Shell Campground

Campground in Shell, WY • 7 RV Sites

In Shell, Wyoming—at the base of the Big Horn Mountains on Highway 14, the principal western approach to Bighorn National Forest and the main route connecting the Big Horn Basin to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks—Shell Campground holds the distinction of being the closest full hookup campground to the Big Horn Mountains' dramatic western escarpment, with Shell Canyon's extraordinary scenery just five minutes up the highway and the full expanse of the Bighorn National Forest immediately accessible from a property that serves year-round travelers crossing Wyoming's most spectacular mountain route in every season. For travelers making the journey through Wyoming's Big Horn Basin toward Yellowstone or the Tetons, Shell Campground is the natural stop where the mountains begin. Full hookup sites with water, electric, and sewer provide the practical infrastructure alongside comfortable cabins for guests who prefer walls and a roof in Wyoming's variable weather, with a general store stocked with supplies, laundry, clean bathrooms and showers, firewood, propane fills, and WiFi completing the essential amenities. A community fire pit creates the evening gathering space that the surrounding landscape naturally invites, and the campground's pet-friendly policy accommodates the traveling dogs that accompany many Wyoming-bound road trips. Open year-round, Shell serves both the summer recreational traveler making the Yellowstone circuit and the hunting community that uses the Big Horn Basin as a base for the elk, deer, and pronghorn seasons in the surrounding national forest. Shell Canyon, five minutes up Highway 14, is one of Wyoming's most dramatic natural features—a narrow, sheer-walled limestone canyon carved by Shell Creek through the western face of the Big Horns where the terrain drops from the 9,000-foot plateau to the basin floor in a series of cliffs, rapids, and waterfall-fed pools culminating in Shell Falls, one of Wyoming's most photographed natural attractions. The falls and the canyon's geology tell the story of the ancient Bighorn Sea that covered this part of Wyoming 500 million years ago—a story told in the marine fossils embedded in the canyon walls and the interpretive displays at the Shell Falls interpretive site. Bighorn National Forest begins immediately above the canyon and extends across 1.1 million acres of Wyoming high country encompassing the Cloud Peak Wilderness, alpine meadows, glacial lakes, and the Medicine Wheel National Historic Landmark—a 75-foot stone wheel atop a 9,642-foot ridge that is one of North America's most significant and mysterious prehistoric structures. The Medicine Wheel's position at the forest's high elevation makes it one of Wyoming's most rewarding high-country day trips for guests based at Shell Campground. Thermopolis, with the world's largest mineral hot springs at Hot Springs State Park, is accessible to the south through the Big Horn Basin. Shell Campground operates year-round, with summer the peak season for recreational visitors making the Yellowstone circuit and fall bringing the hunting community that uses the Big Horn Basin's access to national forest lands. Highway 14 over the Big Horns closes seasonally at higher elevations in winter, but the campground's basin position and cabin options make winter stays viable for travelers exploring the Big Horn Basin's winter landscape. Reserve your site or cabin at Shell Campground and let Shell Canyon, the Big Horn Mountains, and the best stretch of Wyoming highway most travelers never find show you what the state's interior holds.

Campground rules and policies

Registrations and Arrival
Check-In Procedure
- Check-in time is 3:00 PM.
- Check-out is 10:00 AM.
- Guests will be required to present a valid form of identification.
- Staying beyond check-out time may result in additional charges.
- While each park attempts to accommodate your exact spot request, the onsite manager has the ultimate decision for spot placement.Deposits & Payments
- Deposits required at time of reservation: 100% of total amount.Payment / Damages
- Your balance must be paid in full upon check-in.
- There are no refunds for early departures for any reason.
- Guests may pay in cash, but a credit card must be provided for damages or other fees.
- You are responsible for paying for any damages caused by yourself, guests, or visitors in your party.
- Any charges or fees unpaid upon check-out will be automatically charged to the credit card on file.Keys
- Please return your key to the drop-box by the front door.
- A fee of $50 will be charged for lost keys.Quiet Hours
- Quiet hours are from 10:00 PM to 7:00 AM.
- Guests are not permitted to run generators in the campground.Cleaning
- Cabins are cleaned upon checkout.
- Additional supplies available upon request.
- Do not remove the towels from the room.
- You will be charged for the replacement of any towels.
- If your room requires excessive cleaning beyond normal use, it will be charged at a rate of $50 per hour.
- Shell Campground reserves the right to inspect the room at any time.Smoking Policy
- Smoking is strictly prohibited in all indoor spaces and all porches/patios.
- Smoking will result in a fee of at least $250, plus the cost of any damages, repairs, cleaning, and expulsion from the campground.Pets Policy
- Most pets are allowed on the property.
- Shell Campground reserves the right to refuse a pet at any time for any reason.
- For guests staying in cabins or glamping tents, there is a pet fee of $20 per pet per night.
- Undisclosed pets will result in a fee of $75 per pet per night.
- There is no pet fee for guests staying in their own RVs or tents.
- Pets must be kept on a leash at all times.
- Guests must pick up after their pet.
- Aggressive behavior from any guest’s pet(s) will not be tolerated, and you may be asked to leave.
- You are financially responsible for any damage caused by any pet, including a visitor’s pet, at your party.Grass Policy
- Do not drive or park on the grass for any reason, including parking your RV.