Buffalo Bill State Park

Introduction

A great option for base camp if you can't get a campsite in Yellowstone although it's about a 45 minute drive to the east entrance.

Buffalo Bill State Park has all the basics - showers, water, dump, and bathrooms. The campsites are well spaced and fairly level.

We would stay here again if we travel through the area.

Insider Information

This is an inexpensive state park for residents of Wyoming.

The weather in Wyoming tends to be hot and dry during the summer. Most days will be a bit windy (we joke that Wyoming is where the wind is born).

Not a lot to do at this park but it is a good base camp as noted above. If you plan to spend significant time in the park you'll need to bring your own activities.

North Fork campground has large grassy areas inside the loop circles. They are big enough to play volleyball, soccer, etc.

Background

On the banks of the Buffalo Bill reservoir.

Camping

There are two campgrounds at this state park. Both are well taken care of and have large grass areas.

Lake Shore campground is smaller and on the banks of the lake.

North Fork campground is much larger and on the banks of the river. All of the sites here are pull throughs, some with hookups and some without.

The sites are gravel and fairly level. All seem to have a fire pit and a picnic table. There are a few trees but most sites are very sunny.

Amenities

All of the amenities were clean and well stocked during our visit. The facilities looked well taken care of.

The 4 showers in the park are located in the North Fork campground. All are private with locking doors. There is a flush toilet in each shower room as well.

The showers are paid and accept quarters. We were there for two days and the change machine was out of service the second day, so bring quarters. Showers were hot though.

Pit toilets are located throughout the campgrounds and were pretty good for pit toilets.

Water spigots are also located throughout the campground. There was a large dump station near the pay booth at the North Fork campground.

A bonus amenity we have not seen before is a park library located in the North Fork campground near the showers. The library had an assortment of books, puzzles, and DVDs.

Activities

The reservoir allows boating and fishing.

There is one very short trail in the North Fork campground labeled "Nature Trail". It leads from the parking lot to the river bank and you'll need to use your imagination a bit.

Nearby

Cody, Wyoming has a Walmart, fast food, and lots of touristy but quaint shops. It also boasts a rodeo every night.

Yellowstone National Park's east entrance is about 45 minutes from the park. This entrance leads to the Fishing Bridge area on the main Yellowstone loop. It's a bit of a hike to stay outside Yellowstone but it is doable when you can't find a campsite inside.

Buffalo Bill Dam has a free visitor center where you can learn about the history of the dam and reservoir. It's worth stopping for an hour if you like historical sites.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has a free visitor center and museum located in Cody dedicated to early pioneers of the Big Horn Basin. The visitor center features a hand painted mural on the domed ceiling of the rotunda.

The Buffalo Bill Center of the West is located in downtown Cody. This is a large museum about the settling of the western US. The museum does charge admission.