Five Yellowstone Campgrounds Are Moving to Recreation.gov for 2027

If you’re planning a Yellowstone camping trip for summer 2027, there’s a new place to book. Starting with the 2027 season, reservations for five of the park’s campgrounds move to Recreation.gov: Bridge Bay, Canyon, Grant Village, Madison, and Fishing Bridge RV Park. Until now, those sites were booked through the park’s lodging concessionaire, Yellowstone National Park Lodges.

What’s Changing

• Where you book: Recreation.gov, instead of the concessionaire’s own reservation system.
• Who runs the campgrounds: nothing changes here. The concessionaire says the campgrounds themselves stay under its management, and only the booking moves.
• When bookings open: approximately six months before your arrival date.
• What about 2026: this year’s reservations are still handled the old way, so only trips in the 2027 season are affected.

Plan Your Booking Window

Because the window is a rolling six months, a trip starting in mid-July 2027 would open for booking around mid-January. Popular loops near the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and Yellowstone Lake tend to go fast, so it’s worth setting a calendar reminder for your target dates.

Two 2027 season dates are already posted: Canyon runs May 28 through September 19, and Grant Village runs June 18 through September 26. Check each campground’s listing for the others once they appear. Making a Recreation.gov account ahead of time and bookmarking the listings will save you a few minutes when your date opens.

What Stays the Same

The comfort basics are tied to the campgrounds, not the booking site, so the current setup is a good guide for planning:

• Restrooms: flush toilets at every campground the concessionaire operates.
• Showers and laundry: available at Fishing Bridge RV Park, Canyon, and Grant Village.
• Sites: each has a picnic table and a fire grate (Fishing Bridge RV Park only has tables in Loop E), and firewood is sold at all of them except Fishing Bridge RV Park.
• Stay limit: from July 1 to Labor Day, the concessionaire lists a 14-night maximum in Yellowstone, even if the nights are split across campgrounds.
• Passes: Access and Senior Pass holders currently get 50 percent off at Bridge Bay, Canyon, Grant, and Madison (not Fishing Bridge RV Park). Since pricing and discounts are handled at booking, confirm how the discount applies on Recreation.gov before you reserve.

The Bottom Line

This is a booking change, not a closure, so your favorite Yellowstone campground isn’t going anywhere. The practical takeaway is to stop bookmarking the old reservation page and start watching Recreation.gov about six months before your trip. If you’re still deciding where to base yourself, our look at why Wyoming is having a camping moment is a good place to start, and our update on this year’s fall shutdown is a reminder that the season is short.

Sources

• Yellowstone National Park Lodges: Camping in Yellowstone
• Yellowstone National Park Lodges: Canyon Campground
• Yellowstone National Park Lodges: Grant Village Campground

Related

• Why Wyoming Is Having a Camping Moment in 2026
• Yellowstone and Grand Teton’s Fall Shutdown Is Already Underway
• The Best Glamping Near Yellowstone & Glacier, Montana