From Big Sky, US-191 follows the Gallatin River south, the only road to Yellowstone's west entrance. Pine and fir crowd both sides of the pavement, and the river never leaves the drive. Moose and bighorn sheep come down to the water.
Greek Creek and Moose Creek Flat are nonelectric Gallatin River camps in the pine, the close nights on the Big Sky end of US-191. Swan Creek is the same kind of night, on Swan Creek itself. In summer they staff up and take reservations on Recreation.gov, roughly Memorial Day through Labor Day, and that site reservation comes before the van.
Greek Creek has no dump station and no showers. Driveway lengths differ pad by pad, so check the site before you book. If you need more sleeping space than a van, look at Montana RV rentals.
Farther down US-191, Red Cliff is the canyon loop with electrical hookups, 45 miles north of West Yellowstone. A Custer Gallatin food-storage order covers the canyon and Hebgen Lake through the start of December.
Near West Yellowstone, Baker's Hole has electric and nonelectric sites next to the west entrance, tents included. Madison Campground is the name at the gate. The nights inside the park belong to a Yellowstone campervan trip.
Rainbow Point and Lonesomehurst camp on Hebgen Lake, electric hookups and boat ramps, Lonesomehurst on the South Fork Arm. You come for the water, then run into the park or back up the canyon.
On US-287 toward Ennis, the 1959 M7.5 Hebgen Lake earthquake shoved 80 million tons of rock into the Madison River Canyon in under a minute and dammed Earthquake Lake. Drowned trees still stand in the water. The visitor center is day-use only, 27 miles northwest of West Yellowstone, open Memorial Day through mid-September.
Gardiner, Yellowstone's north entrance, and Hyalite Canyon are a Bozeman campervan trip.
Big Sky Resort and the Lone Peak tram
In summer the Lone Peak tram climbs to 11,166 feet, included with a lift ticket, and the same mountain sells mountain-bike days. You do that from a canyon night on US-191, then come back to the river.
Winter is ski traffic on the same hill. Big Sky Resort allows no overnight camping or parking on resort property, as of September 2026, so the van sleeps in Gallatin Canyon while those loops are open, and off the mountain after they close.
Ousel Falls and Beehive Basin
The path to Ousel Falls follows the South Fork of the West Fork of the Gallatin River down to the falls. The open space protects that stretch of river and connects into Custer Gallatin National Forest trails, day-use only.
The trail into Beehive Basin climbs from a trailhead near 9,200 feet through wildflower meadows to an alpine lake. Give it a full day and come back to the canyon to sleep.