Rough gravel and a highway-side location define the overnight experience at Hell's Half Acre, a county-managed lot near Lysite, Wyoming. The camping area is essentially a fenced gravel parking lot directly off U.S. Highway 26, with no formal sites, no bathroom, and no water on-site. Cell service is available, and trash service is provided, but campers should arrive knowing this is a bare-bones bivy stop rather than a developed campground.
Access to the lot is straightforward, though the surrounding roads can be rough. The area draws mostly self-contained rigs, including truck campers and trailers, and crowd levels tend to stay low. "Only one other person camping with their trailer, otherwise it was very quiet," notes Matthew W., who stayed overnight in summer 2023. The open sightlines toward the surrounding Wyoming high desert give the location a spare, wide-open character that some campers find worth the lack of amenities.
Campers should be aware that much of the Hell's Half Acre formation itself is fenced off and no longer accessible for camping. One reviewer points to a wildlife refuge less than a mile down the road as an alternative, featuring dispersed primitive camping with a vault toilet and a picnic table on the river. For a more developed overnight stop along the same highway corridor, Waltman Rest Stop Hwy 20 & 26 sits roughly seven miles west, and Hell's Half Acre Road provides another nearby option just over a mile northeast.
Description
Hell's Half Acre - a geological masterpiece. To those who have not experienced Hell's Half Acre, the name would suggest a small parcel of land, when in fact, the half acre encompasses more than 300 acres in the middle of the Wyoming prairie, flanked by mountains and valleys. Over fifty million years ago, the Earth was shifting and wreaking havoc. Left behind the restless movements of aging Earth were depressions and breaks in the land. Hell's Half Acre is one such eternal depression, complete with jutting rocks, chilling caves and vast valleys. Explorers to the West were no doubt in awe of of this rare and exciting landform. Who would expect such an out-of-this-world geological event amidst formidable mountains and alkali marshes? Why "Hell's Half Acre" then? History says that this geological masterpiece was known as "The Devil's Kitchen", "The Pits of Hades", and "The Baby Grand Canyon" until a cowhand appeared and thought he was at Hell's Half Acre, an area southwest of Casper full of alkali and bogs. How could he not tell the difference between bogs and a 300 acre canyon, no one knows. He called it Hell's Half Acre and the name stuck. It's been the world famous Hell's Half Acre ever since, but no matter the name, label, or title you give this landmark, it is a truly fascinating and utterly breathtaking formation in the middle of desolate country. The landscape is so alien that part of the movie "Starship Troopers" was filmed in this local. Hell's Half Acre was the backdrop for the alien planet Klendathu inhabited by gargantuan, vicious, fighting war bugs. There are many stories haunting the hills and lurking in the shadows. The ghost of a beautiful young Indian woman moves freely through the canyons, protecting the area and warding off evil. The spirits of tens of thousands of buffalo who perished by plummeting off cliffs now roam the deserted range. It is rumored that a mysterious, dark, unsocial figure lurks inside one of the many dark and labyrinth-type caves. This eerie shadow has been seen by many a weary traveler along Wyoming Highway 20/26, leaving them with the impression that 'something' is there. President Coolidge can be credited with granting Natrona County the 960 acres encompassing Hell's Half Acre to designate this part located 40 miles northwest of Casper on Highway 20/26. [Information courtesy of article in Radio Active Magazine, October 2003]
RV Road Trip Guides
Map & DirectionsHell's Half Acre is located in Wyoming near Lysite
Public CampgroundCoordinates
43.03801763 N
107.11062475 W
Connectivity
T-Mobile5GExcellent Coverage
VerizonLTESome Coverage- AT&TLTESome Coverage
Connectivity
- T-Mobile5GExcellent Coverage
- VerizonLTESome Coverage
- AT&TLTESome Coverage
Access
- Drive-InPark next to your site
Site Types
- Tent Sites
Features
For Campers
- Trash
- Picnic Table
- Phone Service
- Alcohol
For Vehicles
- Pull-Through Sites
Drive Time
- 39 min from Casper, WY
- 3 hrs 4 min from Cheyenne, WY
- 3 hrs 39 min from Fort Collins, CO
- 4 hrs 17 min from Billings, MT
