UHT Yellowstone River Drainage Campsite?

[Perry]

I'm prepping for a another trip along the Highline trail and am wondering if there are any reasonable places in the Yellowstone River drainage to make camp. I was watching a video by @WasatchWill of his trip last year and it seemed like I caught a glimpse of some trees in the area of the river.

Any recommendations?


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[LarryBoy]

I'm prepping for a another trip along the Highline trail and am wondering if there are any reasonable places in the Yellowstone River drainage to make camp. I was watching a video by @WasatchWill of his trip last year and it seemed like I caught a glimpse of some trees in the area of the river.

Any recommendations?


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There's a couple trees where the UHT crosses the drainage but it's pretty marshy down there. I'd suggest continuing on another mile or two just over Tungsten Pass (not really a pass at all). Hang a left onto a trail going south and within a quarter mile, you'll find some trees with good camping.

 

[Perry]

The following is from a PM chat I had with @WasatchWill that I wanted to share here for the community. Thanks again Will!

There are definitely a number of trees along the banks of the river, especially at the lower point of the trail as it crosses the drainage. We weren't actively looking for campsites at the time we passed through though so I can't recommend any specific spot, but I think there were enough to find a reasonable spot for at least a tent or two within. We had good enough weather to make it over Tungsten Pass, and honestly, if you could make it that far over before weather ever became a concern, there are trees you could seek shelter in not too far to the south-southwest of Tungsten Pass.

These coordinates, 40.7699, -110.4075, would put you in a good area of trees if coming from Anderson Pass, and these coordinates, 40.7625, -110.4166, would put you in a good area of trees if coming up Yellowstone to connect onto the Highline.

And my reply...

We'll be coming from Anderson Pass, doing Kings Peak, then on westward. I thought about doing Tungsten but was concerned about the exposure so it's good to know about the trees nearby.

We're planning on being in that area on the 28th so I'm keeping my fingers crossed we might be done with the monsoon season by then.

Thanks again for the data!

Perry

 

[Artemus]

I'm prepping for a another trip along the Highline trail and am wondering if there are any reasonable places in the Yellowstone River drainage to make camp. I was watching a video by @WasatchWill of his trip last year and it seemed like I caught a glimpse of some trees in the area of the river.

Any recommendations?


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I love the Upper Yellowstone cirque - especially the tundra above treeline. When we crossed the cirque doing the whole Highline we made it a point to camp above the treeline because this area is so beautiful. I can give you geo-coordinates of where we camped if you wish but it was within a 1/4 mile of the Highline. If the trip's weather had been threatening we would have moved to the treeline or at least into the krummholz trees but it was not. In fact, for that 9 nine days we barely even had clouds. I remember that from Anderson pass (just below) all the way to Tungsten you could virtually camp anywhere so you have no reason to sweat it. Pick your poison regarding cover or not, bugs or not, and views or not.

 

[Perry]

I love the Upper Yellowstone cirque - especially the tundra above treeline. When we crossed the Highline we made it a point to camp above the treeline because this area is so beautiful. I can give you geo-coordinates of where we camped if you wish but it was within a 1/4 mile of the Highline. If the trip's weather had been threatening we would have moved to the treeline or at least into the krummholz trees but it was not. In fact, for that 9 nine days we barely even had clouds. I remember that from Anderson pass (just below) all the way to Tungsten you could virtually camp anywhere so you have no reason to sweat it. Pick your poison regarding cover or not, bugs or not, and views or not.

I, too, love the open tundra areas but I think I've read too many lightning stories and worry too much. I'm just hoping for great weather so we have lots of options.


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[Ugly]

I agree with Art on this one... that whole area whether you go towards the tarns by Smiths Fork pass, or stay up near the base of Powell, or as we did to summit Kings, we stayed nearer the HT... has tons of open places and a few springs gurgling out from the northern slopes. We went up to the higher part of the cirque by Powell on the way back, offtrail instead of down and back up the HT, and the area above by Powell is where I would stay when I go again.

Mid-afternoon sun without shade was the only time I had been hoping there were some monsoon to cool us off, but otherwise it was excellent. Big views, wonderful tundra with red rock.

 

[seekinglost]

I brought a hammock when I hiked 8 days in the Uintas in 2015, so I had to refer to satellite images before leaving to make sure there were trees near the area I planned on camping each night. Above is my camp in Yellowstone Basin, located approx. 40.7703, -110.4076. If you aren't concerned with the need for being near trees, then as everyone else said, it's pretty open and lots of good places to camp.