Some Of America's Best Campgrounds Are Found In Wyoming's Under-The-Radar National Forest

A gorgeous Wyoming national forest within easy reach of two of America's most-treasured national parks is an under-the-radar camping destination you won't want to miss. It boasts plenty of developed campgrounds in the midst of some of the wildest country in the Lower 48. The massive, 3.4-million-acre Bridger-Teton National Forest in western Wyoming is situated adjacent to Grand Teton National Park and just south of the south entrance to Yellowstone National Park, within an easy drive of Jackson, Wyoming, its premiere resort community, and its regional airport.

Here, generally away from the massive crowds of both national parks, visitors with RVs, campers and tents can set up a home away from home at a very reasonable nightly rate and take advantage of their location to take in some of the West's most iconic landscapes. Campground fees range anywhere from $7 a night to upwards of $20 a night as of this publication — it just depends on the amenities the chosen campgrounds offer. Some offer full hookups; others just have tent or RV sites with no services at all. One important note: it's best to reserve campsites online at recreation.gov, and the sooner the reservation is made, the better. 

Throw in ample free dispersed camping on the Bridger-Teton, and guests to the area can visit this stunning region on just about any budget. However, dispersed camping requires campers to follow some simple rules, so keep that in mind. No matter which campground guests choose in the Bridger-Teton National Forest, they're going to be within easy driving range of the stunning Teton Range or places like Midway Geyser Basin, which boasts a unique geological environment north of Old Faithful.

Western Wyoming, from about Pinedale north to the Montana border, and from about Cody, a one-of-a-kind artsy western town, west to the Idaho line, is in what's called the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. It's a huge geographical area and consists largely of public lands that are always open to visitors via U.S. Forest Service roads and trails. In all, the Wyoming portion of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem includes the Bridger-Teton's 3.4 million acres, Grand Teton's 310,00 acres, Yellowstone's 2.2 million acres and the Shoshone National Forest's 2.4 million acres, plus other public lands, like the John D. Rockefeller Memorial Parkway that includes 24,000 acres of accessible country. Campers choosing a spot in the Bridger-Teton National Forest will find themselves within reasonable proximity to all this wide-open country that's theirs for the exploring.

And the exploring is really good. Using serviceable Forest Service roads that criss-cross the Bridger-Teton National Forest, visitors can take in some incredible scenery, and they'll likely encounter some of the very same wildlife they might see at the more heralded (but crowded) national parks just to the north. This includes everything from elk and mule deer to moose, black bears, mountain lions and bighorn sheep. Occasionally, wolves and grizzly bears even make an appearance.

With a high-clearance vehicle, visitors to the Bridger-Teton can also climb to the top of the Wyoming Range to Tri-basin Divide, a unique geographical pass that serves as the headwaters of three great American rivers — the Bear River that starts as the Smith's Fork at the divide; the Columbia River that starts atop the divide as the Greys River; and the Colorado, which starts as La Barge Creek.

With so much wild land, visitors to the Bridger-Teton National Forest might assume that finding the right campground is difficult. But, with so many to choose from, it's a piece of cake if campers stop and think about what they'd like to do while they're in this beautiful stretch of Wyoming. For those who want to drop in on Jackson for some fine dining or shopping while they're "roughing it" in the woods, a campsite at the Hoback Campground is only 22 miles and 30 minutes away from the glitzy, upscale community. For those wanting to attend the annual July Green River Rendezvous, held in Pinedale, a hidden gem for unforgettable winter thrills and western charm, the New Fork Lake Campground is a beautiful 50-minute drive through the stunning Wind River Mountains.

If your pursuits are more geared toward fishing, hiking or mountain biking, more remote campgrounds, like the Hobble Creek Campground, where visitors can hike and bike on Forest Service roads and trails, or fly fish in surrounding streams and lakes, are better choices. Pro tip: there are dozens of remote, out-of-the-way campgrounds in the Bridger-Teton. Visitors choosing these far-flung sites should be confident in their vehicles and their tires — these roads can be gnarly. Anglers, in particular, will enjoy the cold-water streams of the Bridger-Teton. Here, native cutthroat trout, brook trout, rainbow trout and brown trout are all fairly common. Some high-elevation lakes are home to introduced Arctic grayling and golden trout — the opportunities are endless.