National park campgrounds with check in are the worst. The campground is by definition huge, or else they wouldn't pay a staff to check you in. It takes forever because they have to explain the world to each and every guest and it creates a high stress level that is the opposite of what you're there for. However ... once that's over, it's a nice campground! There three different hikes to take from the valley where the campground is back up to the mesa. There are free showers, wifi and food at the check-in place, which is pretty far from the campsites.
The other campground at Bryce, open longer into the fall. I like this one better, more convenient to the Lodge and Visitor's Center (wifi) and right next to the Rim Trail, which is what Bryce is all about.
The campground is quite nice by western National Park standards. It isn't very exciting per se, but the greater CCC-built Big Meadows complex and Skyline Drive is awesome! The lodge, the trails, the trail signs all have that 1930's feel to them. I love it.
Lovely spot at 7,000'-ish on the south side of a little alpine lake. On the north side is Summit Lake North Campground which costs $2/night more. It has flush toilets and sinks with running water. It has the shambling, kinda charming disorganization I associate with National Park campgrounds. Sites are not very level, but there's a lake to swim in and you're in an awesome place!
Very quiet, there is absolutely nothing special going on here - a welcome relief after the busy-ness of the park. Spacious, in the "giant ponderosas with no undergrowth" ecozone.
Very handy campground on the Virginia side of Cumberland Gap. You drive a while off the highway to get here, but you're really just looping around to be right by the highway again, so there is road noise.
Finally staying here after driving past so many times. Quite hot even in mid-October. It's not open in the summer it's so hot. Just a big parking lot with a bathroom at one end. there is also a store and oh glory, a nice bar (and restaurant) across the road.
Almost 10,000', peak views, good day hikes. A beautiful spot.
merely the gravel parking lot for the tent camping ... not much in the way of amenities, but the park si very cool
beautiful river, some rapids right outside the lake outlet
Typical National Park campground, the parking pads aren't even close to level, the roads are very rough, but they're amazingly low cost and you are in a spectacular place! This is the place you go when you know the main part of the park will be full by 11. At the east end of gorgeous Two Medicine Lake, spectacular mountains all around.
convenient to Jackson, and very pretty in it's own right, also very large.
Your two choices are tent camping and parking lot. It's a small lot, and everybody but me was running their generators till 10. Whatever is special and interesting about this park is not apparent from the road.
Sites sprinkled around giant rocks. Nice little 1.7 mile loop trail. Beautiful, restful place, even when crowded.
An older Yellowstone campgrouund, which means it's dusty, rough and crowded BUT it's in a really cool place. In this case it's a short drive or longish walk to the Norris Geyser Basin.
At 9,300', so a short season. A dusty, cramped, low-amenity national park campground that's in a REALLY cool place.
My campsite karma failed tonight, and I am 40 feet away from overweight theater troupe, who act as if they've never been out of the city before and are being very, very loud very late into the evening. Elevation 5900', so it's pleasantly cool here, even while Redding, 50 miles west and 5500' lower is hitting 101.
Very average campground except that it's in Yellowstone.
Lovely spot at 7,000'-ish on the north side of a little alpine lake. On the south side is Summit Lake South Campground. This one is $2 more, but well worth it, a much nicer campground. B Loop is reservable, A Loop is first come first served. There's a lake to swim in or just admire and you're in an awesome place!
quiet, pretty rocks like in the old westerns, big rocks give you privacy