regularly, particularly during fall and spring migrations.

• Bull elk bugling in September and October, sometimes within 50 feet of tent sites
• Bison walking between sites, usually at dawn or dusk
• Coyotes moving through at night - you will hear them
• Bears are less common here than in the Lamar Valley or Pelican Valley areas, but they pass through

The park service emphasizes standard food storage rules: keep all food, coolers, and scented items inside a hard-sided vehicle or bear-proof food locker when not in use. Mammoth Campground has food storage boxes at each site.

Most first-time visitors are caught off guard by how close wildlife gets. You do not need to hike anywhere to see elk from your campsite. The trail register is full of comments from people who woke up to find bison bedded down ten feet from their tent.

Nearby Activities Worth Planning Around

Mammoth Campground's location puts you within walking distance or a short drive of several significant Yellowstone features.

Mammoth Hot Springs (5-minute walk or drive)

The hot springs terraces are the closest major attraction. The boardwalk loops take 30 minutes to 2 hours depending on how many terraces you cover. Early morning and late evening offer the best light and the fewest people. The terraces are active, which means the boardwalk routes sometimes change as new features form.

Forces of the Northern Range Self-guided Trail

This 0.5-mile boardwalk has 11 interpretive stops and no restroom. It covers how Yellowstone's northern range functions as grassland habitat. Best from spring through fall. It is a short enough walk to do after dinner without losing daylight.

Beaver Ponds Trailhead

Located behind the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel, this trailhead provides access to a 5-mile loop through meadows and forest. Spring and early summer offer the best wildflower displays. The trail gains about 350 feet of elevation - nothing extreme, but noticeable at 6,200 feet.

Fishing

The Gardner River runs near the campground. It holds Yellowstone cutthroat trout. A Yellowstone fishing permit is required. The river was affected by the 2022 flood, which changed some channels and washed out the Rescue Creek Trail bridge. Check current conditions at the visitor center before heading out.

Winter Activities

During snow season, the Snow Pass Ski Trail starts nearby. It is a 4.2-mile, skier-tracked route rated easiest to most difficult. The Bannock Ski Trail (2 miles, easy) follows an old roadbed that once supplied the mining town of Cooke City. The nearby Riverside Ski Trail provides easy options along the Madison River with views of the Gallatin and Madison ranges.

If you are snowshoeing, the Observation Point Loop Snowshoe Trail is 2 miles and snowshoe-only, treating you to unobstructed views of the Upper Geyser Basin - though that is a drive from Mammoth, not a walk from the campground.

What the Park Website Does Not Mention

The official NPS page covers the basics accurately. A few things get less attention:

Practical Takeaways

Final Thoughts

Mammoth Campground solves a specific problem: where to stay in Yellowstone when every other campground has closed for the season. But it also works well as a summer base camp if you prefer smaller, quieter sites over the 400-site operations at Bridge Bay or Grant Village. The wildlife passes through your campsite rather than requiring a drive to find it. The hot springs are a five-minute walk. The elevation will affect your first night's sleep, and the road noise will remind you that you are not deep in the backcountry - but that is the trade-off for year-round access. Pack accordingly, book ahead in summer, and treat winter conditions with the respect they deserve.

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