Ponderosa Campground

Long level pull through with full hookups. Friendly and helpful staff. They are cash or check only and work on the honor system if you arrive late. They do not book online. DO NOT use the Campendium banner link to book- it actually takes you to the wrong place in another state. Call them directly instead..

Poor connectivity with sporadic LTE. Went to Museum for better connection.

We needed a campground near Yellowstone and after calling for hours at campgrounds around each entrance, we found this. It was further than we wanted to stay, but we didn’t know what a gem Cody, Wy was. The campground is on US 14/16 walking distance to the Buffalo Bill Museum. The campground will allow you to book a number of tours right from their front desk. We got picked up at the campground for the trolley tour.

The campground has some concrete sites, some pull throughs, mostly back ins. Make sure they know the length of your RV as not all sites are suited for a big rig like us.

Power is reliable, they have cable, wifi can be spotty. Sites have about 10’ between. Not a lot, but enough. They have a fenced dog park and designated dog walk areas. The campground has cabins and Teepees for those who don’t have a tent or RV.

Payment is cash only. We must have been very fortunate to get our reservation one month in advance. I heard that sites book up 9-12 months in advance. Also plan to arrive by 3 or call them so they don’t give your site away. They are quick to do that. Park was fully booked most every night.

We booked our stay here based on previous Campendium reviews, we were not disappointed. The office staff is helpful and friendly, and the showers/restrooms were tidy but small for this size of a park. That said, one set of showers was already closed for the season(we arrived on 10/6/20).

The east gate of Yellowstone National Park is roughly an hours drive on US14/20, and winds along the beautiful Shoshone River Canyon. We hit the falls colors which were absolutely gorgeous! Lots of interesting rock formations in the mountains.

Cody itself is a small, friendly town with plenty of "cowboy" atmosphere. Be sure to visit Buffalo Bill's Irma Hotel, as well Buffalo Bill Museum of the West. Also, good dining and shopping options!

Checking in was not difficult, but lengthy. Cash Only and they have an ATM in the gift shop/lobby. We had a 32 ft RV and 1-ton p/u and it was a very tight back in for the bumper pull. The ladies who registered us were very nice and offered up any local recommendations we may have wanted. Very basic park, small playground, 24/7 laundry, and decently level sites. Had to come up 1 1/4 inches on the door side to level. Next door to Dairy Queen for food and treats. Right down the road from Buffalo Center of the West... a must-see! It was an amazing museum and would definitely do it again. We came towards the end of the season and were surprised by the rates, but if nothing else was available, would definitely stay again.

Data speeds at 8:30 pm using Open Signal
Visible 2.53 up / 643 kbps down
T-Mobile 10.4 up / 463 kbps down
Campground Wifi 3.89 up / 1.24 down

If you are NOT looking to hang out in nature, then this is fine for a Cody layover. And Cody has so much to offer, you'll be out and about ! Ponderosa is close to everything, esp if you do not mind walking. We walked to the Buffalo Bill Museum ( a must see ), to the shops and restaurants downtown (fun), and we rode our bikes to the rodeo (2 miles) and to WalMart (.7 mile).
Our side of the park was nicely shaded, the newer side is exposed. We were happy with #24, nicely shaded, had a patch of grass, although it is a tight squeeze. The best sites are #s 83, 84, 85- because they have shade, grass, and back up to the river canyon- so a view and some breathing room !
When I called, I asked for a shady site. They obliged. The check in ladies are very friendly and helpful. Plus, the store is a good one. Bathrooms and showers were very clean, although a bit old. The tent sites way down the hill on the river looked awesome, but only have a vault toilet.

This place is right in town but it’s basically a parking lot with a bit of grass between each space. Not my kinda place but it was getting late and everything in the National Forest had no cell service. However, I now regret not staying in one of those lovely campsites in the NF. It’s a nice enough place but just not my speed. The bathrooms and laundry were both closed due to COVID. The only real redeeming thing was the walk down the back hill to the river where folks can tent camp.