Indian Creek Campground is a nice 70-site campground on the northwest corner of Yellowstone National Park.
Here are my top finds for Gardiner, Montana (North Entrance of Yellowstone)
🏨Hotels/Lodges: Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel & Cabins (inside the park)
📍Tours: Lamar Valley Safari Hiking Tour, Guided Yellowstone Wildlife Tour
🐻 Save time! Buy your National Park Pass before your trip
Indian Creek Campground
Indian Creek Campground is a quiet oasis away from the hustle and bustle of the main parts of the park.
This campground has a fantastic forest cover with areas of shade and a gorgeous view of the Gardner River.
The campground also sits near the base of the Gallatin Mountains with breathtaking views of Electric Peak.
For the adventurous, you can choose to hike the 19-mile Bighorn Pass Trail from the Indian Creek Campground up over the Gallatin Range and end at the Bighorn Pass Trailhead off Highway 191.
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Remember that this is grizzly country, and the trail crosses the Gallatin Bear Management Area from May 1 through November 10. It is important to be prepared for a bear encounter.
Make sure that you travel in groups of 4 or more and keep your group together. Travel only on designated trails (off-trail travel is prohibited).
Be alert and make noise. Carry bear spray. Keep a safe distance.
If you are hiking in this area, you should use Bear Safe food storage containers . Also, make sure to use the food storage lockers/bear boxes provided in the campground.
Indian Creek Campground Map
Indian Creek Camping Fees
Make sure to check with the park for the most updated camping fees.
Interagency Access Pass (Disability) and Senior Pass (formerly known as the Golden Age or Golden Access Pass) holders receive a 50% discount.
Rates do not include taxes or utility fees and are subject to change.
Indian Creek Campground Reservations
80% of campsites are reservable six months in advance
20% of campsites are available two weeks in advance
Are Campground Reservations Available? Yes, the campground is typically open from early June through early September.
Phone Number: (877) 444-6777
Online Reservations: Click here to make your reservation at Indian Creek Campground.
How far ahead can you make a reservation? Individual sites at Indian Creek Campground operate on a three-month rolling basis.
Campground Information
Season: The campground is only open during summer. The campground is typically open early June through early September.
Number of Sites: 70
Campground Address:
Latitude/Longitude: N: 44 53.22138 W: 110 44.16414
Elevation: 7,300 feet (2225 m)
Accessible Sites: There are 2 accessible campsites and; an accessible vault toilet. The accessible sites are Site #8, and site #58.
Indian Creek Campground Amenities
Flush Toilets: No, vault toilets are available seasonally
Hot Showers: No
Laundry: No
Payphone: No
Is WIFI available? No
Is Cellular Phone Service Available? No
Is A camp host available on-site? Yes
Is firewood available for purchase? No
Bear Box in site/area? Yes, Bear boxes are available for most tent sites.
Amenities at each campsite:
Is there a Fire Ring/Fire pit available in the site? Yes
Is there a Picnic Table available in the site? Yes
Is Potable Water available? Yes, don't forget to bring a water jug to bring water to your campsite.
RV Camping at Indian Creek Campground
RV Max Length: 10 sites at 35 ft (10.7 m), 35 sites at 30 feet (9.1 m). Sites may not be level.
Generators: No generators are allowed in the campground
Dump Station: No
Hookups:
There are no sites available with electric hookups, water hookups, or sewer hookups.
How to get to Indian Creek Campground
If you enter Yellowstone National Park from the park's north entrance near Gardiner, Montana, continue south until you reach the Mammoth Hot Springs Area.
Follow the road to the Norris area and continue south for approximately eight miles.
You will see the Sheepeater Cliff Picnic Area on the left, and then turn to Indian Creek Campground on the right.
Indian Creek Campground Regulations
The maximum number of people in a campsite: Maximum 6 persons per site
The number of cars per campsite: Tent sites allow for up to two tents and two vehicles. RV sites allow for one RV (tow included) only. (For reference, 2 motorcycles = 1 vehicle)
Check-in Time: check-in any time of day that there is an unoccupied site.
Checkout time: 10 AM.
Quiet Hours: Quiet hours are from 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.
Maximum Stay: Camping is limited to 14 days from July 1 through Labor Day, and 30 days for the rest of the year. There is no stay limit at the Fishing Bridge RV Park.
Pets Allowed:
Pets must be physically controlled at all times: they must be in a car, in a crate, or on a leash no more than six feet long.
They are not allowed on trails or boardwalks, in the backcountry, or in thermal areas.
You will want to be aware of the park pet policy
Best Yellowstone National Park Tours & Activities
Lamar Valley Safari Hiking Tour with Lunch
⭐️ Rating: 4.8 out of 5 Stars (208+ reviews) | ⏳ Tour Length: 6 hours | 🥾🦬 Check Rates and Availability
Take a guided small-group hike into the Lamar Valley is the wildlife-watching experience that serious Yellowstone visitors come back for year after year. Often called America's Serengeti, Lamar Valley is the best place in the park to spot bison herds, pronghorn, coyotes, badgers, wolves, and grizzly bears, and having an expert guide from Yellowstone Hiking Guides on your side dramatically increases what you see and understand. Guides consistentaly earn extraordinary reviews for their knowledge of animal behavior, their ability to navigate around bison safely, and their genuine passion for the park. A packed lunch including sandwich, fruit, nuts, and snacks is provided, along with bear spray, binoculars, and trekking poles.
Montana Whitewater Rafting on the Yellowstone River from Gardiner
⭐️ Rating: 5.0 out of 5 Stars (381+ reviews) | ⏳ Tour Length: 3 hours | 🚣🏔️ Check Rates and Availability
This is by far the most popular non-park tour among visitors staying in Gardiner at the North Entrance. The Yellowstone River runs right through town, and this half-day whitewater rafting trip on Class I to III rapids is a perfect complement to a full day inside the park, giving guests an exciting, active afternoon on the river without sacrificing a full day of sightseeing.
Guided Yellowstone Wildlife Tour from Gardiner
⭐️ Rating: 5.0 out of 5 Stars (107+ reviews) | ⏳ Tour Length: 8 hours | 🔭🐺 Check Rates and Availability
This wildlife-focused guided day tour departs from Gardiner at Yellowstone's famous Roosevelt Arch entrance and takes small groups through both Hayden and Lamar Valleys with a professional wildlife guide who uses inter-guide communication to track animal locations in real time across the park. Guides earn extraordinary reviews for finding wolves, grizzlies, and other wildlife that most self-guided visitors never spot, with one reviewer noting their guide located 10 grizzlies and 5 wolves in a single day. The guide provides a spotting scope, binoculars, and deep commentary on animal behavior, ecology, and Yellowstone's geology throughout the day. A genuinely different and more focused experience than the van sightseeing tours, built for travelers who want maximum wildlife encounters.
Click here to find more great Yellowstone National Park Tours.
Nearby Attractions to Indian Creek Campground
🦬 Watch bison, elk, and pronghorn in the open meadows surrounding the campground at dawn and dusk
🥾 Hike the Sheepeater Cliff area just down the road, where striking columnar basalt formations rise above the Gardner River
🌋 Drive to Mammoth Hot Springs, just 8 miles north, for the park's extraordinary travertine terrace boardwalks
🐺 Drive east to Lamar Valley for world-class wolf and wildlife watching in the park's northern range
🚗 Take the Blacktail Plateau Drive, a scenic one-way unpaved road through open sagebrush and forest with excellent wildlife potential
🌿 Drive south to Norris Geyser Basin, about 12 miles away, to see the hottest and most dynamic thermal area in Yellowstone
🎣 Fish Indian Creek and the nearby Gardner River for brown and rainbow trout in beautiful mountain stream settings
🏛️ Visit the Albright Visitor Center at Mammoth for exhibits on park history, geology, and wildlife
📸 Photograph the columnar basalt formations at Sheepeater Cliff and the meadow wildlife around the campground
🌌 Stargaze from the campground meadows at 7,300 feet under some of the darkest skies in the American West
Lodging Options in the Mammoth Hot Springs Area
Lodging options inside the park include
⭐️ 4.3 of 5 Stars - Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel & Cabins - Click here for Rates and Availability.
The Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel has hotel rooms and cabin accommodations. (Cabins are seasonal) and steps away from Mammoth Hot Springs and a great option for exploring Lamar Valley and wildlife viewing.
⭐️ 3.7 of 5 Stars - Roosevelt Lodge & Cabins - Click here for Rates and Availability.
These Cabin accommodations is the closest lodging in the park you can get to Lamar Valley! Caution, these rooms are hard to get as they are very popular. They also have an Old West Dinner Cookout, offer horseback rides, and Stagecoach Adventures.
Lodging Options in Gardiner include
⭐️ 4.9 of 5 Stars - Dreamcatcher Tipi Hotel - Click here for Rates and Availability.
One of the most unique places to sleep near any national park in America, a luxury glamping resort featuring 20 individually decorated tipis tucked in the Montana mountains just minutes from Yellowstone's North Entrance!
Each tipi features memory foam beds with down comforters, premium bedding, rainfall showerheads in the private-use bathrooms, eco-friendly toiletries, free WiFi, and a furnished private patio with mountain views. Every evening guests gather around a communal campfire for s'mores, wine, and beer under some of the darkest skies in Montana, and a free continental breakfast with grab-and-go hiking options is served each morning. Additional amenities include BBQ grills, a garden, gift shop, EV charging, concierge services, and free parking. Steps from Gallatin National Forest, the Yellowstone River, whitewater rafting, horseback riding, and fly fishing. Pet friendly and open seasonally!
Check out my Yellowstone Lodging Guide for a complete Guide to Yellowstone Lodging options inside America's first national park!
Click this link or the map below for a complete list of hotels and vacation rentals in the Gardiner, Montana Area.
https://www.stay22.com/embed/699ccfc98a014664584ca03d
Yellowstone National Park Entrance Fee
New in 2026: Each Non-US Resident aged 16 and older visiting Yellowstone National Park must pay a $100 nonresident fee (in addition to the standard entrance fee), unless admitted with an annual or America the Beautiful Pass. This includes nonresidents entering as part of a commercial tour group, commercial use authorization (CUA) group, or concessioner tour group.
Park entrance fees are separate from camping and lodging fees.
Park Entrance Pass - $35.00 Per private vehicle (valid for 1-7 days from the date of purchase)
Park Entrance Pass - Motorcycle - $30.00 Per motorcycle (valid for 1-7 days from the date of purchase)
Park Entrance Pass - Snowmobile - $30.00 Entry for one driver and one passenger (valid for 1-7 days from the date of purchase)
Per-Person Entrance Pass - $20.00 Visitors 16 years or older who enter on foot, bicycle, or as part of an organized group not involved in a commercial tour.
Annual Park Entrance Pass - $70.00, Admits pass holder and all passengers in a non-commercial vehicle. Valid for one year from the month of purchase.
$20.00 for Non-Commercial Group (16+ persons)
$20.00 for Commercial Sedan with 1-6 seats and non-commercial groups (16+ persons) ($25.00 plus $20.00 per person)
$125.00 for Commercial Van with 7-15 seats
$200.00 for Commercial Mini-Bus with 16-25 seats
$300.00 for Commercial Motor Coach with 26+ seats
Learn more about National Park Passes for parks that have an entrance fee.
$80.00 - For the America the Beautiful/National Park Pass. The pass covers entrance fees to all US National Park Sites and over 2,000 Federal Recreation Fee Sites for an entire year and covers everyone in the car for per-vehicle sites and up to 4 adults for per-person sites.
Buy your pass at this link, and REI will donate 10% of pass proceeds to the National Forest Foundation, National Park Foundation, and the U.S. Endowment for Forestry & Communities.
National Park Free Entrance Days -Mark your calendars with the free entrance days the National Park Service offers for US citizens and residents.
Additional Yellowstone National Park Information
- Yellowstone National Park Guide - Your complete guide to exploring the world's first National Park!
- Things to do in Yellowstone - These are the top things to do that you don't want to miss, including exploring the Mammoth Hot Springs, the Museum of the National Park Ranger, Yellowstone Waterfalls, Kayaking in Yellowstone, fishing in Yellowstone, Fairy Falls Trail, and more!
- Yellowstone National Park Facts - Learn more about our 1st National Park and fun facts about the wildlife in the park.
- Yellowstone Wildlife Guide- Complete Guide to seeing wildlife in Yellowstone National Park, including the most popular wildlife viewing areas, including Lamar Valley and Hayden Valley.
- Ultimate Yellowstone National Park Lodging Guide - This complete guide to all of Yellowstone National Park's Lodges and cabins
- Ultimate Yellowstone Camping Guide - This complete guide to camping in Yellowstone includes all front country campgrounds
Yellowstone Geyser Basin Areas
- Upper Geyser Basin, including Biscuit Basin, Black Sand Basin, and Old Faithful Geyser.
- Midway Geyser Basin, including Grand Prismatic Spring and Firehole Lake Drive.
- Lower Geyser Basin, including Fountain Paint Pot Trail and Firehole Canyon Drive
- Norris Geyser Basin-This basin is known for having some of the hottest water and springs in the park. It is actually two basins: Porcelain Basin and Black Basin, with famous geysers, including Ledge Geyser, Cistern Geyser, and Steamboat Geyser.
- West Thumb Geyser Basin - Beautiful boardwalk trail with hydrothermal features right next to Lake Yellowstone!
- Mud Volcano - The Mud Volcano area is Located south of Canyon Village and North of Lake Yellowstone. It has several hydrothermal features, including a mud volcano and Dragon's Mouth Spring.
Additional Montana National Parks
- Complete Guide to Grand Teton National Park - Your complete guide to go explore Grand Teton National Park before or after you visit Yellowstone!
- Epic Guide to Glacier National Park - Complete guide to exploring Glacier National Park
- Little Bighorn Battlefield - Also known as Custer's Last Stand, a place where the Plains Tribes fought their last major battle and won.
- Big Hole National Battlefield - site of the pivotal battle in the Nez Perce War of 1877 between Colonel Gibbon's troops and five bands of the Nez Perce Indians led by the famous Native American Leader, Cheif Joseph.
- Grant Kohr's Ranch National Historic Site - See what ranch life was like in the 1800s in Montana
Check out all of the Montana National Parks along with neighboring National Parks in Wyoming, National Parks in South Dakota, North Dakota National Parks, and Idaho National Parks.
Make sure to follow Park Ranger John on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok
Indian Creek Campground Photos
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