A Spacious Campground In The Heart Of Yellowstone Is One Of The Most Affordable Ways To Visit

One of the biggest campgrounds in Yellowstone National Park also offers some great views of Yellowstone Lake and the Absaroka Mountains along the lake's eastern shore. Remarkably, as the largest high-elevation lake in North America, Yellowstone Lake sits at 7,730 feet above sea level and has a surface area of 132 square miles. For an affordable stay without sacrificing too many creature comforts, stay at the spacious Bridge Bay Campground, which boasts 432 campsites and is located near the Bridge Bay Marina at the north end of Yellowstone Lake.

It's a generally primitive campground that's close to essential services and other amenities, situated about a 90-minute drive from West Yellowstone, Montana. Take note: that drive can easily stretch into hours on weekends and holidays from the end of May through Labor Day weekend, when traffic in the park can slow motorists to a crawl. Pro tip: go through either the park's south entrance north of Jackson Hole, Wyoming, or the west entrance at West Yellowstone early — before 7 a.m. — to beat normal summer traffic in Yellowstone. Need more tips? Here are some clever tricks to visit Yellowstone National Park in the summer.

For campers hoping to book a campsite at Bridge Bay or any of the other 10 campgrounds within Yellowstone's 2.2 million-acre boundary, the advice is simple: book now. Like other lodges, hotels, and campgrounds within the park, Bridge Bay's reservation system is handled by a private contractor. To book a campsite, visit the online booking portal. Bridge Bay opens to campers on May 17, 2025, and the camping season ends September 1, 2025. It's likely that park campgrounds, hotels, and lodges will start to fill up quickly.

While Bridge Bay doesn't offer electricity hookups, there is an RV dump station, and generators are allowed during the day. There is potable water on site, and there are restrooms with flush toilets situated throughout the massive campground. There are no showers at Bridge Bay. There is a general store at the nearby Bridge Bay Marina, where campers can find the basics. For food, campers should bring whatever they need with them, and just hit the store at the marina for the smaller items they forgot. One important note: the National Park Service requires that all food be stored in bear-proof containers, and each campsite comes equipped with a "bear box." 

There's no internet service, but there is cell service. On busy summer days with literally thousands of visitors passing by Bridge Bay, the cell tower can get a bit overwhelmed and the service can be spotty. 

Because it's centrally located, the Bridge Bay Campground is a great place to stay for visitors who want to take in Yellowstone's natural wonders. Early in the season, the campground is an excellent launch pad for a drive around the lake. A stop at Fishing Bridge is an absolute must. Here, pedestrians can lean out over the Yellowstone River as it flows north out of Yellowstone Lake and watch as the lake's storied cutthroat trout pair up and spawn in the river's gravel right beneath them.

This hasn't always been the case. In the early 1990s, invasive lake trout were illegally introduced into Yellowstone Lake, and these fish-eating predators decimated the lake's native trout population. Thanks to National Park Service efforts to net and remove non-native lake trout, the native cutthroats are making a comeback, and visitors can watch them spawn once again. Anglers, keep your powder dry. Fishing isn't allowed from the bridge. Designated areas along the river open up on July 1, and even then, anglers must follow strict rules and possession limits.

From Fishing Bridge, motorists can head north on the Grand Loop Road, where they can take in both the upper and lower Yellowstone Falls. This is one of the park's grandest views. With a moderately easy walk down well-maintained trails and stairs, anybody can catch a glimpse of the daily drama that unfolds as the Yellowstone River throws itself over the falls and into the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, a breathtaking marvel with several overlooks.

It may not seem like a lot of driving for one day, but with everything from bison jams to curious motorists, a visit to the falls from Bridge Bay Campground could be a day-long adventure. No visit to Yellowstone is complete without a stop at Old Faithful, the park's most famous geyser. From Bridge Bay, head southwest on the Grand Loop Road. It'll take an hour or so to get to Old Faithful, and the drive is beautiful. Via this gorgeous route, motorists will cross the Continental Divide (twice!) and top Craig Pass, where, off to the left in the distance, watchful tourists will get a look at Shoshone Lake.

Follow the signs to the Old Faithful parking area. Once there, just go after the crowds (and more signs) to the outdoor amphitheater that circles the geyser, which erupts every 90 minutes, give or take 10 minutes or so. You could also check out the Old Faithful Visitors Center, where guests can hit the restroom and review some of the geothermal natural history of this one-of-a-kind national park, including information on the nearby Midway Geyser Basin and its unique ecological environment.

Again, with typical Yellowstone traffic, the visit to Old Faithful will take all day. Once back at the campground at Bridge Bay, visitors can get busy planning their next day at Yellowstone, which might mean a trip south to catch a glimpse of the headwaters of the Snake River and the stunning Teton Mountains within another breathtaking western national park.