Hiking

Shell Campground

7 RV Sites

Shell Campground in Shell, Wyoming, offers seven full-hookup RV sites with 30 and 50-amp service and rigs accepted to 50 feet, at the base of the Big Horn Mountains on Highway 14. Open all year with cabins, a general store, and a community fire pit, it is the closest full-hookup campground to the range's dramatic western escarpment. Seven sites carry water, sewer, and electric on 30 and 50-amp in back-in and pull-through configurations, sized to 50 feet. Cabins round out the accommodations. A general store, propane fills, laundry, restrooms, showers, firewood, and WiFi handle the practical side, and the campground stays open year-round — genuinely useful on a mountain route that sees traffic in every season. With seven sites, reserve rather than counting on availability. Pets are welcome. A community fire pit anchors the evenings, with picnicking on the grounds and mountains rising immediately west. The Old Shell Store is a block and a half away, serving what the locals will tell you are the best burgers around. The position is the point. Highway 14 is the principal western approach to Bighorn National Forest and the main route connecting the Big Horn Basin to Yellowstone and Grand Teton. Shell Falls is 15 minutes up the highway, the Big Horn National Forest five minutes, and the Antelope Butte Recreation Area 20 — with skiing there in winter and a national park within reach. Summer drives the heaviest traffic on the mountain route. With seven sites at the base of Shell Canyon, reserve well ahead.

from $40/night

Grandview Campground & RV Park

51 RV Sites, 15 Tent Sites, 1 Onsite RV/Trailer

Grandview Campground and RV Park in Hardin, Montana, offers 52 RV sites and 15 tent sites with 20, 30, and 50-amp service, ADA-accessible sites, and rigs accepted up to 100 feet on a big-rig-friendly layout, behind a gated entrance. Full-hookup, electric-only, and dry back-in categories join deluxe and pull-through tiers, with a game room, sports courts, and boutique shop. Fifty-two sites span back-in full hookup, back-in 30/50-amp electric only, deluxe back-in full hookup, dry site back-in, and pull-through full hookup categories, carrying water, sewer, and electric where noted with site WiFi, sized to 100 feet, with picnic tables. Read the category carefully — the electric-only and dry tiers carry no water or sewer at the site, and they price accordingly. Accessible sites are available, and 100 feet handles the longest coaches. Fifteen tent sites, cabins, camper rentals, and trailer rentals round out the lodging. A general store, boutique shop, laundry, dump station, restrooms, showers, and recycling handle the practical side. A game room, sports courts, tennis, billiards, walking trails, a playground, and picnicking fill the grounds, with a river nearby, wine and beer tasting, and planned activities through the season. Hardin is the seat of Big Horn County and the gateway to the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument. The campground is third-generation family run. Summer is the short, intense Montana season, with the June battle anniversary and reenactments drawing crowds. Reserve well ahead.

from $35/night

Powder River Campground

3 RV Sites, 8 Tent Sites

Powder River Campground in Kaycee, Wyoming, offers full-hookup RV sites with 20, 30, and 50-amp service and tent camping just off Interstate 25, with rigs accepted to 50 feet on a big-rig-friendly layout. Fire pits, picnic tables, laundry, and site WiFi serve travelers in the heart of Johnson County's Powder River Basin. Back-in sites carry water, sewer, and electric on 20, 30, and 50-amp, sized to 50 feet, with fire pits and picnic tables. Tent sites cover simpler camping. A dump station, laundry, restrooms, showers, firewood, a boutique shop, and WiFi handle the practical side. Passport America and military discounts are honored. One vehicle is allowed per site, with an extra vehicle fee of $5 per night on arrival, and refunds do not include service and credit card processing fees. On-site facilities are practical rather than programmed. Hiking and boating run from the area, and off-roading is nearby — this is a base for the surrounding country rather than a destination in itself. Pets are welcome. Kaycee sits in the Powder River Basin, cowboy country in the most literal sense, where nineteenth-century open range cattle culture played out in the same red-bluff canyon and sagebrush landscape that surrounds the campground today. The Big Horn Mountain foothills are close, and Johnson County remains one of Wyoming's least-visited but most historically layered communities — the Johnson County War played out here, and the tourism development that reshaped other I-25 and US-87 towns largely passed it by. Summer interstate traffic is the peak. Reserve ahead for July and August.

from $25/night

Alpine Lodge

6 RV Sites, 22 Cabins

Alpine Lodge sits at the north end of Red Lodge, Montana, on US Highway 212, offering 22 cabin and motel-room accommodations alongside six RV spots with water and electric on 30 and 50-amp service. RV sites are pull-through and sized to 30 feet, so this suits smaller rigs and vans rather than large coaches — the lodging is the main event here. Twenty-two cabins and motel rooms provide king and queen beds, in-room coffee makers, kitchenettes with microwave and refrigerator, air conditioning, and covered parking directly in front of each room. Adjoining rooms are available for families and larger parties. Six pull-through RV spots carry water and electric on 30 and 50-amp with picnic tables, sized to 30 feet — note there are no sewer hookups. Laundry, restrooms, and showers serve all guests, and WiFi reaches the property. The lodge maintains a strict cancellation policy given the seasonal nature of its lodging, so confirm dates before booking. On-site amenities include a community fire pit, sports courts, basketball, horseshoes, corn hole, and on-site dining, with live music and planned activities through the season. The lodge also operates as a wedding venue. Downtown Red Lodge is within walking distance for dining and shops. The position is exceptional. US-212 is the southern terminus of the Beartooth Highway, which Charles Kuralt called the most beautiful road in America and the American Motorcycle Association ranks among the world's top motorcycle roads. The Beartooth-Absaroka Wilderness, Yellowstone's northeast entrance, and Rock Creek's blue-ribbon trout water are all immediate. Skiing is nearby in winter. The Beartooth Highway's seasonal opening drives summer demand — check pass status and book early for July and August.

from $63/night

Old West RV Park

13 RV Sites

Old West RV Park in Reed Point, Montana, offers 13 full-hookup RV sites off Interstate 90 at mile marker 392, with 20, 30, and 50-amp service and rigs accepted to 75 feet on a big-rig-friendly layout. Back-in and pull-through sites carry water, sewer, and electric with picnic tables, on the Yellowstone River between Billings and Livingston. Thirteen sites carry full hookups on 20, 30, and 50-amp in both back-in and pull-through configurations, sized to 75 feet, with picnic tables. The big-rig-friendly layout means long coaches can get in and out without a difficult approach after a day on the interstate. Laundry, restrooms, and showers handle the practical side, and WiFi reaches the sites. Pets are welcome. The park is a stopover rather than a resort, and it is honest about that. What it offers is a clean full-hookup site with straightforward highway access in a genuinely rural Montana setting — a small agricultural community on the Yellowstone River rather than a strip of interstate frontage. On-site facilities stay deliberately simple: laundry, restrooms, hot showers, and site WiFi are what an overnight guest actually uses, and the pull-through sites mean you can stop for a night without unhitching. Hiking, biking, and birding run from the area. Reed Point sits in Stillwater County, 60 miles west of Billings and 50 miles east of Livingston, which makes it a natural midpoint on Montana's most traveled interstate corridor. The Yellowstone River carries excellent fishing, and the Absaroka Range forms the southern skyline. Yellowstone National Park is within reach via Livingston and Paradise Valley. The park serves the Montana travel season, with summer bringing the heaviest I-90 traffic and Yellowstone-bound visitors. With 13 sites, arriving late in the day during July and August is a gamble — reserve ahead.

from $67/night

Windy Waters at Alcova

18 RV Sites

At 21500 Kortes Road alongside the red-hued sandstone bluffs of Alcova Reservoir in Alcova, Wyoming—in Natrona County in the high Wyoming desert where the North Platte River's impoundment behind Alcova Dam created the 2,470-acre reservoir with 117 miles of shoreline that Wyoming's fishing, boating, and windsurfing community built one of the state's most active freshwater recreation cultures around, in the specific empty-sky, red-rock landscape that defines Wyoming's geographic character at an elevation and aridity that no other state quite replicates—Windy Waters at Alcova provides full hookup RV sites on oversized lots with three boat ramps, bathhouses, laundry, WiFi, and two park model rentals in the year-round configuration that serves everything from one-night fishing camp stays to annual seasonal RV residents who spend the Wyoming summer at Alcova's waterfront. The three boat ramps, the oversized lots with boat trailer capacity, and the reservoir's direct adjacency define what Windy Waters is for. Oversized lots—formerly mobile home lot dimensions, providing space substantially larger than standard RV campground sites—accommodate a large motorhome or fifth wheel alongside the truck that towed it and a boat trailer without requiring any three to compete for the same footprint. Full hookup connections with 30 and 50-amp electric, water, and sewer serve the full range of RV electrical requirements. Three boat ramps on the property provide the most direct private reservoir launch access available at any Alcova campground, eliminating the state park boat ramp wait and the parking logistics that the Alcova State Recreation Area's high-traffic summer launch imposes. Bathhouses with toilet and shower facilities, washer and dryer laundry, a general store, and WiFi complete the daily infrastructure. Two fully furnished park model rentals serve guests without RVs or those transitioning between camping setups. Daily, weekly, monthly, seasonal, and annual site rental options reflect the range of guest relationships the property serves. Alcova Reservoir's 117 miles of sandstone and red shale shoreline provide the geological context that makes the lake visually distinctive from the conventional Great Plains reservoir. The reservoir's warm-water fish population—walleye, smallmouth bass, rainbow trout, and perch in the varied thermal layers—along with the wind conditions that the Wyoming high desert reliably generates make Alcova a dual-use water recreation site for both the fishing and the sailing and windsurfing community that the reservoir's specific fetch and prevailing southwest winds make ideal. The walleye fishery is among the most productive in Wyoming, and the spring walleye run draws the state's dedicated walleye fishing community to Alcova from across the region. Pathfinder Reservoir—adjacent to Alcova via the Fremont Canyon corridor—provides the second major reservoir fishing opportunity in the same North Platte River system, with brown trout in the freestone reaches below Pathfinder Dam and the cold tailwater fishery that the Miracle Mile section of the North Platte—one of the most celebrated dry-fly trout stretches in the Rocky Mountain West—extends downstream. Casper, 32 miles northeast, provides the commercial services and the historic Wyoming character that the state's oil-and-ranching culture built into the state's second-largest city. Windy Waters at Alcova is open year-round on the daily-through-annual rate schedule. Summer from June through August represents the peak reservoir recreation season for boating, fishing, and the swimming beaches that Wyoming's high desert sun warms to comfortable temperatures by late June. Ice fishing on Alcova Reservoir in December through February provides the cold-season recreation that Wyoming's long winters make viable for the dedicated ice fishing guest. Book the oversized lot, launch the boat at the private ramp, and let the red-rock reservoir earn the Wyoming high-country lake reputation that 117 miles of sandstone shoreline supports from every approach.

from $50/night

Sun Outdoors Yellowstone North

1 Apartment

A quarter mile from the Roosevelt Arch—the stone gateway through which millions of Yellowstone visitors have passed since 1903—Sun Outdoors Yellowstone North in Gardiner, Montana occupies perhaps the most dramatically positioned RV park in the national park system. Just steps from the North Entrance to Yellowstone National Park, the resort anchors travelers in a small Montana mountain town where the Yellowstone River runs cold and clear, the surrounding mountains rise in every direction, and the wildlife that defines Yellowstone begins making appearances long before you pass through the arch itself. Gardiner is the only Yellowstone entrance open to wheeled vehicles year-round, making this an essential stop for any season. Premium full hookup RV sites offer 20, 30, and 50-amp electric service alongside WiFi, cable, and picnic tables at each site, creating a comfortable and well-connected base for Yellowstone exploration. Pet-friendly standard sites with full hookups provide additional options, and cabin rentals are available for travelers who prefer a roof. A camp-wide WiFi network, a general store stocked with supplies and local information, and a main deck area for gathering complete the essential amenities. The resort's proximity to Gardiner's restaurants, art galleries, and shops—all within a short walk—eliminates the need to drive for meals or supplies after a long day in the park. Gardiner sits at 5,314 feet in the Yellowstone River canyon just north of the park boundary, surrounded by the dry, sage-covered slopes of the Absaroka Range that frame one of America's most celebrated mountain landscapes. Elk are visible from camp throughout the year—the Northern Yellowstone herd migrates through Gardiner and the surrounding valleys in massive numbers each fall and spring, and individual animals are present on the slopes and river bottoms in virtually every season. Pronghorn, bighorn sheep, and mule deer are regular sights on the hillsides above town. Yellowstone National Park's Northern Range, accessible directly through Gardiner, contains the highest concentration of predictably visible large mammals in North America—wolves of the Lamar Valley, grizzly bears and black bears on the hillsides, bison herds on the valley floors, and the full complement of Yellowstone's thermal features along the road to Mammoth Hot Springs. The Lamar Valley, often called "America's Serengeti," is the premier wildlife viewing corridor in the continental United States. The Yellowstone River through the Black Canyon and through the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone provides extraordinary scenery and fishing for native Yellowstone cutthroat trout. Yellowstone's North Entrance operates 365 days a year, making Sun Outdoors Yellowstone North uniquely positioned as a winter gateway when all other park entrances close to wheeled vehicles. January and February offer the remarkable experience of wolf watching, bison in the snow-covered valleys, and thermal features surrounded by winter silence. Summer season is at full capacity from June through September—book as early as possible. Spring and fall offer excellent wildlife activity as animals migrate through the corridor. Reserve your site at Sun Outdoors Yellowstone North and wake up within walking distance of one of the world's great natural wonders.

from $224/night

Yellowstone Hot Springs Resort

39 RV Sites, 4 Cabins, 18 Tent Sites, 5 Hotel Rooms

Yellowstone Hot Springs Resort in Gardiner, Montana, offers 39 RV sites, nine cabin and hotel-room units, and 18 tent sites eight miles north of Yellowstone's North Entrance, with 20, 30, and 50-amp service and rigs accepted to 40 feet behind a gated entrance. Three mineral spring pools of graduated temperature are the reason to book. Thirty-nine sites run in full-hookup and electric-only categories carrying 20, 30, and 50-amp, sized to 40 feet, with fire pits, picnic tables, and site WiFi. The electric-only option suits self-contained rigs at a lower rate. Nine cabins and hotel rooms and 18 tent sites round out the accommodations. A laundry, dump station, restrooms, showers, and firewood handle the practical side, with a gated entrance controlling access. The hot springs define the property. Three mineral pools of graduated temperature — a cold plunge, a 100-degree pool, and a 106-degree pool — are fed continuously by water drawn straight from the earth, chemical-free. An outdoor pool, fitness center, clubhouse, and pavilion round out the amenities, with hiking, biking, birding, and picnicking from the area and skiing and a golf course nearby. Pets are welcome. Gardiner sits at the south end of Paradise Valley where the Yellowstone River emerges from the mountains with the Absaroka Range rising on both flanks — one of the most strategically positioned properties in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem, eight miles from the park's only year-round entrance. Summer is decisively the season, with the springs drawing guests year-round. Reserve well ahead for June through September.

from $29/night

Elkhorn Ridge RV Resort & Cabins

100 RV Sites

Elkhorn Ridge RV Resort and Cabins in Spearfish, South Dakota, offers 100 full-hookup RV sites on the historic Frawley Ranch, with 20, 30, and 50-amp service, cable TV, and rigs accepted up to 140 feet on a big-rig-friendly layout. Back-in and pull-through categories join an outdoor pool, hot tub, disc golf course, and tennis at the northern gateway to the Black Hills. One hundred sites run in back-in and pull-through categories, both carrying water, sewer, and electric on 20, 30, and 50-amp with cable TV and site WiFi, sized to 140 feet. One hundred forty feet is among the most generous length allowances anywhere and accommodates anything on the road — worth knowing if you tow a trailer behind a long coach. The paved, level pads back up the resort's reputation. A general store, laundry, propane fills, showers, and on-site dining handle the practical side. An outdoor pool and hot tub and sauna anchor the property, with a disc golf course, sports courts, tennis, pickleball, volleyball, basketball, horseshoes, golf cart rentals, walking trails, biking, a playground, and dog park filling the rest. Planned activities run through the season, and a golf course is nearby. The Frawley Ranch carries more than 140 years of pioneering heritage and National Historic Registry status, which gives the grounds a genuine western character that most resorts manufacture. Spearfish Canyon, Deadwood, Mount Rushmore, and Devils Tower are all within reach. Summer is the short, intense Black Hills season, and the Sturgis rally fills the entire region. Reserve as early as you can for August.

from $55 $48/night

Sturgis View Campground

Sturgis View Campground offers full-hookup RV sites with water, sewer, and electric, plus cabins, on a hillside 1.5 miles from Sturgis's Main Street, with 360-degree views of the Black Hills. An outdoor pool, hot tub, bar, and on-site dining have served motorcycle rally attendees since 2004. Full-hookup back-in sites carry water, sewer, and electric with fire pits, picnic tables, and site WiFi. Cabins round out the accommodations. A general store, dump station, restrooms, showers, and a pavilion handle the practical side, with on-site dining and a bar for evenings. The property also serves as a wedding venue and includes a barn. An outdoor pool and hot tub anchor the property, with walking trails, hiking, picnicking, and swimming from the grounds and stargazing across the open Hills sky. Planned activities run through the season. Wine tasting is nearby. Pets are welcome. The hillside position is the whole idea. Elevated and set back just enough to catch a breeze and some perspective, the campground puts riders close to the rally without being swallowed by it — which is why it has held a loyal following since 2004. Downtown Sturgis is 1.5 miles away, with Mount Rushmore, Devils Tower, Badlands National Park, Crazy Horse Memorial, and Bear Butte State Park all within day-trip range. The August Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is the defining event and books out far in advance at premium rates — if your stay falls anywhere near rally week, reserve as early as you possibly can. The rest of the Black Hills summer runs busy on park traffic.

from $15/night

Days End Campground & RV Park

168 RV Sites, 35 Cabins, 12 Tent Sites, 7 Glamping Sites

Days End Campground & RV Park in Sturgis, South Dakota, offers 168 RV sites, 35 cabins, 12 tent sites, and seven glamping sites just off Interstate 90 at Exit 30, with 30 and 50-amp service, cable TV, and rigs accepted up to 120 feet — one of the largest and most rig-friendly properties at the Black Hills' northern gateway. One hundred sixty-eight sites range from electric-only and water-and-electric back-ins to full-hookup back-in and pull-through configurations, all carrying 30 and 50-amp service and sized to 120 feet, with fire pits and picnic tables. Thirty-five cabins, seven glamping sites, and trailer rentals serve guests arriving without a rig, and 12 tent sites cover simpler camping. Cable TV and WiFi reach the sites, and a general store, laundry, dump station, restrooms, and showers handle the practical side. On-site facilities are built for volume and turnover rather than resort programming. A pavilion hosts planned activities, and the campground's Exit 30 position means guests spend most days out in the Hills. Pets are welcome. Sturgis sits equidistant between Rapid City and Spearfish, putting Mount Rushmore, Deadwood, Bear Butte State Park, and Spearfish Canyon within comfortable day-trip range, with the Badlands south and Devils Tower northwest. The campground operates through the Black Hills season. The August Sturgis Motorcycle Rally draws over 500,000 attendees and books out far in advance at premium rates — if your stay falls anywhere near rally week, reserve as early as possible. The rest of the summer runs busy on Mount Rushmore and Black Hills National Forest traffic.

from $34/night

Black Hills Vista RV Park

175 RV Sites

Black Hills Vista RV Park in Sturgis, South Dakota, offers 175 full-hookup RV sites on a hilltop with 20, 30, and 50-amp service and rigs accepted up to 90 feet on a big-rig-friendly layout, behind a gated entrance. North and south back-in and pull-through categories give panoramic Black Hills views from a ridge position in Meade County. One hundred seventy-five sites run in north back-in, north pull-through, and south pull-through categories, all carrying water, sewer, and electric on 20, 30, and 50-amp with site WiFi, sized to 90 feet. The 90-foot capacity handles any rig arriving for rally week. A laundry, restrooms, and showers handle the practical side. Check-in is 3pm and check-out 11am, and wristbands are issued for park entry. The park is LGBTIQA+ friendly and open April through October. The amenity set is deliberately practical — this is a ridge-top base for the Black Hills rather than a destination resort, and the viewshed is the feature. Off-roading is nearby and a national park is within reach. Sturgis is the draw. The town anchors the most celebrated motorcycle rally and outdoor adventure destination in the northern plains, with the full Black Hills circuit — Mount Rushmore, Deadwood, Spearfish Canyon, Bear Butte — spreading out from it. The August Sturgis Motorcycle Rally books out far in advance at premium rates and defines the park's year. If your stay falls anywhere near rally week, reserve as early as you possibly can. The rest of the April-to-October season runs on Black Hills park traffic.

from $45/night