Cooke City Mt camping

[VAspeedgoat]

The stars have aligned and we are finally getting back out to Yellowstone for vacation this summer. Because of my job we can't plan very far ahead so the first come first serve spots in Yellowstone always worked perfectly. Then the flood and now a reservation system has us a bit scrambled. I was curious if any of you have camped in the national forest near Cooke City and acessed the park to fish that way? We have reservations at Lewis Lake to fish the lower Gibbon, Firehole, and Snake. But I wanted a jumping off point for the Lamar, Soda Butte and trout lake. I would just do the campgrounds but it's hard sided only and our pop up won't work. I'm comfortable in bear country and just figured dispersed camping is the answer. But didn't know if it was nice, easily accessible to travel to and from etc?

 

[Spedray]

Chief Joseph is nice, I don't think you need a hard side there. Also close to the beetroot higheayt

 

[MTLabrador]

There’s less good dispersed camping opportunities than you would think around Cooke City. Keep a clean camp because the grizzlies there don’t care about people and they’ll show up right outside of town.

 

[Werty]

Tons of spots on the camping in Wyoming, chief Joseph hwy, tons of bears though

 

[pyrotechnic]

This might be outdated and they may required hard sided now, but I stayed at Pebble creek campground for a night in my tent 2 years ago.

ETA: looks like that campground is closed now.

 

[shrapnel]

There is dispersed camping, east of Cooke City on the north side of the road toward Daisy pass. There are 2 campgrounds just east of Cooke City that may have a vacancy.

Whether or not you are comfortable with a pop up, you are in grizzly country and I have seen them there…

 

[Bullshot]

Also tent camped in Pebble Creek years ago. Had some of the worst mosquitos and deerflies in that area I’ve ever encountered. Like bullets, they don’t buzz around, they just come straight and nail you! Bring a headnet! Caught a couple nice trout on the Lamar and Soda Butte, try royal trudes or a humpy.

 

[shrapnel]

Also tent camped in Pebble Creek years ago. Had some of the worst mosquitos and deerflies in that area I’ve ever encountered. Like bullets, they don’t buzz around, they just come straight and nail you! Bring a headnet! Caught a couple nice trout on the Lamar and Soda Butte, try royal trudes or a humpy.

Good luck, Pebble Creek campground was washed away and the Lamar is nothing like it was before the flood last year…

 

[VAspeedgoat]

So is the consensus that the bears are not worth the hastle and to look elsewhere?

Slough Creek was always my go to. Be there at 5:30 and be first or second in line=spot. Not any more!