Planning, compliance and design efforts are underway on a project to
restore electrical service to all the RV sites in the Fishing Bridge RV
Park, the only campground currently offering water and sewer at
Yellowstone National Park. The RV hookups could be back as soon as this
fall after Xanterra and the National Park Service came to an agreement
over upgrades to an out-dated electrical system; some upgrades could be
done later this year, with the rest completed for 2012.
The infrastructure at the Fishing Bridge RV Park was designed and
built in the 1960s, before RVs were in widespread use, when travel
trailers were smaller, and when campers’ electrical needs were limited
to lights and heat.
After the RV park closed for the season last fall, an assessment
revealed that the electrical service had exceeded its useful life and in
some locations had deteriorated to a point where the continued use of
electrical hook-ups would pose an unacceptable risk to visitors. The
decision was made this winter to stop providing electrical hookups for
trailers and RVs until upgrades could be made.
Work to install new electrical service to the first 100 sites is
anticipated to begin later this year. It is not known when the first
sites with restored electrical service will be available for reservation
and use. The goal is to upgrade the electrical service in all 346 sites
in the RV park in time for the start of the 2012 season.
Individuals making reservations for the Fishing Bridge RV Park
this year are being advised to reserve a site which will allow a
generator if they desire electrical service. To minimize the noise
impact of generators, some sites will not allow generators and the RV
park has established a policy which prohibits the use of generators
between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m.
The Fishing Bridge RV Park is one of five campgrounds in
Yellowstone operated by Xanterra Parks & Resorts under a concession
contract with the National Park Service. It is the only campground in
the park with hookups, and only hard-sided vehicles are allowed there.
All sites are available by advance reservation.
More information on campgrounds and campground reservations inside Yellowstone National Park is available online at http://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/camping-in-yellowstone.htm.
Information on campgrounds and RV parks outside the park can be found at http://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/campgrounds-outside-yellowstone.htm.
For more information about Yellowstone National Park, visit www.nps.gov/yell.
