Island Lake Campground
This beautiful high mountain lake campground has 21 newly remodeled sites. There is always plenty to do at this campground; hiking, fishing, wildlife viewing, and beautiful wildflowers galore. 16-day stay limit. Water: Available. No cell service. Notes: Maximum spur 32 feet. Boat ramp closed until winter ice clears. Fish Your National Forests: This site can be accessed by Passenger Car; Fish available include: Trout; Types of fishing available include: Wade, Shore, Motorized boat, Float tube, Fly, Spin, Bait, Ice; Boat Launch available
More like this: first-come in Wyoming
Season & status
| Status | Closed for the season. Forest Service sites close for the season; check the official page for the reopening date. |
| Forest | Shoshone National Forest |
| Fees | Overnight Use: Single Site: $20/night. Interagency Senior/Access Recreation Passes provide a 50% discount to Single Campsites ONLY. *The discount applies only to the fee for the campsite physically occupied by the pass holder, not to any additiol fee or campsite(s) occupied by members of the pass… |
| Rules | Food Storage is Required |
Weather by month
Getting there
From Cody, take State Highway 120 north for 16 miles. Turn left onto State Highway 296, the Chief Joseph Scenic Highway. Proceed about 46 miles to the junction with U.S. Highway 212. Turn right onto Highway 212, which is the Beartooth All-American Highway, and continue about 20 miles to the Island Lake Campground, which will be on the left.
| Coordinates | 44.9407° N, 109.5400° W · Directions ↗ |
Good to know
- This site is not accessible to persons with mobility impairments.
Fire nearby
- WildfireMonk
50 mi from the campground · 41 acres
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Call the managing office before you drive.
Supplies & services
| Outdoor gear | Grizzly Peak Outdoors ↗ | 22.2 mi |
| Dump station | Dump station ↗ | 37.1 mi |
Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.
Explore
Worth a stop
- 13.4 miSunlight Creek Picnic Site ↗Day use
- 14.4 miClarks Fork Boat Launch ↗Boat launch
Trails nearby
- 0.2 miBeartooth High Lakes Trail ↗9 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
- 2.2 miBeartooth Loop/Houser Lake Tra ↗4.3 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike · national_recreation_or_other
- 2.3 miBeartooth Cr Trail ↗2.7 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
- 2.3 miBeauty Lake Trail ↗2.3 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
- 3 miBeartooth Loop/Dollar Lake Tra ↗3.8 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike · national_recreation_or_other
- 3.9 miBeartooth Loop/Stockade Lake T ↗1.9 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike · national_recreation_or_other
Trail and trailhead records are the Forest Service's. Distances are straight-line to the nearer trail end. Trail conditions are not tracked here.
Public land it sits in
This campground sits inside Custer Gallatin National Forest.
- inCuster Gallatin National Forest ↗National Forest · Forest Service · 3,412,203 acres
- 4.1 miNorth Absaroka Wilderness ↗Wilderness · Forest Service · 346,320 acres
- 11.7 miAbsaroka-Beartooth Wilderness ↗Wilderness · Forest Service · 937,102 acres
Each unit is published as a centre point and an acreage rather than a boundary, so this section stands it in for a circle of the same area. Whether a campground is inside, and how far it is from one it is outside, are both approximate.
Other campgrounds nearby
Cabin and lookout rentals nearby
Historic landmarks nearby
Guidebooks for Wyoming
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Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
Do I need a reservation at Island Lake Campground?
No. Island Lake Campground is first-come, first-served. Sites are taken on arrival and paid at the fee station.
Source: Forest Service
How much does it cost to camp at Island Lake Campground?
Overnight Use: Single Site: $20/night. Interagency Senior/Access Recreation Passes provide a 50% discount to Single Campsites ONLY. *The discount applies only to the fee for the campsite physically occupied by the pass holder, not to any additiol fee or campsite(s) occupied by members of the pass…
Source: Forest Service
Is Island Lake Campground open right now?
Closed for the season as of Oct 16, 2026.
Source: Forest Service status
What if Island Lake Campground is full?
The nearest public campgrounds are Beartooth Lake Campground (2.4 mi, first-come), Hunter Peak (6.8 mi), and Lake Creek Campground (8.3 mi, first-come).
Source: Campgrounds nearby