Where to find groceries in Yellowstone

[UPDATED April 2024] Whether you’re camping in a tent or an RV, you’ll likely need groceries when you’re in Yellowstone. This article goes through what you’ll find in the way of grocery stores in the park and the surrounding gateway communities.

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Let’s start with what’s available inside Yellowstone. Delaware North operates the General Stores in Yellowstone. At each major junction in the grand loop roads, you’ll find one that carries groceries. This includes one at Lake Lodge (past Lake Hotel), Canyon Village, Mammoth, Tower Fall, Grant Village, and Old Faithful Village, Bridge Bay, and more. They do sell alcohol as well here.

While you definitely can get all you need for your camping dining needs, there’s not a wide selection, and the prices are a bit higher. If you fly in and don’t want to waste any time outside the park, this is your best bet. As a side note here, gas prices are usually quite a bit higher in the park than in the gateway communities.

But if you want to see some of the gateway communities as well, then Jackson (south gate), Cody (east gate), and Livingston (north gate) have Walmart as well as chain grocery stores. West Yellowstone has two grocery stores, both Mom & Pop stores – and both extremely well-stocked despite not being a chain. There’s one store in Cooke City – an old general merchandise store (circa the 1880s) that’s still in business selling groceries, marshmallows, chocolate, graham crackers, and bear spray. You can also find groceries at a general store in Silver Gate and Stop the Car Trading Post. In Gardiner, you can find essentials at the Gardiner Market

Groceries are often cheapest at Walmart (Cody, Jackson, and Livingston). In my experience, cooking full meals ahead of time allows the most freedom while on vacation (or even at home).

FOOD STORAGE

All of that said, what do you do with your groceries when in camp? If you have an RV, you’re set. Keep it all inside. If you’re in a tent, you’ll need to store all food and anything – literally anything – that has an odor in your car. (No, not the kids. Well…maybe – that’s your call).

You see, bears can smell well. And if they get into anything “human” in a campground (or anywhere else), they remember. So, once a bear finds food from a food cooler, a picnic table, or other location, they’ll keep checking back. And the more they get a reward, the more persistent and bold they get. I was camping in Colorado, where there was a black bear that stole a small cooler of beer that was sitting between two guys at the campfire. They reached down, and it was just gone. That same night, it lifted out the back window of a 4-Runner, placed it on the ground, and lifted out the cooler. Unfortunately, that was the last day for that bear. The campground host told us the next day they would have to shoot him as he was not responding to the hazing they had done.

Yellowstone is a bit more strict, being in grizzly country and not wanting any bear to get to that point. The campground hosts will come around to check the campsites. If you’ve left camp with anything left out (your grill, water bottles, dog dishes, or anything with an odor), they’ll take care of it for you and pack it up and haul it away. They leave you a note (or ticket if the situation warrants the need for Law Enforcement) about where to retrieve the items.

Most campsites have bear boxes. Yellowstone Forever has been working over the years to get every campsite a bear box. There are still a few to go. Campers use the bear boxes to store the items that smell and aren’t necessarily easy to pack away. I’ve seen many camp kitchens go in these boxes in the evenings. That way, the grill, food, and other items for the picnic table are readily accessible in the morning.

SUMMARY

Grocery Stores in the Greater Yellowstone Area

In Yellowstone

• Yellowstone General Stores

Cody (East Entrance)

• Albertson’s
• Walmart
• Mtn High Health Foods

Cooke City/Silvergate (Northeast Entrance)

• Cooke City Store
• Silver Gate General Store
• Stop the Car Trading Post

Gardiner (North Entrance)

• Gardiner Market

Jackson (South Entrance)

• Albertsons
• Target
• Smith’s
• Pearl Street Market
• Whole Foods Market

West Yellowstone (West Entrance)

• Food Roundup
• Market Place

Be Outside • Take Notes