Clearwater Campground is a small Campground listed along N Fork Hwy in Cody, Wyoming, and the public listing data available for it shows a rating of 4.8 from 43 reviews. That combination of a modest site count and a high aggregate score is what makes the visitor feedback here worth reading closely — the reviews do not all agree, and the disagreements are informative rather than trivial.
What follows is a review compiled from the campground's listed details and from reviews visitors have posted publicly. It covers what the source data confirms about location, contact information, payments, amenities and access, and it separates those verified details from the opinions campers have shared about their stays.
Clearwater Campground at a Glance
The campground is recorded under the simple category of Campground and sits on N Fork Hwy in Cody, Wyoming 82414, with map coordinates placing it in the America/Denver time zone. Anyone planning a trip can reach the listed contact number at +1 307-527-6921, and reservations and details are handled through a Recreation.gov page rather than a standalone campground site. The listing also carries a Google Maps entry, which is the practical way to pull up directions before driving in.
The activity and attribute data describe a place built around Camping cabin use and RV camping, with a camping fee noted and RV camping explicitly allowed. Wheelchair-accessible parking and a wheelchair-accessible entrance are both recorded, and the property is also tagged as a children's camp. Payment is listed as cash only, dogs are allowed, and on-site parking is noted — though one reviewer's comment ties a parking limitation directly to trailer use.
What Do Visitors Like About Clearwater Campground?
Across the reviews available, the dominant tone is positive, and much of that praise centers on two things: the riverside setting and the camp host. Multiple reviewers described spacious, private sites near the water, clean restroom facilities, and a host who was helpful, knowledgeable about bear safety, and — in most accounts — respectful of privacy. Several visitors also highlighted the location as convenient for trips to Cody and Yellowstone.
The criticism is concentrated rather than scattered. One reviewer gave a single star and described a sustained, intrusive experience with the camp host, while another four-star reviewer thought the host's manner could have been friendlier. A third noted that trailers are a poor fit because of small parking spaces. The overall picture is a well-liked, small, primitive campground where the camp host is the single biggest variable in how a stay is experienced.
1. A Small Campground Right on the River
The setting is the most consistently praised feature. Jim Macdonald described a delightful small campground with six sites, including a group site, and said what he loved most were the western landscapes and the swift-moving Shoshone River, with tent sites very near the water. Conor wrote that the site was situated right beside the river with nice views of the landscape, and Mindy Miles said their site was right on the water. Paul Gantt called the location nice and right by the river, and Tatyana Hellinger gave four stars purely for location, noting a mountain river running right at the picnic table.
Site privacy and space come up alongside the water. Claire Nolan said that although she was wary of being so close to the river, each camp was spacious and private from the surrounding camps, with plenty of room to choose a good tent spot. Brian Kurth likewise described sites with a lot of space and privacy.
2. The Camp Host Draws the Strongest Reactions
No other element of Clearwater Campground splits reviewers the way the camp host does. Claire Nolan called the host her ideal camp host — knowledgeable but respectful of privacy, the type who tells bear stories and gives useful warnings without going overboard, comparing him to Ron Swanson. Norah Murphy wrote simply that the host is awesome. AARoN B said the host is great and keeps the bathroom very clean, Rosa's Day Care called him the kindest, Marty Vanmiddelkoop described him as respectful and full of bear-safety knowledge, and Dragan Ilievski said the person in charge was very nice. Conor described him as a gentleman.
The dissenting accounts are worth stating plainly because they come from named reviewers. Jody Colley gave one star and described what she called her worst camping experience, saying the host engaged with her relentlessly, came into her camp repeatedly with a German Shepherd that she says bit and bruised her arm, and that she cut her stay short on day two. She also described the riverside site itself, Site 7, as lovely otherwise. Separately, Brian Kurth, who rated the campground four stars, said he thought the ranger or host could have been nicer and that his demeanor was not very nice, while adding he was fine with the grizzly and food-storage information itself.
3. Primitive, Dry Camping With No Hookups
Reviewers consistently describe a basic, no-frills setup. Jim Macdonald wrote that the campground has no hookups and no well, that an outhouse serves the site, and that there is a campground host; he also noted reservations run about $10 a night plus a $10 reservation fee, with a reservation option available. Tatyana Hellinger described the place as dry, with no water, where most campers park on a graveled circle and walk up to a fire pit and table. Dragan Ilievski called it typical primitive camping with a clean bathroom and noted the absence of showers and electricity.
Rosa's Day Care advised bringing enough water because it is a dry camp, while also praising the sites as really private with a clean latrine that she said was cleaned twice a day. Mindy Miles described the restroom as acceptable and non-flush. Claire Nolan added that the bathroom was nicely kept and that the bear boxes and main garbage receptacles were generously sized and convenient for tent campers.
4. Which Rigs Actually Fit
The reviews suggest the campground suits some setups far better than others. Patrick Burns, who rated it four stars, described it as a nice campground on the river for small RVs, cabovers and tents, but explicitly said it is not a fit for trailers because of small parking spaces. Tatyana Hellinger put the site count at roughly ten, with only one or two back-ins and the rest parking on a graveled circle with a walk up to the fire pit and table.
Claire Nolan noted that RV and van travelers might find limited spots because it seemed like at least half of the sites were walk-ups, and concluded that for tent campers this is a good spot. Jim Macdonald's account of six sites including a group site points in the same direction — a small footprint where tent camping and smaller vehicles fit most naturally.
5. Wildlife, Bear Safety and Food Storage
Grizzly country awareness runs through the reviews. Claire Nolan praised the host's bear stories as genuinely useful warnings rather than horror stories, and Marty Vanmiddelkoop similarly credited him with being full of bear-safety knowledge. Brian Kurth said he was stopped twice with information about grizzlies and proper storage and was fine with the heads-up even though he already knew the material. Penthouse, who biked from Cody toward Yellowstone, reported being told this was the last campground en route to Yellowstone bear country where a tent could be pitched, and noted food storage boxes at each camping spot.
Wildlife sightings near the sites are mentioned too. Conor found it cool to see buffalo grazing close to the campsite, and Mindy Miles reported bison on the premises but no problems. Claire Nolan's remarks about the value of the host's warnings, combined with those sightings, frame this as a place where food storage and animal awareness matter in practice.
6. Location Relative to Cody and Yellowstone
Proximity to larger destinations is a recurring plus. Norah Murphy described the campsite as beautiful and not far from Cody or Yellowstone. Jim Macdonald placed it 20 miles east of Yellowstone's East Entrance and 32 miles west of Cody, Wyoming, and noted there are a number of other campgrounds in the area. Brian Kurth described the campground as roughly halfway between Cody and Yellowstone. Mindy Miles noted there was no cell service at the site, but said help or connectivity was not far away — about a 10 to 15 minute drive east.