Mammoth Campground: How to Choose

Search "Mammoth campground" and you are actually looking at two very different high-country destinations: the Mammoth Campground in Yellowstone National Park, and the many campgrounds around Mammoth Lakes in California's Eastern Sierra. This guide is not a fake directory. It sorts out which Mammoth you mean, then shows you how to find, compare, and choose a good site at either, using only confirmed facts.

First, which Mammoth do you mean?

This is the step most people skip, and it causes booking mistakes. There is a specific, named Mammoth Campground inside Yellowstone National Park, and there is the resort town of Mammoth Lakes in California, around which sit numerous separate campgrounds. They are hundreds of miles apart in different states. Decide which one your trip is about before you compare anything.

• Yellowstone's Mammoth Campground: A single named campground in the northwest of Yellowstone, near the Mammoth Hot Springs area and the park's North Entrance close to the Montana line, in Park County, Wyoming.
• Mammoth Lakes, California: The only incorporated town in Mono County, in the Sierra Nevada immediately east of Mammoth Mountain, bordered by the Ansel Adams and John Muir Wilderness areas. Camping here means choosing among many area campgrounds, not one.

Yellowstone's Mammoth Campground, by the confirmed facts

If your trip is Yellowstone, the Mammoth Campground has some genuinely useful, confirmed characteristics:

• Size: 82 sites.
• Season: It is Yellowstone's year-round campground, a rarity in a park where most campgrounds are seasonal.
• Booking: It offers first-come, first-served sites from October 15 to April 1. Outside those dates it is reservation-based through the official federal system.
• Fee: Listed at $25 per night plus taxes. Confirm the current rate when booking, as fees can change.
• Setting: Near Mammoth Hot Springs at roughly 6,735 feet, close to the North Entrance and the Montana border.

You can confirm current details on the official National Park Service Yellowstone campgrounds page, and reserve in-season through Recreation.gov, the federal booking platform.

Mammoth Lakes, California, and its campgrounds

If your Mammoth is California, you are choosing among many campgrounds in and around a Sierra Nevada town sitting at about 8,075 feet. The area is surrounded by forest and wilderness, with the eastern entrance of Yosemite National Park about 32 miles north. Because the town sits so high, the camping season here is shorter and more snow-dependent than at lower sites, and many campgrounds open only once the snow clears in early summer and close by autumn.

Rather than trust a fake ranking, compare Mammoth Lakes campgrounds by the same criteria you would use anywhere: elevation and season, proximity to town and trailheads, hookups versus primitive, and reservation window. For the wider category, our lake camping guide and complete camping guide give you a framework that applies directly.

What good looks like: a high-country campsite checklist

Whichever Mammoth you choose, judge sites on the same points:

• Elevation and season: Higher sites open later and close earlier. Confirm open dates before you drive up.
• Reservation window: Know whether the site is first-come or reservable, and when the booking window opens.
• Hookups vs primitive: Many mountain public campgrounds are primitive with vault toilets and no hookups. RVers should confirm access and length limits.
• Distance to trailheads and town: Balance quiet remoteness against easy resupply and access.
• Food storage: Both areas are bear country. Confirm lockers or proper storage.
• Cost and cancellation terms: Verify at booking.

Typical costs, as realistic ranges

Prices vary by season, agency, and site type and should be confirmed when booking. As confirmed reference points, Yellowstone's Mammoth Campground is listed at $25 per night plus taxes. Around Mammoth Lakes, developed public forest campgrounds commonly fall in a realistic 2026 range from the low $20s to the $30s per night, with sites offering more amenities higher, and private RV parks above that. Note that Mammoth Lakes adds a 13% tax to lodging and campground stays of less than a month. Treat any figure as a starting point and confirm on the operator's page, since peak summer demand pushes prices up.

How to book at either Mammoth

1. Confirm which Mammoth you mean, Yellowstone or California.
2. For Yellowstone's Mammoth Campground, check whether your dates fall in the October 15 to April 1 first-come window or the reservation season, and book early in summer.
3. For Mammoth Lakes, pick a specific campground, confirm its open dates and reservation window, and reserve as soon as it opens for peak summer.
4. Have a backup site ready, since high-demand mountain sites fill fast.

If you are traveling by motorhome, our RV campgrounds guide covers the hookup and rig-length questions that matter most at primitive mountain sites.

Building your Mammoth shortlist

Put it together like this. Decide Yellowstone or California first. For Yellowstone, use the confirmed facts about the 82-site, year-round Mammoth Campground and its seasonal booking rules. For Mammoth Lakes, compare individual area campgrounds on elevation, season, facilities, and reservation window. Either way, plan for altitude, cold nights, bears, and a short high-country season. That process beats any static ranking, because the best Mammoth campground is the one that is open, bookable, and matched to how and where you want to camp.

Frequently asked questions

Are there two different Mammoth campgrounds?

Effectively yes. There is a specific Mammoth Campground inside Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, and separately there are many campgrounds around the town of Mammoth Lakes in California's Sierra Nevada. They are in different states and hundreds of miles apart, so confirm which you mean before booking.

How many sites does Yellowstone's Mammoth Campground have?

Yellowstone's Mammoth Campground has 82 sites. It is the park's year-round campground, sitting near Mammoth Hot Springs at about 6,735 feet, close to the North Entrance and the Montana border.

Is Yellowstone's Mammoth Campground first-come or reservation only?

Both, depending on the date. It offers first-come, first-served sites from October 15 to April 1, and it is reservation-based the rest of the year through the official federal booking system, Recreation.gov. It is listed at $25 per night plus taxes.

How high is Mammoth Lakes, California?

Mammoth Lakes sits at roughly 8,075 feet in the Sierra Nevada, immediately east of Mammoth Mountain in Mono County. Because it is so high, the camping season is short and snow-dependent, and nights stay cold even in summer.

Do I need to worry about altitude at Mammoth?

Yes, both areas are high enough to cause mild altitude effects, and Mammoth Lakes at around 8,000 feet especially so. Arrive hydrated, take your first day easy, limit alcohol the first night, and avoid scheduling your hardest hike for arrival day.

How much does camping at Mammoth cost?

Prices vary and should be confirmed when booking. Yellowstone's Mammoth Campground is listed at $25 per night plus taxes. Around Mammoth Lakes, developed public forest campgrounds commonly fall from the low $20s to the $30s per night, and the town adds a 13% tax to stays under a month.