Yellowstone - West Entrance KOA

This is a review of the campground (Yellowstone Park/West Entrance KOA) that we stayed at "in" Yellowstone.  I am sure that most people plan their Yellowstone vacation way in advance, but since we just bought our truck and 5th wheel in February and March, we had to plan sorta last minute. What I learned is that the camp spots in Yellowstone can be reserved over a year in advance and that there are not that many spots that can accommodate a rig of our size, which means that spots fill up quickly. When I finally got around to looking for a spot in April, everything was completely filled. EVERY SITE regardless of size or type was full. When we got there, there was a sign at the entrance that said that every site in the park was taken, even those that you can't reserve in advance. 

So, I went into panic mode. I didn't know how many other campgrounds there were outside of the park or where they were. When we searched, the West Yellowstone KOA came up, and it seemed GREAT. The pictures show this great park with plenty of space and trees and a "real" camping experience. We chose a premium spot because, since this was our first time doing a big, multi-state trip, we wanted to make sure that we would fit everywhere we went. A premium site meant that it was a pull-through, with a concrete patio, a wooden porch swing, and a mountain view

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Premium spot #119

Well, we did get most of that, although I think a mountain view is questionable. We could sorta see past the cabins to see a cattle ranch and some hills in the background.  We also did get a couple of trees, but it was not exactly the "camping" experience I thought we were getting. As you can see we were fairly close to our neighbors. Once we got there, got set up, and I realized what the camping experience was going to be like, I was pretty happy with our situation (especially after seeing some of the other "campgrounds" in the area).

Premium Row

Since we were at a KOA, there were a ton of amenities that are really nice (which is good since we paid $75 a night to camp here!). There is an indoor pool and hot tub (with a nice patio out in the sun attached to it). I made use of that hot tub every night after we got back from our hikes in Yellowstone. The pool was great if you had kids!!

Indoor Pool and Hot Tub

The KOA had a playground, a mini golf course, basketball court, horse shoe pits, "fun" bicycles to rent, a coffee shack to get a latte in the morning, 24 hour laundry facility, a game room, and an outdoor restaurant that had a pancake breakfast in the morning and a BBQ dinner at night (not free, of course!)

KOA inspired Bison statue

Our site was really nice, although not as private as I had hoped. We were very close to the bathrooms/shower house, which was definitely not the case for most spots in the park. I think there were only 3 in the whole park, and we happened to have one just a little way away. Also, even though this park is not in Yellowstone, it was only 6 miles away from the town of West Yellowstone which had restaurants, shops, gas, and groceries. West Yellowstone is also where the West Entrance was, so we were actually very close to the park itself. 

PATIO SWING!!

If we ever go back to Yellowstone (and I hope we do!), I think it wouldn't be bad to stay here again for all that you get and how close it is to everything. I think it would be great to actually stay in the park where you are in the middle of things AND it feels like real camping, but that would be a very different experience. I might need my hot tub after our hikes!