Wyoming: Cody – Cody Trout Ranch Camp

On a road trip, we were returning to our home in Oregon, from Minnesota we decided to spend a couple of days visiting Yellowstone National Park and were looking somewhere to stay near the East Entrance of the Park. The nearest major city to this entrance is Cody. Our booking was last minute and in early July but we were still in the hiatus of the COVID-19 pandemic so there were still some places available – albeit limited. One place caught my eye – a tipi on the banks of the Snake River just east of Cody. Perfect!

The tipis are located on Cody Wyoming Trout Ranch which is primarily an RV park. The parking spots are set up on the top of the canyon, but there is a rough road that leads down the hill to the banks of the Snake River, where they have built platforms and installed several tipis. 

The tipis are spacious and could easily accommodate a family. We were travelling alone so we had the whole place to ourselves. They have done a great job of making the tipis cosy with a very comfortable bed (there was also a sofa bed) and some wonderful blankets (even in the summer it can get quite chilly at this altitude.) There are no cooking or bathroom facilities in the tipi – on the outside deck there is a grill if you want to cook (or bring your own grill). There is a portapotty for the tipi residents to use, otherwise, you have to trek up the hill to the RV park where there are washrooms with toilets and showers. 

The most attractive part of the tipis is their location. The river is fast-flowing and you are quite likely to see folks passing by on whitewater rafts. Unfortunately, the water is too swift for swimming  – if you have children you will want to keep an eye on them. Apparently, the river is great for trout fishing – we are not fisherfolks so we didn’t take advantage of the opportunity.

We had a very comfortable night – there is no light pollution down in the Snake River gorge which means you get a fabulous view of the night sky and the stars. It was also lovely to drift off to sleep to the sound of the waters of the river rushing past. 

The next day we were up early and entering the park about an hour later.