Finding camping gear near Denver or Yellowstone

Hi, I’m heading out soon to visit Grand Teton, Yellowstone, and Olympic NP, which means I’ll be camping—a topic I’m totally new to. For me, just the camping part feels like a big adventure, even a challenge.

I was wondering if it’s easy to find camping gear in Denver or along the way to Grand Teton, especially at Walmart, or if it’d be smarter to buy everything in France? Are there other stores where I can pick up the essentials if Walmart isn’t an option?

Hi,

This is a "theoretical" answer since I’ve never done it myself, but I’ve read about it regularly on the forum: Place an order on the Walmart website for pickup on the date you arrive. The advantage of Walmart is that you can find pretty much everything there.

That said, if you already own camping gear, check with the airline about the extra cost to transport it versus the cost of buying new equipment—especially if you plan to leave it behind when you return.

Hello, I'm leaving soon to visit Grand Teton, Yellowstone, and Olympic NP, and I'll be camping—a topic I'm totally new to. For me, just camping is a big adventure, even a challenge.

I was wondering if it's easy to find camping gear in Denver or on the way to Grand Teton, especially at Walmart, or if it would be smarter to buy everything in France? Are there any stores where I can get the essentials if not at Walmart?

Hi, you’ll find everything you need at Walmart in Denver. And for Grand Teton, I assume you’ll pass through Jackson Hole, where you can also find everything in town. Prices are pretty steep, to be honest. Plus, in bigger cities, there are also specialty stores for sports and camping/hiking gear.

And don’t forget that backcountry camping is prohibited in U.S. National Parks, and for campsites, it’s first come, first served.

Looking at your itinerary, you’re really covering a lot of ground between Yellowstone and Olympic NP! 😎 Are you renting a car in Denver?

Best regards,

Thanks for the info, I didn’t think to check camping stores. It’s a bit of a drive, but with breaks it’ll work. It’s vacation time! 😊 Yeah, we rented the car in Denver.

You’ll find the basics at Walmart. Avoid specialty stores in the US—they’re way overpriced (like Dick’s Sporting Goods).

Hello, Are there tents available too? That’s mainly what I’m worried about.

Hi there,

Yes, of course, they have tents too 😉 https://www.walmart.com/search?q=camping+tent&typeahead=camping&facet=fulfillment_method_in_store%3AIn-store

Most importantly, don’t forget you’ll be in bear country—it’s absolutely essential to follow the regulations for storing food and hygiene/beauty products !

Hi Jennifer,

Just a heads-up about Walmart—from personal experience, while they do have a website where you can find everything you need for camping in the parks, the stores themselves can be hit or miss. I’ve run into sections that weren’t well-stocked. Ordering ahead online and having it delivered to the store you’ll visit on your first day is definitely a solid option. Personally, I bring almost all my gear from France. I wrote up this page about camping in (and outside) the parks if you’re interested: https://jeveuxcamperauxusa.blogspot.com/2011/07/camping-pratique.html

How many of you will be camping?... Because if it's just two of you, you can sleep in the car. That's what I do.

Hi,

Is it possible to sleep in your car at Yellowstone if you have a tent site reservation?

Yeah, I do it regularly. Some spots are more or less suitable for it. But all you need is a fairly flat parking space in front of the tent site, and that does the trick. The advantage of sleeping in your car is that sometimes, even if the campsite is full, they’ll let you park at the entrance and sleep there... that’s happened to me a few times too. Just watch out for the cold in Yellowstone, though. In September two years ago, it was 5°C at night.