Jenny Lake Campground

I have camped in Jenny Lake several times over the years and it has always been a great experience. Camp is right on the shores of Jenny Lake and nothing can compare to the views you have just a short walk from camp.

Camp is very busy in the summer and no reservations are taken. To get a spot you need to be waiting at the camp entrance at 8 am when the hosts open the office/kiosk. They will register you and assign you a campsite. If you've never been here before ask if you can drive through first to check things out. They do ask that folks not drive through camp before 8 am. This system works a lot better, it used to be a little crazy in the mornings with cars driving round and round waiting to poach a site as campers were packing up. If you can't be at camp at 8 am check with any of the visitors' centers in the park as they will post campground fill times on a bulletin board so you know if it's worth it to rush to camp and get a spot.

The camp itself is pretty small. Tenters only and most of the parking spaces are a tight fit for larger SUVs and trucks. Lots of trees in the sites as well so be careful opening your doors. Each site has a gravel tent pad, table, fire ring, and bear box. There are flush toilets located near the entrance (no other bathrooms in camp so it can be a bit of a hike if you are on the far end of the loop) and trash/recycling dumpsters. There are several potable water taps throughout the camp. The camp hosts on-site will be manning the office most of the day but are available if you need them.

There are several walking and biking paths that lead from the camp to the lake. And the Jenny Lake Ranger Station, Visitor Center, Boat Tours dock, and General Store are located nearby. This is both a blessing and a curse. It's great if you need any supplies or info that the camp hosts can't provide but it means there is a ton of vehicle and foot traffic in the area from dawn to dusk. Traffic on the park road tapers out at night but campers tend to wake up pretty early (5 am) to get their day started. And the idling cars waiting in line at the entrance of the camp aren't great either if you're not an early riser. The garbage truck also shows up pretty early to dump the dumpsters. The sites closest to the entrance are the noisiest.

There is a lot of wildlife in the area so be watchful for elk, bison, and bears. In my most memorable stay here I had a bull elk who decided to camp with me and bedded down about 20 feet away from my tent at 3am.