Madison Campground in Yellowstone National Park: How to Get a Site, and Is It Right for You?

Photo: Jacob W. Frank, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons; cropped, with lettering added by Brian Russ Guides.

Madison Campground is one of the biggest campgrounds in Yellowstone, a forest of lodgepole pines on the road between the West Entrance and Old Faithful. It suits tent campers and RVers who want a central base without hookups, and it doesn't suit anyone who wants a shower at the end of the day.

It's also a good fit if you're building a trip from my Yellowstone guide, because its itineraries start from exactly this kind of home base. Here's what to know before you try to book a site, as of October 2026.

The Basics

The NPS page lists 276 sites, 117 of them tent-only, plus three group sites. There are no electric hookups, and the concessioner's page confirms no water or sewer hookups either. Yellowstone National Park Lodges runs the place.

The concessioner's Madison page says there are 14 restroom buildings with flush toilets and cold running water, plus dishwashing stations in most of them. A small mercantile sells snacks and camping supplies, and firewood is sold at the campground. A dump station is available, though it can close early and late in the season because of freezing.

There are no showers or laundry here. The nearest are at Canyon Campground, so plan on a wet-wipe kind of trip or a drive.

Photo: NPS photo, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

How to Get a Site

For 2027, reservations move to Recreation.gov, and the concessioner says they open about six months ahead. Do the math for opening weekend in May and you'll see the window is opening right about now. Checked October 2026; it changes, so confirm on the booking page.

The NPS campground table lists a fee of $38 plus taxes a night for 2027. Senior and Access pass holders get half off with the promo code PASS, though not with the Interagency Annual Pass. Hikers and cyclists can use designated sites for $10 plus tax per person, and those aren't reservable.

The NPS says most Yellowstone sites fill months ahead and suggests checking daily for cancellations. I'd take that seriously for July and August. A shoulder-season weekend is a much easier ask.

Where It Is and When It's Open

Madison sits at 6,800 feet, about 14 miles east of West Yellowstone and 16 miles north of Old Faithful (NPS). The Gibbon and Firehole rivers join nearby to form the Madison River. That's a central spot, with Old Faithful 16 miles south.

The NPS table shows a 2027 season of May 7 to October 16, and the concessioner says October 17. Both say dates can change. At that elevation, expect cold nights even when the days are warm, especially at the ends of the season.

Right now the NPS page shows Madison as closed for the year. Most park roads close to regular vehicles on November 1, and the West Entrance closes with them, per the park's current conditions page.

Photo: Jacob W. Frank, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

What Camping There Is Like

Sites run from partly shaded to open and sunny, and each has a picnic table and fire grate. Tent-only sites are for tents on the ground; vehicle sleeping isn't allowed there, so a truck camper or rooftop tent has to book an RV site.

RV length is where the two official sources disagree. The NPS page says total vehicle length can't exceed 30 feet, while the concessioner says up to 40. Believe the shorter number until someone confirms otherwise, and know that sites may not be level and slide-out room is limited.

Generators are allowed only at RV or combination sites, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Quiet hours are 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. That makes tent-only sites the quieter choice.

Photo: NPS photo, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Rules That Matter Here

Food storage is strictly enforced. Food, coolers, cookware, trash, and toiletries must be in a hard-sided vehicle or the shared food storage boxes when you're not using them, and violations can bring a citation or confiscation. In meadows nearby, the NPS says you'll find bison in early summer and, in September and October, you can often hear bugling elk. That's a reason to take the rule seriously, not a reason to go looking.

Maximum occupancy is six people or one family per site. Stays are limited to 14 nights from July 1 through Labor Day. Check the concessioner's page for pets; it doesn't spell out a pet rule.

Photo: Jacob W. Frank, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Who Should Look Elsewhere, and Where

If you need showers, Canyon Campground has them, with 272 sites and a $45 plus tax fee in the NPS table, though its 2027 season is shorter (May 28 to September 18). If you want to camp outside the reservation rush, Mammoth is the park's only year-round campground, with 82 sites at $25, and it goes first-come, first-served from mid-October (NPS).

If Madison is full, Baker's Hole is a national forest campground about 3 miles north of West Yellowstone on US 191, with 73 sites and 33 with electricity, according to Visit Montana. Check its season and fees before you count on it. You'll have a longer drive into the park, and that's the trade.

Fitting It Into a One- to Three-Day Trip

Madison works best as a base for geysers and rivers. In a day, you can pair the Firehole Canyon scenery with a trip south to Old Faithful. With two or three days, a base this central means fewer nights spent packing and unpacking.

My Yellowstone guide lays out one-, two-, and three-day plans you can hang on a campground like this. I also covered the guide when it launched, in Yellowstone Itinerary: 1 to 3 Days, With a Sample Strenuous Weekend.

Photo: Diane Renkin, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Before you go: see Yellowstone National Park alerts and current conditions, checked daily, for current closures and what they mean for your trip.

This is an independent guide. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by the National Park Service. Campground seasons, fees, reservation rules, and closures change; check the park's current alerts and recreation.gov before you go.